Night without Borders

Chapter 403 The Lost Capital
Under the long night, on the cold frozen earth, the fire springs flickered, and thick fog rose from the deep passage leading to the otherworld. A copper lamp with a flame that turned from red to purple and then almost black stained the palm of the Earth Immortal Mu Qinghe black.

Her voice trembled as she urged again, "Cut off this road, it's a terrible omen!"

It was hard to imagine that a celestial being would be so distraught. Her face was pale and bloodless, filled with anxiety and urgency.

The bronze lamp she carried was no ordinary object; it could detect the intensity of Daoist energy.

Today, Mu Qinghe personally "supervised the construction" and brought this rare treasure with him, precisely because he was afraid that the patriarchs might encounter another "accident" and cause trouble.

Just as he feared, this very thing happened. As soon as the path to the other world was opened, the aura from the other side surged over, and an anomaly was detected.

If the flame of a copper lamp turns red, it signifies danger; it is a warning. If it turns a deep purple, even an immortal would be terrified.

Not to mention, the flames were so red they were almost black. Even if her "colleagues" from the highest heavens were to descend to this place, they would probably be terrified.

The troublesome ancestors of Yezhou have dug another "big pit".

If it weren't for the fact that Mu Qinghe's descendants were among this group, and if it weren't for the fact that these old guys possessed the ultimate weapon—the Heaven-Stabilizing Divine Stake—she would have really wanted to slap them with her palm.

"Hurry!" she shouted anxiously, and she had already made her move, reaching towards the dark passage where thick fog billowed and the Daoist aura was exceptionally strong.

Helian Chengyun, with his youthful, handsome features and clad in crimson-gold armor, spoke up: "Senior, don't panic, the path is blocked. In fact, we also have detection methods, and this time we have indeed... unearthed some ominous land!"

Jiang Yan, the founder of the Heavenly God Palace, an important sect of Esoteric Buddhism, spoke up: "I'm sorry, senior, for causing you worry."

The passage, emerging from the thick fog, gradually darkened; the road had ended.

The founders of Yezhou were quite sensible. At this stage, they did indeed want to explore new frontiers, and they had already tested both Tucheng and the city above the Nine Heavens—the ruins of the cave.

Right now, they are focused on opening up new paths, breaking free from the barrenness of Yezhou, and searching for top-tier resources in the unknown distance.

Therefore, this was truly not intentional.

In the past, when the patriarch of Yezhou made transactions with the beings in the Immortal Tomb, he went into great detail and even had methods to monitor the Daoist aura of the other party.

They used a "spirit-absorbing liquid" that was placed at the front of the passage beforehand, and it has now turned blackish-red.

When two worlds connect, spiritual matter generally flows from the region with strong Daoist influences to the barren land, which allows for immediate detection.

The Earth Immortal Mu Qinghe's complexion improved considerably only after the passage closed.

She spoke seriously: "Do you know how dangerous it was just now? Given the rich Daoist aura in that area, there was an 80% chance that there were gods there. Even if they were decaying, their condition should still be quite good."

She even suspected that the area had long since moved beyond the radiation range of Yujing, and that it was possible that "wild" and "complete" gods might exist there.

Now, the true tribulation light accumulated in Sky City has been completely poured out, and there are no more "Dao Chains" available. If it encounters a god who has never declined, it really cannot withstand it!

Most importantly, in this unknown territory, no one knows exactly how many beings of this level exist.

If we provoke them, the consequences will be unimaginable.

An atmosphere of extreme panic has descended, and the crisis cannot be resolved unless we seek help from Yujing.

But what is the current situation in Jade Capital? Even the ancient ancestral immortals above the Nine Heavens don't know.

"Senior, is the problem that serious?" Buddha asked. He was usually very sparing with his words, but in this situation, he wanted to ask a few more questions.

Earth Immortal Mu Qinghe was somewhat suspicious. A divine light flashed in her phoenix eyes as she stared at this group of old men. Could it be that they even wanted to test the Jade Capital? Are they crazy?

Fortunately, these old guys closed the road on their own initiative.

Mu Qinghe's expression was solemn. She pointed to the sky and said in a low voice, "Some existences and some unknown territories should not be offended, approached, or have their bottom lines tested!"

