Night without Borders

Chapter 372 Beneath the Abyss of the Soul Lies Hell

Qi Yunxiao frowned slightly, wondering if the other person was trying to comfort him or making sarcastic remarks.

He couldn't afford to turn against her, but the descendant of the Earth Immortal smiled warmly, his brows furrowed with concern, and his tone gentle, which fueled the rising resentment in his chest.

Although Qi Yunxiao maintained a calm expression, he was becoming increasingly anxious inside.

My main consciousness has wandered thousands of miles and hasn't returned. Could something have really happened to me?

"They should be back soon," Cen Jinghong said. Although he was uneasy, he was still able to remain calm since it wasn't his main consciousness wandering.

Mu Xingyao, with her beautiful features, stood on the mountaintop facing the night wind, her purple robes fluttering in the breeze. She calmed her emotions and nodded reservedly, saying, "Brother Qi is walking the path of a sword immortal. Although he can only unleash two sword strikes, I think no one can stop him in the third realm. This so-called 'sparring' is more like a 'guidance battle'."

The gray-robed old man beside Qi Yunxiao was now just a physical body sitting still; his consciousness had long since wandered away. Sensing something was amiss, he immediately took action.

Actually, he had wanted to go with them earlier, but Qi Yunxiao stopped him.

After all, it's just about suppressing people in the third realm. A little gambling is fine, but if a grandmaster is needed to accompany them, most other people will probably look at them strangely.

"Brother Qi, come, let's drink. He's just a low-level young cultivator who can be killed with a single sword strike. There will be no surprises tonight."

Some people genuinely believe that Qi Yunxiao's trip will be without any problems.

Some even raised their glasses and laughed, "Legend has it that this mountain is where celestial beings ascended to heaven. If we get drunk today, we might just be able to see the legendary Golden Palace."

Not long after, a figure swiftly descended from the depths of the night sky; it was the gray-robed grandmaster who had wandered off in spirit, returning.

His face was somewhat pale, and even though he had returned to his physical body, his mental state was not very good.

On Mount Yuhua, everyone fell silent.

"Something big has happened at Black and White Mountain!" With just these words, everyone's expression turned serious, and they all put down their wine glasses.

In fact, when he returned alone, Qi Yunxiao's heart sank completely. He felt panicked, and his clenched fists trembled slightly inside his sleeves.

The fact that his main consciousness did not return speaks volumes. For him, this was no less than the sky falling and the earth collapsing; the most terrifying thing had happened.

Cen Jinghong and Mu Xingyao were also on edge. Were their cultivation levels destined to be damaged?

"An immortal from the lower realms is passing through there," the gray-robed master informed him.

Moreover, he believed that it might be a Great Perfection level Earth Immortal riding a lotus platform, crossing the Night Mist Sea in the sky, which was too terrifying.

While he was wandering in the clouds, he was suddenly shaken off and fell to the ground. His pure Yang consciousness and spiritual light exploded. If he hadn't already possessed immortality, he would definitely be dead.

Everyone who heard it was horrified; one can only imagine the scene.

Some of them came from the Daoist temple of the Earth Immortals, so they naturally understood how terrifying beings of that level were.

Qi Yunxiao was pale and looked terrible. He was swaying and about to collapse. Was he going to go from being a bright and promising person to a useless person?
The previously smiling young man, Lu Chenxiao, spoke again: "Fortunately, Brother Qi didn't use all his spiritual energy, otherwise..."

Everyone knows what he said next, otherwise he would have become a living dead!
Qi Yunxiao was certain that the other party had been subtly mocking him before, and now they were directly stabbing him in the back.

He felt as if there was a pile of damp firewood stuck in his chest, unable to be burned, and a strong sense of frustration was churning within him, but he couldn't let it out.

Someone nodded and said, "Yes, Brother Qi didn't really suffer an unexpected defeat. He wasn't defeated by a third-realm youth. This time, he just encountered an unpredictable 'Earth Immortal Calamity,' which was purely accidental."

Upon hearing this, Qi Yunxiao was truly devastated. He would have preferred to be defeated by Qin Ming, at least then his main consciousness wouldn't have collapsed and he wouldn't have been crippled.

