Night without Borders

Chapter 364 Encounter at the Great Thunder Temple

"Hmm." Qin Ming sensed something. The moment he pushed open the door, he looked back and saw his physical body standing inside the Thunderfire Alchemy Hall, while his consciousness, mingling with the heavenly light, left his body, stepped across the threshold, and entered the Great Thunderclap Temple.

This is a very special experience, with two completely different scenes inside and outside.

Outside, dark clouds pressed down on the mountaintop, and torrential rain pelted the ground, sending up thin plumes of smoke. Lightning flashed like waterfalls, drenching the red-hot, almost transparent metal tiles, while balls of fire and lightning churned continuously.

Inside the small Golden Hall, the Great Thunder Temple radiates a pale golden glow in the afterglow of the setting sun, sacred and timeless, as if it transcends the mundane world.

The Thunder King Bird was bewildered. It could not see the sunset or the buildings, but only Qin Ming's body standing there stiffly, in a rather abnormal state.

Meng Xinghai sensed something, because he had mastered the divine eye of the esoteric sect, but even so, he could only vaguely see a hazy and ethereal light.

"This is about 'seeing the world,' and he's going to try to integrate into it? We must make sure nothing goes wrong!" He comes from a family with a thousand-year history and has studied under a famous esoteric Buddhist master, so he has extensive knowledge.

Unearthing the "Divine Cicada Scripture" is a great opportunity, but stepping further into a new world may also bring unpredictable events, such as "loss of soul."

This phenomenon was mentioned in the notes of the founder of Tantric Buddhism. There is a small chance that it will cause "soul loss syndrome", which is very terrifying. Those involved will become living dead.

Even if it recovers decades later, everything will have changed.

However, Meng Xinghai dared not speak up to remind him, for fear of breaking Qin Ming's extremely special state of enlightenment. Few people in an era could see such a mysterious "new world".

Qin Ming walked into the courtyard. Under the setting sun, the evening glow dyed the roof ridges and tiles red, giving the blue bricks and weeds in the courtyard a touch of mystery.

Surrounding him were layers of text, the "Divine Cicada Scripture," which flowed like a gentle stream, slowly seeping into the depths of his heart.

Qin Ming couldn't help but marvel at how unpredictable the methods of transmitting scriptures across lifetimes were; some great figures in ancient times had reached unfathomable realms.

He suspected that the dilapidated golden palaces and other structures that could occasionally be seen drifting in the sea of ​​night mist deep in the dark sky might be traces left behind by such figures in their lifetime.

"A grotto-heaven," Qin Ming murmured.

Once the word "heaven" is involved, it will most likely involve the realm of gods.

Qin Ming passed through the mountain gate and arrived at a much larger courtyard. There were more than a dozen Bodhi trees, and the ground was covered with fallen leaves, making the place seem somewhat desolate.

Qin Ming froze. He had actually seen a living being?
"See yourself, see all living beings, see heaven and earth, now do you also need to see ghosts and gods?"

He was deeply surprised. This was supposed to be an illusory Great Thunderclap Temple, so how could there be living beings here? He could already sense the other party's rich life force.

Then, Qin Ming pondered, if the entire building is so realistic, even if there are ghosts and gods, so lifelike, it is probably just a virtual scene, right?

I just don't know if I can communicate with people from ancient times and give them guidance.

He said, "Brother."

Ahead, beneath the thickest ancient Bodhi tree, a man in white robes stood with his back to him, bathed in the evening glow, exuding a serene and otherworldly air.

The creature turned around and looked at him indifferently.

Qin Ming was taken aback; this person's appearance was quite "unique".

He had striking eyebrows and bright eyes, a high and long nose, and large ears. He was originally a handsome young man, but the imbalance of his ears and nose ruined his beauty.

The boy in white looked over, frowned, and said, "How can you be so ugly with your little nose and little ears?"

Qin Ming's expression stiffened slightly. Even though he thought the other person looked strange, he wouldn't expose their shortcomings to their face. He always wanted to save face for them, but instead, he was rebuked by the other person.

