Night without Borders

Chapter 419 Tao follows nature
In the dawn light, Cui He, with his full head of green hair, burned to ashes. In his final moments, he looked at the serene boy in the night sky with pain and despair.

Once upon a time, he looked down on his opponent from the city outside the mountains, holding a hand to end his life, but now his opponent only needs one slash to cut him down.

Qin Ming looked back and saw that this place was very close to where the two young swordsmen had died. He quickly rearranged the area.

Under the long night sky, the Thunder King Bird flew silently through the mountains and forests, and soon spotted a figure running through the snow and ice. Qin Ming made his move selectively.

"Go to Crimson Cloud City to recuperate, and borrow some precious medicines from that pretty-faced city lord..." Before the strong black goat swordsman could finish speaking, his head was chopped off, blood splattered, and he fell to the ground with a thud.

His two companions opened their mouths in fear, but were engulfed by the flash of the blade and died instantly.

Not long after, several members of the Cui family were also killed in the mountains. Their blood quickly froze in the cold, and they all died with their eyes wide open, because at the last moment, they all saw the boy's true face that he had intentionally revealed.

Qin Ming stopped, knowing when to stop. These people were all pioneers, and this could be considered "making the best use of them".

Amidst the pristine white snow, the red and gold bamboo forest gleams, its translucent leaves tinged with snow, creating an indescribably refreshing scene.

The old swordsman stayed behind to cover their retreat. After standing still for a moment and not seeing any powerful figures approaching, he flashed into the dense forest and disappeared into the distance.

"Hmm." He smelled blood and soon saw the corpses of his followers, who had been killed and had revealed their true forms. They were all headless, with thick black wool stained with blood.

His face was filled with murderous intent, like a powerful ghost appearing and disappearing in the woods, darting left and right, his blade energy stirring up large swaths of white snow and cutting down many large trees.

Someone from the Cui family frowned and asked, "What's going on? We were just going to observe secretly. Why haven't Cui He and the others returned yet?"

Someone ran over, pale-faced, and said, "He's dead. Fourth Uncle was killed. There are also black goat carcasses over there. It looks like they had a fierce battle."

"What? My fourth uncle died in battle?" Some of the direct descendants of the Cui family were shocked.

Cui He, a member of the main lineage of a thousand-year-old aristocratic family, actually died in this desolate wilderness.

"Fourth Brother is dead?" Cui Shuning had a very good relationship with him. Whenever they went out on missions, the two of them would often go together. She couldn't maintain her aloof demeanor, and a strong murderous aura appeared between her brows.

With a whoosh, Cui Laowu strode away through the snow, rushing into the dense forest like lightning.

As the old goat, which had been wandering in the area, approached the Cui family, it spoke in a cold voice: "Cui family, who gave you the audacity to lay a deadly hand on the barbarian god's followers?"

"You killed Cui He?" Cui Laowu said coldly.

"You killed my men!" The old swordsman was very forceful. His figure flashed and he disappeared from the spot. With a "poof," a young man from the Cui family was cut in half on the spot.

"It must be him! Fourth Uncle was hacked to death with a knife!" someone shouted from not far away.

"You barbarian, are you tired of living? How dare you kill someone from my thousand-year-old family right in front of me!" Old Cui Wu was furious. The other party was rough and unrestrained, so he charged straight at him.

The old goat stood with his knife in hand and said, "So what if you're a thousand-year-old family? How many blows can you withstand from an Earth Immortal?"

Beside them, a young expert from the Cui family retorted indignantly, "What are you bragging about? Does your old barbarian god dare to enter Yezhou?"

As for the arena, Cui Wu and the old swordsman had already clashed several times before separating. Their palm strikes and sword flashes were devastating, shredding large swathes of trees.

Cui Wu spoke up: "I can say with certainty that we are not pursuing you."

The old goat also said coldly, "The Cui He you mentioned was definitely not killed by me."

He was injured and didn't want to fight to the death with the other party here. In addition, he also noticed some suspicious points, so he decided to stop.

"What a pity!" In the distance, Qin Ming felt a little regretful. A black falcon saw what was happening and told Yuque that the two sides had not actually fought each other.

Qin Ming patted Yuque's head and said, "Well done, you can make a lot of bird lovers wherever you go."

Yu Que blinked her big, black gem-like eyes and said, "Actually, I'm quite socially awkward, but when I think about doing my best for the mountain lord, I'm not afraid of anything."