"Seniors, we understand!" No matter what, the attitude of the ancestors of Yezhou was always so good, sincere and low-key.

However, the Earth Immortal Mu Qinghe wanted to roll her eyes. These old guys' behavior was never as "restrained" as their words suggested.

The group of patriarchs in Yezhou did indeed have a proper attitude, after all, they were "living off their parents".

The so-called "making the most of everything" means that all words and actions should be within limits, and the Earth Immortal Mu Qinghe and others still need to clean up the mess, so that everything can't be "eaten away" all at once.

At least during this period they lived very comfortably, without worrying about Yezhou being invaded by surrounding areas; they could simply explore the distant lands.

Mu Qinghe said, "Your opening of the passage is truly an insult to the Primordial Ancestor, the Earth Immortal, the Earth City, and the grotto-heavens above the Nine Heavens. Don't open it again next time!"

What happened just now was definitely not a false alarm. If we had been careless, it could have been a disaster that affected Sky City. She was still a little scared.

Yang Tuolu Ren Leng Mingkong sighed, "Yezhou is poor in resources, how bitter our lives are."

His heroic spirit certainly made him easy to like, but the group of early ancestors in Tucheng and the Earth Immortal Mu Qinghe were somewhat "immune" to this old fellow.

The patriarch of the New Life Road spoke up: "May I ask, senior, what is the state of Jade Capital now? And is the endless darkness in this world caused by Jade Capital, or is it limited to this area, or is it also like this in distant places?"

They knew that the area radiated by Yujing was too vast and boundless, and even if they opened up a void tunnel, they might not be able to escape this range.

One of the most powerful founders of Tantric Buddhism, the "Immortal," spoke: "We are somewhat lost. When will the fog dissipate? When will the long night end? Which way should we go?"

Mu Qinghe's expression was solemn as she said, "Yujing is drifting in the void, its return unknown."

She responded in a low voice, saying, "The night is boundless, and the fog is hard to dispel. For everyone, it is like a pitch-black curtain that is difficult to lift, and even the Jade Capital is trapped in it."

A group of patriarchs stood solemnly, listening to her whispers. They felt as if the world was a makeshift operation, and even the mysterious and terrifying Jade Capital was shrouded in night fog.

"Don't the creatures in Jade Capital know the truth either?" Sun Taichu questioned.

"Possibly." Mu Qinghe nodded.

Jiang Yan, the founder of Esoteric Buddhism, spoke up: "Senior, what state is Jade Capital in? It is about to be born, yet it has not been born yet; it has been missing for a long time."

Mu Qinghe looked at him, her expression softening slightly. Her Daoist partner was once a prominent figure in the Secret Sect surnamed Jiang. However, time is merciless, and she eventually became an Earth Immortal, while her Daoist partner passed away.

The Jiang Yan before me must be her descendant.

If it weren't for this relationship, she wouldn't be so easy to talk to.

Mu Qinghe spoke up: "Regarding the current Jade Capital, the people in the heavens have a theory that it may have gotten lost."

"What?" Even the patriarch of Yezhou changed color upon hearing this.

The Lost Capital of Jade Capital? Are you kidding me!
It hangs upside down, is the source of many civilizations, and rules over endless territories, yet it has encountered a problem?
"Currently, Sky City follows the 'old will' of Jade Capital. There have been no new instructions for a long time. It is shrouded in thick black fog and has lost all important contact with the outside world."

Mu Qinghe transmitted her voice, saying that Jade Capital occasionally stirred, emitting disordered ripples without a clear will, and most of the time it remained silent. Even the masters of Sky City dared not disturb it, waiting for it to fully recover.

For a long time, no one present spoke.

It wasn't until Jiang Yan broke the silence and asked again, "In this world, the gods have all decayed, and the celestial immortals have all degenerated. There are no complete beings left. Is this related to the Jade Capital?"

Earth Immortal Mu Qinghe glanced at them and said, "You should have heard the rumors that Jade Capital has locked the upper limit."

As she said, this is the current mainstream speculation.