He had a high nose bridge and medium-sized ears, making the boy opposite him look rather "pig-headed"!
"Huh, are you a 'human'?" The white-clad youth had thick black hair, and two tangible sharp beams shot out from his golden pupils, like blades.

Qin Ming was certain that he had encountered a non-human creature!

The two are communicating through their consciousness, so there is no language barrier.

"Humans can also reach the perfect realm by practicing the Golden Cicada Scripture, thereby seeing the heavens and earth and obtaining the Divine Cicada Scripture? Hmm, humans are also descendants of a branch of the Holy Race, so they can also master it."

The white-robed youth showed a strange expression and said, "In thousands of years, it is rare for two members of the Holy Clan to enter this place at the same time. I actually encountered one. It's a pity that I didn't meet a beautiful woman. If I had, I could have hoped to meet her again in reality. Today, I actually met an ugly person."

He clicked his tongue in amazement, looked Qin Ming up and down, and looked regretful.

"You've really gone too far!" Qin Ming interrupted the white-robed youth. He hadn't even complained about the Holy Clan's big nose and big ears, yet the other party had the nerve to flaunt his superiority over him?

At the same time, he found it absurd that two beings could reach this mysterious ancient temple at the same moment after simultaneously cultivating the Golden Cicada Scripture to its highest level.

"Hmm, you've got quite a temper. Where are you from?" the white-robed youth asked.

In his understanding, humans are a relatively rare species, but those who do appear are all extremely powerful. After all, any creature that dares to cross the endless sea of ​​night mist alone and appear in the territory of the Holy Race is a formidable character!

Qin Ming was also quite interested in him and wanted to know his background, so he said, "I live in Yujing. What about you?"

The young man in white was taken aback, but quickly calmed down and said, "Don't try to fool me. You're not good enough to get into the Jade Capital!"

"Come on, let's have a chat." Qin Ming said, sensing that this guy knew a lot and had mastered a unique skill to its highest level, so he was definitely not simple.

The young man in white said, "Time for enlightenment is limited. Let's walk and talk, and not miss the opportunities emanating from the Great Thunderclap Temple."

He then took the lead and walked through the second main hall.

Qin Ming's heart skipped a beat. Was this a phantom radiated from the real Great Thunderclap Temple?

As they entered the third courtyard, the ancient Bodhi tree, which required more than a dozen people to encircle, swayed with seven-colored light, and then two pools appeared beneath the tree.

The Treasure Pool is radiant with light and color, constructed from coral, giant clam shell, red pearl, amber, and other materials. Divine water ripples within it, and the waves can spread through the void.

Xiang Yiwu had also visited the Great Thunder Temple and briefly mentioned to Qin Ming that the pool of water had a wonderful use.

The young man in white was overjoyed and exclaimed, "Two Seven Treasure Pools! Haha..."

He rubbed his hands together, a strange look on his face, and looked at Qin Ming, saying, "Brother, let's make a deal. How about I exchange a priceless secret manual for your pool?"

Qin Ming calmly replied, "Would it be acceptable if I offered you a true scripture to leave?"

The white-robed youth's expression was indifferent, his smile gone. He said, "There's nothing I can do about it. I have no grudge against you, but since the extraordinary Seven Treasures Pool is involved, I have no choice but to take action and drive you away."

Qin Ming said, "You need to understand that if you lose to me, you will have gained nothing and end up losing everything."

The young man in white smiled faintly and said, "Who hasn't had some tricks up their sleeve to enter this field? Even if I lose, it's not a catastrophe. I'll just learn an even more powerful secret technique, and sooner or later I'll be able to 'see the world' again."

Qin Ming's expression turned serious. He felt that it wasn't that the other party was just gambling recklessly and seemed fearless; they probably did indeed have some remarkable skills.

Since it was unavoidable, he chose to strike first.

A tangible spiritual field expanded around Qin Ming, with ripples spreading outwards and enveloping the white-robed youth.