The red squirrel's eyes widened immediately, as if to say, "Are you socially awkward? You're lying through your teeth!"

Finally, it couldn't hold back any longer, straightened its tongue, and said, "Social terrorist!"

As Meng Xinghai approached on his flying mount, he said, "The Cui family is quite cautious; they've been researching in the same spot until now. Their place is not simple."

Qin Ming went with him to explore. It was a five-colored land where the ice and snow melted, the grass and trees revived, and wisps of celestial mist rose from the five-colored soil.

"Use the golems to dig!"

In the end, the Cui family took action, and unexpectedly, the progress was smooth, and they did not encounter any danger for the time being.

Cui Shuning's face was cold. She was somewhat dissatisfied with her uncle's weakness, which allowed the old swordsman to leave like this.

Cui Wu reassured him, "It shouldn't have been them who killed him. If we push them any further, it might become a fight to the death. Of course, this matter won't end here. Once the experts from my clan arrive, they will definitely avenge Cui He!"

"Fifth Master, what could this place be? The more we dig, the more sacred and peaceful it seems. I have a feeling there might be a great fortune here. When will the family's experts arrive?"

Cui Wu was full of energy and anticipation, saying, "Let's dig first. Five-colored soil is not common. It may be nurturing a divine object, or it may be a rare large tomb!"

As the leader of the team, he would naturally be the first to receive the greatest benefits if anything was gained. The Earth Immortal Flower was out of the question, but if there was a powerful medicine of the Pure Yang Flower level, it would be enough to change his fate. He might even be able to transform from Cui Wu into Cui Zu!
Qin Ming and Meng Xinghai observed from a distance for a moment before retreating. They decided to let the dig first; there was no need to linger here. With the "socially anxious bird" Yuque in charge of coordination, they wouldn't miss any of the latest news.

Not long after, they went to observe the place where the group of people in the East were.

It was a deep pool, its interior a silvery-white color, like luminous mercury boiling.

Finally, Qin Ming returned to the red and gold bamboo forest, which he found most interesting, feeling that it was filled with a natural spiritual energy.

He landed on a large tree from the bird's back, a great distance away, and cautiously probed the area, activating the brilliant bamboo forest in front of him. Sure enough, ripples spread out again.

The magpie is in charge of keeping watch, using the small boat of friendship to stay informed about every little thing happening in this mountain area.

“A very strong spiritual field, born from nature, drawing upon the power of heaven and earth, far greater than the spiritual field I can exert with my physical body, enough to cover an entire mountain forest.”

Qin Ming perked up. He wanted to study it carefully. Based on his intuition, he felt that neither the red nor the gold bamboo shoots were as precious as this spiritual field that resonated with heaven and earth.

In fact, he was quite wary of the Red Golden Bamboo Shoots. After all, he had heard many rumors over the past few days: those who ate the golden pine cones ascended to heaven and were burned to ashes, while those who consumed the red ginkgo forgot their past lives and became monsters.

He had reservations, wondering if there was anything wrong with the ruby ​​here.

After testing the range of the spirit field, Qin Ming leaped into the air and disappeared into the snow, causing the Thunder King Bird to flap its wings and reseal the snow cave he had left behind.

Qin Ming sat quietly in the snow, trying to sense the mysterious spiritual field ahead.

In an instant, he mastered those spiritual fields, such as the Sumeru Field and the Heavenly Demon Force Field, and all sorts of experiences surfaced in his mind. At this moment, the spiritual field manual that Su Mo Ran gave him also transformed into various kinds of spiritual light, allowing him to enter a state of tranquility.

He used the spiritual field he had mastered to resonate with the natural spiritual field in the bamboo forest in front of him.

In the snow-covered landscape, in a forest sculpted from red coral and gold, soft light undulates, like a tranquil lake breaking its stillness, with halos of light expanding outwards in concentric circles.

At this moment, the bamboo forest was devoid of its violent energy; its aggression seemed to have subsided. Everything looked so harmonious and peaceful, possessing a simple and hazy beauty in the pitch-black night.

The Thunder King Bird and the Red Squirrel were stunned, and the Talking Sparrow was speechless, unable to speak anymore. They all became serene, as if they wanted to blend into this beautiful scenery.

Meng Xinghai, who was nearby, looked astonished and muttered to himself, "Little Qin is truly exceptional, with unparalleled talent. This is because he has learned from heaven and earth and follows the natural way!"