Someone comforted him, saying, "It's not necessarily going to be bad. Maybe Brother Qi avoided it before the immortals passed by."

“Yes, let’s wait a little longer.” Cen Jinghong nodded.

However, a harsh reality is before us: so much time has passed, if nothing had happened, Qi Yunxiao should have returned long ago.

Mu Xingyao was filled with regret. She frowned slightly and asked, "Senior, didn't you search carefully afterward?"

The gray-robed grandmaster spoke up: "Some of the sixth-realm experts have gone there. Outsiders are not allowed to stay for long, and they are not allowed to approach the Black and White Mountain area."

A master-level figure has appeared near Crimson Cloud City to investigate the truth.

Both the Fallen Immortal incident and the terrifying passage of the Earth Immortal were momentous events that alarmed all sides that night.

The next day, even in Tucheng, figures at the "Ancestor" level were alarmed and rushed over in person, but in the end, they all frowned and let the matter drop.

When the two patriarchs of Tucheng entered Chixia City, Meng Zhiyan immediately stepped forward to pay his respects and truthfully told them that he had indeed seen some terrifying phenomena last night, but he was completely clueless about the specific details because they were too far away.

Meng Xinghai nodded and said, "Fortunately, that creature flew across the sky, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable."

Finally, Meng Zhiyan spoke up: "Senior, we have other matters to report!"

"The outsiders are acting recklessly and without restraint in Yezhou, behaving arbitrarily?" After pondering for a while, the two patriarchs asked them, "This is a matter of the New Life Path, why don't you go to the Tathagata Sect or the Six Imperial Ancestral Court to report it?"
"With the emergence of Tucheng and the return of our seniors, who in the world does not admire and respect us? Nowadays, people from outside the region are constantly entering and leaving Yezhou. We need figures like you, who are like Mount Tai and the Big Dipper, to restrain these people and set rules for them. Otherwise, Yezhou will easily become chaotic."

The two progenitors had no eyelashes, so how could they not understand that Old Meng was flattering them and intentionally complimenting them? But they smiled and nodded in agreement to take charge of the matter.

The "living ancestor" has emerged from Tucheng, seeking to unify the forces of Yezhou, but currently lacks a "handle" to grasp the situation.

Now they are not afraid of people "worshipping" them or causing them trouble; what they fear is not having the opportunity to get involved in the various specific affairs of Yezhou.

"Hmm, you're not bad. If you have any problems in the future, feel free to report them to Tucheng." The two patriarchs set the tone for this matter.

Meng Xinghai said, "In the past, we dared not disturb the peace of our ancestors."

An elder chuckled and said, "It's alright. When people get old, they just like to spend more time with young and energetic younger generations."

Another ancestor said, "Hmm, Tu City is far more powerful than you imagine. It has truly been revived in accordance with the will of Yujing. In the future, even if it involves Earth Immortals, it can report to us immediately."

……

Upon learning that it was possible to approach Black and White Mountain, the gray-robed master rushed to Crimson Cloud City early in the morning and immediately began to travel around the area to learn about the situation.

He was shocked to learn that the young master's main consciousness was still alive.

He left Chixia City blankly and returned to Yuhua Mountain.

"What? The founder of Yezhou reprimanded the senior and gave him a stern warning?"

"Ah, our consciousness is still intact; we didn't die in the calamity of the Earth Immortals?"

In an instant, Qi Yunxiao became excited and thrilled, and Cen Jinghong and Mu Xingyao also showed joy.

"Ah, we've been captured, fallen into the hands of that Qin Ming? How is that possible!"

The messages came in such rapid succession that every time the gray-robed grandmaster spoke, the expressions of those present would change drastically.

The person involved felt like they were on a rollercoaster, going up and down. Qi Yunxiao looked terrible. The cruel truth that he found hardest to accept was revealed, and he had suffered a crushing defeat.

For a moment, everyone who participated in the small gathering on Yuhua Mountain looked at them with strange eyes.

The fact that the young man on the path to rebirth in Yezhou was able to defeat a seed of the fourth realm was truly beyond everyone's expectations.