Above the nine heavens, the high-hanging grottoes are all in ruins, and there is not a single celestial god or immortal guarding the Sky City, which is naturally very abnormal.

Mu Qinghe said, "Sky City has been attacked."

She solemnly informed them that, from that moment on, Yujing seemed to have locked its limits!

"These are just speculations, not evidence."

Moreover, she again used a secret telepathic message instead of speaking directly, seemingly quite wary.

"Yujing locking the upper limit is not out of malice. Who would target its own people? One theory is that a 'giant' is approaching Yujing and is suppressing it with all sorts of means."

According to this viewpoint, what Yujing locks is actually a "giant," encompassing both the ground and the celestial realms above. All areas within Yujing's influence are affected and implicated. One can only imagine how terrifying the region surrounding Yujing is now!
Even the seasoned master of Yezhou couldn't help but gasp at the icy mist imbued with the scent of snow particles, his heart truly shaken.

Lu Yu asked, "What is this so-called giant object?"

Mu Qinghe said, "I don't know. It could be a special power beyond imagination, an unknown terrifying force, some kind of incomprehensible mysterious phenomenon, or a specific creature... anything is possible."

She then mentioned another speculation regarding the lock limit.

This time she spoke up on her own initiative, without waiting for someone to ask, naturally because Jiang Yan was there, and he had already tried to speak.

"Another, somewhat terrifying, conjecture is that a decaying celestial being, before passing away, suspected that a bizarre, incomprehensible behemoth in the night fog might have locked onto Jade Capital, causing a series of changes."

This statement is truly terrifying; everything has been reversed. If this is the case, Yujing has already been put on the defensive, and the situation is very serious.

Most frighteningly, this means that the area radiated by Yujing is actually already in unknown danger.

And Yezhou is naturally included in this, and it may one day in the future... fall and collapse!

Helian Chengyun sighed, “The suspicion of the celestial beings is alarming. Even a powerful and supreme place like Yujing is being eroded and disturbed, cut off from the outside world, and unaware of the future.”

This is truly chilling.

"Are there any other guesses?" Leng Mingkong asked.

Mu Qinghe said, "The third theory is that there is no truth, everything is overturned, and everything is unknown, waiting for future generations to explore. However, when a terrestrial immortal tried to approach the Jade Capital... he died suddenly, his body and soul were destroyed, and not even a single word was passed down."

The loss of Yujing is more terrifying than anyone could imagine!

"You're not going to dig a void tunnel again, are you?" Mu Qinghe asked.

"Yes, while we're still young, our blood is still hot, and our faith hasn't been extinguished, we still want to try to pave the way in this great era."

"Please come back in two days, senior."

Upon hearing the second sentence, Mu Qinghe's beautiful face twitched slightly.

……

After Qin Ming emerged from seclusion, he ignored the two invitations and temporarily put the matter aside. As a result, the other party took the initiative to visit him.

He was drinking tea when he suddenly looked up at the night sky outside the window. Two people wandered over in their thoughts, and they sensed something between them. It was too late to avoid them.

"Greetings, Brother Qin."

"I apologize for my unauthorized visit, Brother Qin."

A man and a woman landed one after the other, and both were very polite.

Qin Ming stood up, smiled, and pushed open the door to leave. Even though he knew they wanted to "get something for free," he couldn't just show his displeasure.

Moreover, since it's an exchange, can't he also "get something for free" in return?
After inviting the two into the house, Qin Ming said, "Mo Hua, serve tea."

Su Mohua recognized the two people at a glance, knowing that they were extremely powerful and had the strength to compete for "Blazing Sun". They were two famous "great gods" in the heavens, and were deeply feared by the younger generation.

Even though she is still relatively new to the world, her body is slightly tense.

Both men revealed their true appearances; they were both in their early twenties, in the prime of their lives.

The man's name was Feng Zhige. He had well-defined features, sharp angles, and unusual red hair, giving him a heroic air.

The woman's name was Yan Zhuohua. Her hair was as smooth as silk, and her face was gentle and graceful. At first glance, she was not particularly stunning, but she was very pleasing to the eye. The more one looked at her, the more one felt that she had a classical beauty, as if she were an elegant fairy who had stepped out of a painting.