He came from a distinguished family and had naturally heard some rumors: the ancients paved the way, and some people took heaven and earth as their teachers and comprehended their own laws in special circumstances.

Unbeknownst to him, Qin Ming had already entered the bamboo forest. Although it was on the edge, it had been verified that this place would not harm him when he resonated with the spiritual field.

A quarter of an hour later, Qin Ming withdrew and communicated with Meng Xinghai, instructing him to attack the spirit field from a distance.

After the spiritual energy in the bamboo forest rioted, Qin Ming tried to resonate and comprehend it at the edge. The ripples around him were relatively peaceful. Then he went deeper in and cautiously probed.

"If someone suddenly activates this natural spiritual field, I will be impacted, but I can protect myself," Qin Ming confirmed. The worst-case scenario is that he might be injured, but he won't die.

He did this mainly because he was afraid that if he encountered an emergency and fell into the deepest state of enlightenment, he would be isolated from the outside world and unable to hear the warnings from the hawks.

Qin Ming felt relieved and muttered to himself, "Hmm, if I can barely protect myself like this, even if the old swordsman and the others suddenly break in, it won't matter!"

As time went by, Qin Ming approached the core area, touching the essence of this naturally formed spiritual field and gaining deeper and deeper insights.

"The earth has form, giving birth to the source of spiritual energy, which spreads into the void, connects with the Dao, and extends to the formless heaven. Observing its momentum, one can understand the harmony between heaven and earth, and thus govern according to the earth to understand the principles of heaven."

Qin Ming sat in meditation, his inspiration surging, and he comprehended the core essence of this primordial spiritual field. Although his eyes were closed, a pure smile appeared on his face.

His physical body radiated a soft light, resonating with the place.

Undoubtedly, this spiritual field is very strong. As long as his cultivation level can keep up, even if he uses his physical body to manifest this field, he will be able to reproduce the power of this spiritual field that the mountains and rivers bear.

"I've almost got it!" Qin Ming felt a sense of accomplishment.

However, he was not satisfied. He had mastered a source-level spiritual field, but his own realm had not changed. He set his sights on those red and gold bamboo shoots.

"This... is it safe to consume? Will it help me break through to the next level?"

He was unsure, even doubtful, whether there were any hidden dangers in the fact that the Grandmaster of Chunyang Palace broke through his cultivation and became a Patriarch after consuming the Chunyang Flower.
After all, many people in various places have been infected.

However, seeing the red and golden bamboo shoots imbued with a subtle Taoist charm, he couldn't help himself.

"They are connected to the Dao in special places, and I have comprehended the wonders of this place. Can I, like them, directly connect to the Dao and nourish myself as a precious bamboo shoot?"

Qin Ming felt that if it was feasible, he might be able to slowly increase his cultivation level, and it would be very safe!

Subsequently, he unleashed his newly acquired spiritual energy, perfectly harmonizing with the location. At the same time, he practiced his cultivation by referring to the contents of "The Hegemon's Testament" and "The Book of Changing Fate" and utilizing the special terrain.

Sure enough, he connected with wisps of Daoist energy. It wasn't very strong, but it was a steady, persistent flow. He had a good chance of breaking through to the final level of the Spirit Realm.

It should be noted that improving one's cultivation level takes at least a year, but he sees hope here, and it may be possible to complete it in a very short time.

This excited Qin Ming so much that his mental state fluctuated violently, causing him to exit this special state.

"Stay calm, it's just a simple breakthrough, it's not like I've never done it before, why be so unsettled? Calm down!" He quickly regained his composure.

Thunder King Bird spoke up: "Wow, I have a feeling that a giant bamboo shoot is about to grow. Look, there are even thicker Daoist threads hanging down from the depths of the bamboo forest."

The red squirrel swallowed hard.

The old swordsman returned to Crimson Cloud City and became increasingly angry. He had gained nothing and suffered heavy losses. Who had ambushed them?
He calmed down and concluded that the other party's skills couldn't be very high, otherwise they wouldn't have resorted to underhanded tactics and would have targeted him directly.

"Damn it, you dare to ambush us! After looting some precious herbs in the city, I'll go back into the mountains!" he said.
Unfortunately, they were turned away at the city lord's mansion. Meng Xinghai's confidant told them that the city lord was in seclusion and would not see any guests.

The old goat was furious. In the end, he took the medicine he had brought with him, and after a short rest, he went back into the mountains that same day.