Many people's smiles faded, and their expressions turned serious. This was no ordinary news; it shocked every exceptional talent present.

"We've been implicated too, becoming his prisoners?" Mu Xingyao's beautiful face was icy cold. Qi Yunxiao was dejected; he felt an unprecedented defeat, as if he had been kicked from the clouds into an abyss. If he had known this would happen, why had he gotten involved in this mess? Wasn't he just inviting humiliation?!
In fact, he was unaware that he had been crippled; otherwise, it would have been like falling from the abyss into hell, and his mental field might have exploded on the spot.

"Let us go to redeem ourselves with 'sincerity'?" Cen Jinghong frowned deeply, but overall, she breathed a sigh of relief.

However, when Mu Xingyao heard the words "redemption," her body stiffened slightly. This was truly a mental journey that would damage her reputation. She felt aggrieved and almost directed her anger at Qi Yunxiao.

"The main consciousness uses its spiritual light to conquer with its sword, yet it can't even suppress people in the third realm?" she murmured.

The fact that his good friend, the fairy, would betray him like this made Qi Yunxiao's face turn extremely ugly, and he almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

Mu Xingyao didn't want to stay a moment longer, fearing something might happen, and said, "I need to go redeem myself immediately... to save myself, and go to Chixia City to negotiate."

"Anyway, a night has already passed, so there's no rush," someone said.

Mu Xingyao felt heartbroken, her face turned pale, and she walked away without saying a word.

"This is really interesting. Qin Ming is truly remarkable. How did he manage to defeat a high-level immortal seed? Let's go together and see for ourselves."

These extraordinary talents, with their distinguished backgrounds, traveled together to Crimson Cloud City.

Despite the outside noise, Qin Ming's good mood remained unaffected. He had already returned to Shuangshu Village to have tea with Old Man Liu.

Liu Mo was completely clueless, seemingly unaware of what had happened the previous night, and had transformed back from a terrifying deity into a wretched old man from a remote village.

"Why is the fire spring bright again?" Qin Ming wondered, then stroked the big yellow dog's neck fur.

Big Yellow bared its teeth and raised a large paw. It was not in a dazed state. Even though it needed to rest for a long time after yesterday's battle, it was not so weak that it could not lift a bamboo sword after being petted.

However, when it noticed Old Liu looking over, it immediately became incredibly docile and nuzzled Qin Ming's hand with its neck fur.

"Kid, I'll remember you!" It secretly made a mental note of this.

On that day, Crimson Cloud City welcomed several visitors from beyond the region, all of whom were extraordinary young talents with remarkable backgrounds.

These people did not see Qin Ming, so Meng Xinghai acted on their behalf and negotiated with them.

"This is the legendary 'Spiritual Seed God,' a supreme chapter!" the gray-robed grandmaster said, naturally not offering the 'Silent Extinction Immortal Scripture' in exchange.

Their so-called "sincerity" is indeed a "high-end product," but it is a scripture that has already spread in the East and has been included in many Taoist traditions.

Meng Xinghai said, "Doesn't this sound like the orthodox approach?"

Qi Yunxiao wanted to say that this was certainly not a celestial scripture. There was an abyss beneath the soul, and even deeper was hell. In the end, who knew whether what was planted would be a god, an immortal, or a demon?

Most importantly, once you fall into the depths of this mental hell, how many people can climb out? They often die suddenly!
"Above the mind are the nine heavens, where seeds can be planted in advance. Once they take root and sprout, it is not impossible for them to achieve the position of celestial immortal in the future. It is said that this scripture has an extremely great origin and is known as one of the strongest scriptures in the ancient methods of the East."

……

After some bargaining, both parties agreed.

In the end, Qi Yunxiao's mentality collapsed. He knew that losing to Qin Ming was just falling into an abyss, but now that he knew the whole truth, he felt like he had fallen into an even deeper hell.

He's completely ruined!
The gray-robed master was about to turn hostile and fight to the death on the spot.

"The founder of Tucheng is still here. Do you intend to cause trouble in Yezhou?" Meng Xinghai asked in a deep voice.

Behind him, Grandmaster Meng Zhiyan appeared, just in case.