"This is... a Sumeru field?"

Clearly, the white-robed youth was startled. In an instant, he retreated with lightning speed, and with a wave of his hand, a large seal slammed down. Both of them had arrived here in a conscious state, so it was impossible for them to have brought weapons with them. This was the Mountain and River Seal manifested by the other party using his cultivation technique.

In an instant, Qin Ming seemed to see endless mountains appear before his eyes, accompanied by a surging river, covering the sky and filling the void.

However, he remained unmoved, and the tangible spiritual energy waves around his body seemed even sharper than a heavenly blade, flattening the mountains and cutting off the mighty river.

The white-clad youth suddenly retreated, standing in mid-air under the setting sun, his body bathed in the evening glow. A bone flute appeared at his lips, and he began to play a melodious tune.

"Huh?" Qin Ming was surprised. His body was lifted off the ground, as if he was being led by someone. It was quite bizarre, and the flute music seemed to be summoning a soul.

"town!"

Seeing Qin Ming float up, the white-robed youth blew out ten special tangible musical notes in succession. Then, with a soft shout, the bone flute transformed into a glowing divine talisman and flew towards Qin Ming's forehead.

With a tearing sound, the tangible spiritual field outside Qin Ming's body ripped the glowing divine talisman in two, and then burned it to ashes.

The white-robed youth slammed down with his right hand, creating an enormous object surrounded by dazzling light and rich Daoist energy, as if it were carrying a fragment of the heavens as it fell.

In the darkness, there seemed to be an inexplicable "power" in harmony with him, and he was drawing upon the power of heaven and earth in this region to judge and annihilate his opponents.

Qin Ming was surprised. This guy was really capable, making the entire hazy Great Thunderclap Temple resonate with him and have its power borrowed by him.

The white-robed youth seemed to want to completely merge into this world, drawing upon the power of the Great Thunderclap Temple to suppress his opponent.

Outside Qin Ming's body, the Yin and Yang energies circulated, as if he had transcended this world. Then, he made a gesture of clasping his hands together, and black and white light immediately shone forth.

In mid-air, a pair of black and white hands appeared, about to crush the white-clad youth between them.

The white-clad youth transformed into a golden-winged roc, flapping its wings and forcefully pushing open the black and white hands, rising with a roar. However, blood-stained feathers fell from its enormous golden wings.

In an instant, the white-robed youth stood tall in the sky, transforming into a Vermilion Bird in the blink of an eye, as if summoning endless heavenly fire from beyond the world.

Boom!

The next moment, he was accompanied by endless crimson flames, as if a corner of the sky had collapsed. Then, he and a sea of ​​fire fell down, containing incomparably violent power, and blasted towards his opponent.

Qin Ming was amazed. As expected of a being who had mastered the Golden Cicada Technique to its fullest extent, its combat power was indeed formidable and its methods terrifying. It was definitely not an ordinary opponent.

He activated the Golden Crow Illuminating the Night Scripture, and with a single palm strike, endless golden rays expanded wildly, and a dazzling sun rose into the sky, with a golden crow in the center radiating holy light, illuminating all directions.

With a loud thud, it seemed as if two blazing suns, one red and one gold, collided in the sky, scattering endless rays of light and causing the void to rumble violently.

Qin Ming never expected that his attempt to comprehend the scriptures would lead to a battle with a living being after he encountered a completely new world.

In fact, this is an extremely rare occurrence.

The so-called "soul loss syndrome" that ancient geniuses experienced when they attained enlightenment and saw a new world is related to this extreme situation, in which the person was severely injured and an accident occurred.

It was a fierce battle, and in the end, the white-clad youth was killed, his long, large nose was smashed by Qin Ming, and one of his huge ears was cut off.

His body was covered in cracks, with light shining through from the front and back, and he almost exploded completely.

The young man in white was shaken and looked incredulous. He had suffered a crushing defeat and had been almost completely torn apart by his opponent.

"You pig-headed idiot, you're really amazing. You actually made me use my real skills." This was Qin Ming's high praise for him.

