Night without Borders

Chapter 408 Mysterious Woman and Jade Consort

In the darkness, Jiang Ran, dressed in a green robe with flowing sleeves, stood tall and imposing. Light threads of red, orange, and purple intertwined around her body spread out, almost burning the dark sky with winding cracks.

Qin Ming was running quickly, approaching that area.

"Someone is watching me from behind!" Suddenly, he felt a sense of horror, as if he were being corrupted by the power of Yin, and a huge creature had locked onto him.

Qin Ming did not turn around, but his extraordinary senses allowed him to visualize the scenery behind him: a woman rising into the air, quietly gazing in this direction.

"Could it really be Chang'e?" A sense of unease crept into his mind. Just being watched by a woman in the night sky was enough to cause his mental state to tremble violently.

"Manifesting my shadow, imprisoning me here, treating me as a tool—whose methods are these?" Above the collapsed Guanghan Palace, a woman suddenly reached out a pale white hand, grabbing forward.

"Old Bu." Although Qin Ming did not turn around, he felt as if he was being swallowed by the abyss of Yin, his soul sinking as if he were about to perish.

At the crucial moment, the rag... remained motionless!

In the pitch-black night, the Moon Palace suddenly collapsed and disintegrated, turning into dust. With the disappearance of the Earth and the Moon, it should never have existed in the first place.

Because even these palaces are manifestations.

The tall, slender figure suddenly froze in the night sky, her outstretched hand abruptly stopping, her beautiful eyes dimming and losing all their sparkle.

A night breeze blew by, and she transformed into ripples of the moon. She was not a person of flesh and blood, but merely a fleeting revival of a wisp of will, which could not be retained in this world.

Only at this moment did Qin Ming turn around, only to find emptiness there.

He reflected that he still couldn't be sure whether the gladiatorial arena, which had burned down like a painting, and the Misty Gate, were real or just illusions.

"Old Bu, do those eight mist gates connect to the distant future? Do those extraordinary alien races exist in reality?"

Unfortunately, the rag did not respond.

Qin Ming was helpless; he was only the temporary owner of this item.

It's likely that in Old Bu's eyes, he's far from qualified to talk to it; he's just another passerby in its historical trajectory.

"Above the temporary owner, there should be a title like 'Master,' right?" Qin Ming pondered. If it really came to that level, Old Bu would have to pay his respects to him every day!

Doesn't like to talk? Then let it recite ten scriptures a day.

……

Jiang Ran's black hair was not tied up, and her skin glowed with a jade-like radiance, ethereal and otherworldly. The vast expanse of colorful clouds nearby painted the night sky, making her seem like a fairy in flight.

Even the boundless dark forest is edged with layers of gold, no longer oppressive, and the fresh, dewy leaves become translucent.

Qin Ming discovered that she had actually risen off the ground and was floating in mid-air.

Here, auspicious clouds rise and light mist scatters. Jiang Ran is fighting against her nine-colored armor, a kind of liquid weapon.

When draped over the body, it is as smooth as silk, and the hem can flutter in the wind; its material is exotic gold.

Jiang Ran found a fragment of a weapon here, but the process of fusing it together was not very smooth.

Flames and brilliant colored light surrounded her, almost scalding the night sky with distorted cracks.

It's easy to imagine how powerful this special weapon is!

"Jiang Ran, do you need any help?" Qin Ming called out.

Her eyebrows were like distant mountains, and her bright eyes shone with intelligence. She shook her head and said, "This problem of mine is not easy to solve."

"What's going on?" Qin Ming asked.

"This weapon was probably repaired in ancient times and may contain fragments of another lineage, making the situation somewhat complicated."

What she obtained was a broken artifact, yet it possessed two artifact spirits. One was relatively docile, while the other was quite disobedient. Today, with the acquisition of a new fragment, the conflict intensified.

"Two kinds?" Qin Ming was surprised; he hadn't expected to encounter this situation.

At this moment, Jiang Ran appeared sacred and transcendent, with the rosy light dripping from her hair trailing behind her like a colorful ribbon tens of feet long, her flawless face blending into the celestial light.

Although she hesitated, she still told herself what she had obtained: half of a Heavenly Halberd, which was suspected to be the legendary weapon of the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden, but it was inlaid with fragments of other weapons.

Qin Ming was lost in thought. She was wearing the liquid-like Xuan Nu Armor? No wonder she was so outstanding; the night sky seemed to be scorched apart.