Qin Ming couldn't help but glance at her a few more times, but he didn't act rudely.

After the guests and hosts were seated, the atmosphere was quite harmonious.

Contrary to expectations, the two were very polite and did not act arrogantly. They were both very calm, had good manners, and were quite witty.

At least on the surface, the guests and hosts got along well.

Finally, they ended up talking about Chaos Energy, which was originally the purpose of the two visitors.

Prior to this, Feng Zhige and Yan Zhuohua had both had in-depth conversations with Xiao Rulai and had obtained some basic techniques.

They actually practiced this technique intentionally!
Feng Zhige said, "In Yezhou, it is known as the Heavenly God Force and the Sage Force, which makes us all yearn for it."

Qin Ming cautioned, "When this kind of power is practiced to its limit, the final outcome will probably be disintegration and death."

"It's alright. If all goes well, I'll only reach the fourth realm at most," Feng Zhige said frankly.

Despite saying that, he still held onto hope. Now that news had come from Pugong that the living sage had successfully reached the seventh realm, this terrifying technique, which was both formidable to the enemy and to oneself, might be able to be improved.

Feng Zhige's cultivation was extremely profound. Even the usually arrogant Little Buddha Zhao Chengyu was very wary of him and did not mention taking him as a disciple at all.

Instead, Zhao Chengyu eventually introduced him to a grandmaster within his sect.

While the three chatted over tea, Qin Ming was generous and shared some of his experiences in cultivating Chaotic Force. However, his method had been adjusted by the "Destiny-Changing Scripture" and had been refined a hundred times. These subtle changes were so profound that even if Zhao Chengyu were to listen, he would find it difficult to grasp their essence.

Only if the Buddha himself were here in the past could one understand his methods. However, understanding is one thing, but mastering them is another.

Half an hour later, Feng Zhige took his leave.

Throughout the conversation, Yan Zhuohua listened attentively until she was alone before speaking: "An elder of Xiao Rulai, a grandmaster who has mastered the Chaos Force, will personally guide Feng Zhige on his journey."

This method is extremely difficult to master and requires guidance. The purest chaotic energy must circulate throughout the disciple's body to plant a seed before the disciple can be guided into the path.

"Oh, didn't you ask that grandmaster to guide you on your journey?" Qin Ming asked.

"I came here specifically to seek your guidance, Brother Qin." Yan Zhuohua's work resembled a masterpiece by a master painter, with her eyebrows drawn in light ink and her robes tinged with blue mist. She truly looked like a fairy from a celestial palace who had stepped out of a traditional Chinese ink painting.

Qin Ming realized that the other party had studied him and knew a lot about him in a short period of time. They had probably heard rumors about him and guessed that he had set out on his own without being guided by anyone.

Yan Zhuohua had the idea of ​​learning this scripture because she had heard about Su Mohua's "extraordinary talent" by chance.

After arriving on the ground, Yan Zhuohua also had a sudden urge.

Otherwise, she already had the ability to compete for "Blazing Sun," so there was no need for her to practice a scripture on the ground.

"You want to become my disciple? Please ask me to plant a seed of chaos?" Qin Ming asked.

Yan Zhuohua's gentle face faltered slightly with her smile, but she quickly regained her gentle demeanor.

She has obsessive-compulsive disorder and wants to embark on her own path, and she worries that if someone plants a seed in her mind, it will leave hidden dangers.

Then she got up to say goodbye, saying she needed to think about it some more.

Two days later, the patriarch of Yezhou once again dug out a path leading to another world.

Not only Mu Qinghe came, but two Earth Immortals from outside Yezhou were also present.

The immortals from beyond the realm were truly uneasy about these old fellows, fearing they would "raid their homes" and dig up their lair.

After several incidents, the reputation of the Night State Patriarch deteriorated completely, becoming darker than the night itself.

“This time…it’s safe!” Mu Qinghe stood quietly with a lantern in hand, but her expression changed again after learning the coordinates.

"Beyond the reach of Jade Capital?" She was very serious, implying the unknown and mysterious, a completely new civilization never before encountered, potentially subject to change, and not something that could be understood using the rules of Jade Capital.

(End of this chapter)