"You're the pig-headed one! I'm from the Holy Clan, you just wait!" With a whoosh, he vanished into thin air.

Qin Ming wanted to keep him around to interrogate him and get him to answer some questions, but the other party disappeared so quickly.

He harnessed the yin and yang energies to pursue, his entire body radiant, like a golden crow streaking across the sky. With a boom, he caught up with his opponent at the courtyard gate and reached out his right hand to grab him.

With a soft thud, the white-clad youth's body shattered, his spine broken, yet he still managed to break free of the ancient building area.

He entered the real world, which was naturally not the location of the Thunderfire Alchemy Hall. Qin Ming dared not resonate with its spiritual field and follow it out, unwilling to undertake a meaningless adventure.

The next moment, Qin Ming returned to the third courtyard and quickly entered the Seven Treasures Pool to begin meditating.

"Little nose, little ears, come out here!" In just a moment, the white-robed youth returned, covered in blood, eager to pull Qin Ming out of the Seven Treasures Pool.

Qin Ming was astonished. This young man was indeed extraordinary. The fact that he could return after exiting that state of enlightenment was enough to demonstrate his exceptional talent.

He sat cross-legged in the pool, flicked his finger, and instantly a divine cicada appeared. Its wings were filled with lightning, swirling with yin and yang energy, and also involved the power of life and death. With a roar, it flew forward.

The white-robed youth spat out mouthfuls of his own consciousness and blood essence, and being already very weak, he suffered another severe blow.

"How dare you hit my white beast in front of me?" A cold voice rang out, and a woman stepped out from the shadow of the white-clad youth, which was elongated by the setting sun.

It's absurd enough to encounter a living creature in a place like this, how could anyone possibly sneak in with the boy in white?

Qin Ming was shocked. Had he encountered a powerful being?
The woman in the red dress had a slender figure, her black hair cascaded down her back, and her beautiful face was flawless. She was surrounded by layers of divine halos, as if she stood in the heavens. If it weren't for her slightly immature appearance, she would be considered to be of unparalleled beauty.

Qin Ming breathed a sigh of relief. She looked to be only seventeen or eighteen years old, with clear eyes. She didn't seem like some deep, old monster. That youthful and vibrant freshness shouldn't be something an old guy should possess.

Unless it's some unfathomable old monster pretending to be young.

The woman in the red dress stretched out her delicate hand and pressed it forward.

Qin Ming immediately stood up, stepped out of the Seven Treasures Pool, and made a move with a solemn expression, going all out.

With a loud bang, the two clashed palms, creating a thunderous sound from the ground. Although Qin Ming's body swayed, he smiled, confirming that this was not some old monster.

"Sister, this human is despicable!" the boy in white exclaimed.

"It's troublesome. I smuggled myself in to simulate your destiny and mental field, which will make it difficult for me to fight effectively." The woman in the red dress frowned slightly.

She was actually forced back a step by the black-clad youth opposite her!
Qin Ming's expression was solemn; he had already given it his all.

"Hmm?" Suddenly, he was surprised to notice that the woman in the red dress had tied her hair with a strip of cloth that shimmered with golden light, somewhat resembling his own tattered cloth.

Can this kind of thing be brought in?

Qin Ming had some doubts. Was this another small, long strip of rag? It looked brand new, with what appeared to be a pattern of a setting sun, rippling with golden light.

The girl used this cloth to conceal her aura before making her move.

This was a fierce battle. Qin Ming held nothing back, unleashing his Hunyuan Force, which illuminated the entire Great Thunderclap Temple, making it shine brightly and completely overshadowing the setting sun, which appeared incredibly dim.

In the end, Qin Ming severely injured the girl in the red dress, leaving her with bright red blood at the corner of her mouth. He also knocked the strip of cloth from her hair away and snatched it back immediately.

"I'll not only beat your pig in front of you, but I'll also beat you in front of the pig," Qin Ming retorted.

(End of this chapter)