The Mysterious Maiden's special weapon was relatively kind to her, but the mysterious fragment embedded in it kept tempting her to become some kind of Jade Consort.

Qin Ming immediately understood why she had mentioned Xuan Nu and Yu Fei before; it turned out that such mysterious spirits whispered in his ear every day.

Jiang Ran said, "The most crucial thing is that my mastery of the magic is incomplete and severely flawed."

"You can control special weapons even with incomplete magical control?" Qin Ming was very surprised!

Without divine intervention, this legendary weapon is impossible to control; even the slightest flaw will render it useless.

He realized that Jiang Ran had a secret.

"Didn't you ask me what I gained at Black and White Mountain? An ability—to control all things." Jiang Ran brought up the old matter again, and this time she actually told me frankly.

Firstly, because she trusted Qin Ming; secondly, because her intuition was incredibly strong. At this moment, her spiritual light shone brightly, and she sensed that the young man before her could help her break through the predicament.

The term "controlling all things" means that when she reaches a certain level of power, she can control all external objects.

Even though it was the legendary weapon of the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden, which was extremely special and lacked complete control techniques, she was still able to wield it.

But now, another fragment is holding her back, making her feel somewhat powerless.

Upon hearing this, Qin Ming couldn't help but sigh. This ability was incredibly terrifying. At the top level, she could control not only herself but also other living beings.
In fact, the corner of the rag and the strange stone both came from Yujing and had an extraordinary origin.

In the past, a mishap occurred in Yujing, and a corner of the Jade Temple collapsed, causing two items to be lost outside.

"Did you also obtain something from Black and White Mountain?" Jiang Ran was very perceptive. She had wanted to ask this question for a long time.

Qin Ming nodded, but thought he should tell her somewhere else that he had picked up the "scraps" she had casually thrown away.

He feared that Emperor Ran's emotions would be turbulent and he would find it difficult to remain calm.

He said, "Can you land on the ground? I'll take a look and see if I can obtain the complete divine power."

Jiang Ran descended, her divine light spreading across the ground, and colorful clouds engulfing the forest.

“Child, you have obtained the special weapon of the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden, which is the most sacred object. How can anyone else be allowed to approach or touch its precious garment? This would be a desecration,” one of the two artifact spirits transmitted.

Its origins are unknown, and it wants Jiang Ran to become the Jade Consort.

Jiang Ran ignored it and asked another artifact spirit to block it.

Her nine-colored armor, as smooth as silk, swayed gently, radiating divine light. She allowed Qin Ming to approach and touch this special armor.

In the forest, Qin Ming took a deep breath and began to resonate, already prepared for a sharp pain in his head.

He was indeed shocked, but not as severely as he had imagined. Firstly, his own cultivation level was now vastly different from before, and secondly, the special weapon had been shattered, and the emotions left on the broken piece were not so intense, having already been almost completely erased.

In a blur, he saw that this legendary weapon had been broken once in the distant mythical era and repaired with a material of astonishing origin.

Therefore, it resembles fragments containing two weapons.

At that time, the repair materials should have been thoroughly "baptized".

However, in an unimaginable great war, the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden's weapon was destroyed once again, and it was only in this era that the repair materials gradually revived.

It can only be said that it is terrifying. Even the people of the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden lineage did not completely erase its original spirit.

"Child, how could you trust a stranger so easily?" The unpredictable spirit of the artifact simply did not believe that the young man before her could help her obtain the so-called complete divine power.

It was the original spirit of the weapon of the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden. Although it was relatively friendly to Jiang Ran, it was also very puzzled because even it could only provide incomplete techniques.

After all, none of them are complete weapon spirits; they have lost many memories and need to be constantly fused with those lost weapon fragments.

However, Jiang Ran chose to believe Qin Ming.

"How is it?" she asked, because she saw that after Qin Ming opened his eyes, he remained silent for a long time, and he touched her nine-colored divine robe again.

"Young man, do you intend to desecrate Consort Yu?" The spirit of the artifact, whose origins were untraceable, spoke in an unfriendly tone.

In truth, Qin Ming wanted to desecrate it. He gently tapped the divine garment, hoping to evoke intense emotions in the spirit and perceive the treasure within its consciousness.

Previously, he had only been resonating with the emotions tainted on the weapon itself.

Unfortunately, these artifact spirits are all terrifying. Even if they seem dissatisfied when transmitting their thoughts, they are actually strong and calm, and their thoughts cannot be perceived.