"Night State is teeming with bizarre phenomena, and the Night Market is about to enter reality. This land is destined to become desolate, and the locals will eventually have to migrate elsewhere. Given this background, they are still so clueless. Just wait and see!" The old swordsman was still angry on the way.

"Oh no, someone's coming from afar, but we can't wake the mountain lord up. Could he be asleep underground?" Yu Que asked anxiously.

At this moment, the old swordsman arrived. He stared at the bamboo forest again and again, and found that the place was more peaceful and serene than before. This time he learned his lesson and did not dare to do anything reckless.

"You stay here and keep watch, I'll go check if the Cui family has made any gains!" The old swordsman left, somewhat worried about his neighbors.

After he left, the other swordsmen gradually noticed something amiss. One of them widened his eyes and exclaimed, "Hey, the soil over there is breaking open! A big bamboo shoot is about to grow out..."

The group discovered that deep within the bamboo forest, a huge bamboo shoot broke through the frozen soil, covered in snowflakes, and grew out little by little, connecting with the tangible Daoist essence.

"Why does it look somewhat like a seated human figure?"

"The divine bamboo shoot is spiritual, nurtured by creation. It has truly transformed into human form. Quick, we must call our master back! A priceless treasure has been unearthed here!"

……

The old swordsman was quite surprised; the Cui family had actually unearthed something. The clan had successively discovered six blood ginseng plants from the five-colored soil.

The Cui family was both surprised and delighted, but for the time being, no one dared to take it, fearing there might be problems. They planned to find people or animals to test the drug.

"Give it to me!" The old swordsman made his move, not caring about any side effects, he just wanted to grab it first.

"How dare you!" Cui Wu spotted him and his face turned angry. This visitor from another region really thought that Yezhou had declined and acted recklessly, actually coming here to rob people openly.

The two fought fiercely, but the old swordsman, having seized the blood ginseng, did not linger and retreated to his own camp.

He roared, "Children, prepare for battle!"

Outside the bamboo grove, someone excitedly reported to him: "Master, a divine object has appeared here! Look! Such a large bamboo shoot, standing against the wind, covered in frozen soil and snow, is fused with the Daoist spirit!"

Old Swordsman was taken aback, then overjoyed. He then cursed himself for provoking the Cui family when nothing was wrong, saying that he had inadvertently alerted his rival.
Sure enough, when the Cui family members chased after them, their eyes widened in shock.

Cui Wu's eyes gleamed with golden light as he said, "Fellow Daoist, you can't eat all this by yourself. How about we develop this place together?"

The old swordsman pondered that if he reported it or waited patiently for the arrival of the experts, he might not be able to enjoy the human-shaped bamboo shoots here.

If he were to join forces with someone of the same level as the Cui family, he could at least get half of the precious medicine, so he finally nodded in agreement.

Both sides tacitly avoided mentioning the unpleasant incidents from before.

The old swordsman had already returned the blood ginseng, which was clearly inferior to Baosun, to them, and that was the end of it.

"Come, let our two families join forces and shake this place!"

Boom!

Qin Ming was awakened by the shock. Although he was affected by the spiritual field, he was unharmed. In fact, he had become the center of attention at this moment.

Then, the Cui family members and the group of swordsmen all stared wide-eyed as they watched the human-shaped bamboo shoot covered in ice and snow slowly descend into the ground.

"Indeed, a divine product!"

"Nature's things are naturally obscured; it knows how to hide itself!"

The Cui family and the group of swordsmen were shocked, then their faces lit up with excitement, and they all cheered.

"Silence! Don't shout! Don't alert other forces!"

Beneath the frozen ground, Qin Ming felt that his skills were almost up to par and he would soon break through the barrier. He was considering whether he could also deal with this group of people.

He took a deep breath, resonating with the spiritual field generated by this world. The two gradually merged and began to resonate. He controlled it, calming the place down, and began to shrink the range of the spiritual field.

"Huh, the ripples in the spiritual field are receding and shrinking. All its essence is nourishing that humanoid divine bamboo shoot. Could it be that it is about to fully mature?"

"Look! The Daoist aura in the heart of the bamboo forest is becoming increasingly dense, with celestial mist swirling around it. The spiritual energy here is depleted, a celestial treasure is about to emerge, and this perilous place is about to collapse!"

Some people watched the tide recede at the memorial site and cautiously followed, all filled with anticipation and extreme excitement.

"Finally, I've broken through!" Qin Ming whispered.

(End of this chapter)