"If you have any questions, come and see us!" In Crimson Cloud City, one of the First Ancestors spoke up. It must be said that this kind of "living ancestor" is "very useful" at crucial moments.

The gray-robed master was completely speechless and remained silent.

Qi Yunxiao swayed and looked listless, almost collapsing to the ground.

The gray-robed master quickly supported him, saying, "Young master, hold on. The 'Scripture of Nirvana' does not cut off the path for people. Legend has it that if one comprehends it thoroughly, one can be revived in Nirvana."

Cen Jinghong walked forward, and after merging with the fragmented consciousness, his face turned deathly pale. What had he experienced last night? He had been squeezed and crushed, then shattered.

When Mu Xingyao finished negotiating, she could hardly believe how miserable she had been the night before. She had been pinched and crushed, and had even been treated like a servant.

Although the three parties involved tried their best to keep it confidential, some rumors still leaked out, which had a certain impact on them.

For example, when the World Journal listed extraordinary talents from outside the world, its evaluation of Qi Yunxiao was quite average.

Furthermore, the Night News went to great lengths to boost sales by creating a list of stunning beauties from beyond the realm. Mu Xingyao not only ranked behind Pei Qingwu and Qi Jiyue, but she didn't even manage to stay in the top five.

It is said that although she was exceptionally beautiful, she was considered to lack the "ethereal and otherworldly" quality. In short, her reputation was not very good. All of this was because of a rumor that she once flew side by side with a man, strolling through the heavens, and did not return home all night.

"!" Upon hearing this, Mu Xingyao was so angry that she couldn't eat for three days. She didn't care about the rankings; she was just furious at the false rumors.

Time flies by regardless of human will, and in the blink of an eye, the entire summer has passed.

Qin Ming sighed softly. He had gone into seclusion in early spring, and before he knew it, autumn had arrived. Time really flies.

During this time, he heard about the names of several newly emerging geniuses in Yezhou and also learned that more and more powerful figures were entering the local area from outside the region.

Most importantly, the patriarchs of Tucheng are steadily advancing their efforts to unify the power of the entire Yezhou region, and they are already making some progress.

During this period, the patriarchs of all paths went into seclusion, seemingly relinquishing power and allowing the people of Tucheng to advance various important matters.

Everyone felt that those powerful founders, such as Helian Chengyun, Leng Mingkong, and Qingtian, had all retreated to the background and begun to retire.

“A son returned from Pugong, and an ancestor returned from Tucheng. What can I do but relinquish power!” These are the original words of the Ancestor Qingtian.

More and more beings from beyond the realm are arriving. Even the descendants of powerful beings from the legendary, extremely remote Lion Camel Ridge have come in person. Furthermore, various non-human races and their respective lineages have successively sent their disciples to the region.

"Damn, how arrogant that guy is! He actually revealed his true background in the Great Thunderclap Temple!" The white-robed youth from the Holy Clan rubbed his big nose, gritting his teeth, still feeling the pain.

He had already found out that in the earthen city related to Yujing, there was a young man named Gaochan who practiced dual cultivation and had mastered the legendary Sumeru Field!

“Sister…” He immediately wrote a letter and tied it to Zapdos’s leg.

As autumn arrived, Tucheng made a big move, announcing to the outside world that the legendary peaches of immortality were ripe and that it would host a grand Peach Banquet for celebrities from all walks of life.

Qin Ming looked around anxiously, but his invitation never arrived.

"Damn it!" Yu Que exclaimed, feeling indignant on his behalf.

Qin Ming's attention was drawn to another matter: it was said that the retired masters were studying the "gate" and, after the Golden Light Cave in the Minotaur tribe, were going to open another cave.

This time, all parties showed little interest, and some could even be described as "avoiding the issue."

Even the ancestors of Tucheng waved their hands repeatedly when invited.

It is said that the founders of all the paths in Yezhou are now "notorious" in the eyes of people outside the region.

Even the living ancestors of Tucheng were afraid of being sent away by their filial sons and grandsons.

However, Qin Ming became interested, thinking that the founders couldn't possibly be so deceitful every time.

(End of this chapter)