Qin Ming regretted that if he could resonate with the spirit of the artifact, it would be tantamount to unearthing an ancient divine treasure!
All I can say is that these long-standing monsters are incredibly difficult to deal with.

Qin Ming sighed and released his grip.

The spirit of the artifact, whose origins were unknown, spoke up: "I knew it from the start. He was being clumsy, touching my hands and then my shoulders, but he didn't actually get anything out of me."

Jiang Ran was mentally prepared; some broken artifacts contained complete magical powers, but hers was not so lucky.

Qin Ming said, "I got it. Go and test it out."

"What?" Jiang Ran exclaimed in surprise.

"Why don't you think about what you're saying?" the mysterious spirit asked.

"Hmm, complete control of magic!" Jiang Ran instantly got to work, directly wielding the special weapon. The nine-colored divine robe became even more dazzling, and she began to fuse with the newly obtained fragments.

Even though the unpredictable spirit was uncooperative and hindered the process, the fusion process still proceeded smoothly.

At this moment, the original spirit within the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden's weapon was bewildered. Even it didn't know the complete control technique, so how could this young man be more "enlightened" than it?
"How do you know this?" It spoke to Qin Ming for the first time, and was stunned. No one should know more about the magic that matched its own than it.

However, now an outsider knows it better than it does!

"The divine power is already engraved on the divine robe," Qin Ming said.

The two spirits remained silent; how could they possibly believe it?

After a moment, the unfathomable spirit of the artifact said, "I think I've heard some kind of rumor before..."

It racked its brains, but alas, its memory was so fragmented that it couldn't recall anything.

Subsequently, Jiang Ran successfully refined the special weapon and fused a fragment with it on the spot, which made her extremely happy.

"You actually helped me solve a huge problem. Let me think about how to thank you." She was clearly very happy.

She decided to give away the "Eight Views Divine Illumination Scripture".

When Qin Ming heard this, he almost drooled. He had been longing for this scripture for a long time!
Jiang Ran said, "The old folks in the secluded lands made me swear an oath not to pass on this method unless someone has made a great contribution to my path to immortality."

She smiled and said, "You helped me obtain the power of the law, which is of great benefit to me and makes my path ahead smooth. That is a great contribution to the path of immortality, so I am not breaking my oath this time."

She's a bit narcissistic, but more importantly, she's confident.

"Are you really alright?" Qin Ming was afraid she would break her vow.

"It's alright!" she said, immediately transmitting the magic.

Qin Ming immediately sat cross-legged, earnestly comprehending the teachings, and finally fell into silence.

When he opened his eyes, he heard the unpredictable spirit of the artifact trying to persuade Jiang Ran.

"Child, with your unparalleled talent, becoming the next Xuan Nu is no problem. In fact, you should have an even more glorious future and become the Jade Consort of our lineage!"

"Jade my foot!" Jiang Ran was angry. She had been listening to Lao Deng's persuasion every day. There was nothing she could do before, but now that she had mastered the power of magic and could control all things, she could use special weapons to restrain it.

Qin Ming spoke up: "What era are we living in? You still want to persuade someone to become a concubine? How long has it been since you returned to your powerful faction? Do you even have anyone left?"

"Do you even have the right to speak here?" The spirit of unknown origin adopted an arrogant attitude, but in reality, it was as calm as still water, merely manipulating the young man in front of it.

"Yes!" Jiang Ran answered directly, with a single, simple word, showing no respect for the artifact spirit.

Qin Ming laughed and said, "The world has changed drastically. Are you sure that the powerful force behind you still exists? Perhaps it has already disintegrated."

The mysterious artifact spirit proudly declared, "It will surely remain, eternally immortal!"

Qin Ming shook his head and said, "The night fog has enveloped everything, even Jade Capital has locked itself in and fallen silent. Even the 'Divine Capital' has suffered the impact of a terrible war, and a corner of it has fallen to this place. Even in the Great Thunderclap Temple, the fallen Bodhi leaves are left unswept. Is the power behind you stronger than these families? Can you go back and check to make sure it's still in existence?"

The spirit said, "Whether it is strong or not, it is still there. No one can make it fall. You and all living beings are just passersby, but it is eternally evergreen. The new generation of Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden can only be considered complete if she is matched with the successor there. As for you, an ordinary boy from the Night Mist World, there are some things that are too perfect for you to look up to. You are too far apart from each other."

"Damn it, old man!" Qin Ming couldn't hold back any longer and wanted to spray his face with immortal liquid. He had only come to help Jiang Ran, but he ended up being lectured by this old guy from who-knows-when.

He really wanted to take out the rag and throw it in the old man's face.

Jiang Ran also spoke up: "If you dare to mention the name Yu Fei again, don't blame me for turning against you. Also, you've been very unfriendly to my friends. If you keep this up, shut up."

The powerful spirit said, "I'm just stating the facts. Leaving aside those two words, take your friend for example. He'll spend his whole life trying to reach the gates of the organization I belong to. He may have some fame now, but the future is too far away and the road ahead is too long. He can't catch up."

Jiang Ran looked displeased and said, "You don't understand my friend at all. Don't put on airs and don't be narrow-minded!"

The spirit laughed and said, "How about this, I'll just give him a quick test."

Then it recited a passage of scripture.

"Can you comprehend it in a short time? This is the lowest level of cultivation technique in the major power I belong to. Normally, even a disciple could comprehend it quickly."

Qin Ming sneered and said, "You have the nerve to say such a flawed technique? It requires burning blood and consuming life force. It increases attack power in a short time, but it damages the source."

The spirit was immediately startled. The scripture was indeed not difficult, but to grasp the essence of its meaning in an instant and know the consequences of its execution was astonishing.

Instead of praising it, it calmly said, "Your comprehension is so-so. Try to understand this passage again."

Qin Ming immediately took action and began to demonstrate, saying, "Isn't it just the Ninefold Layered Force? Nothing special. Hmm, there's room for expansion. I reckon there are subsequent scriptures that can add more layers of force."

The mysterious spirit became serious. The fact that the other party could comprehend it so quickly already showed that the young man in front of him was no ordinary person.

Next, it recited several incantations, and Qin Ming immediately grasped them all, demonstrating his understanding instantly. This could be described as instant enlightenment.

"That's all there is to it." Qin Ming shook his head.

The mysterious spirit didn't say anything harsh again. This time it was very calm and said, "Since that's the case, I'll demonstrate another method. It's a daily practice method used by ancient geniuses to hone their skills. It's not a profound secret technique, just a little trick."

Immediately, a hazy lotus flower appeared in the void, entirely constructed from immortal patterns. It bloomed in the night mist, its petals layered upon each other, totaling thirty-six petals, gradually becoming clearer and more radiant.

Each petal contains complex runes, and constructing so many is indeed quite difficult.

The spirit reminded, "It's not simply a matter of manifesting a lotus. You need to look closely. The patterns on each petal can efficiently and powerfully channel divine power, celestial light, and so on."

Then it shut up.

After a little thought and experimentation, Qin Ming produced a lotus flower in his hand that shimmered with a soft, clear light. Its thirty-six petals were glistening and the patterns on them were dense and distinct.

Moreover, he did not stop. Beside the layers of petals, the light spread and another lotus flower appeared, exactly the same. The two were connected to form a twin lotus flower.

"This would be considered extraordinary even in ancient times, a genius-level achievement," commented the original spirit within the Xuan Nu's weapon.

"It's not difficult," Qin Ming said. Then, the third lotus flower appeared, with a total of 108 petals covered with mysterious patterns, sparkling and radiating divine light.

Immediately, the mysterious spirit of the artifact fell silent for a moment.

Those extraordinary talents in its memory could all do this, but it was quite rare for them to get started so quickly.

Qin Ming said, "Why don't you write down the most difficult parts of the scriptures for you to understand, and let me try practicing them?"

The mysterious spirit said, "Don't try such crooked ideas. There have been quite a few young people who have created three lotus flowers in the past. Hmm, let me think about it, and then I'll test you again."

Qin Ming shook his head and said, "It's pointless. Why should I accept your tests again and again?"

Jiang Ran immediately smiled and said, "Qin Ming means that you have to offer a prize."

The spirit said, "It's not impossible. Back then, some unfathomable power shattered a corner of the capital and fell here. Hmm, even now, there are still wisps of strange power lingering here, which may have endless uses for someone like you who uses the Heavenly Light."

Upon hearing this, Qin Ming immediately perked up!

The spirit muttered to itself, "Let me think carefully about how the true geniuses of the great power I belong to comprehend the Dao and are tested in their comprehension."

Qin Ming nodded and said, "No problem, I'm fighting them across the vast expanse of history!"

(End of this chapter)