Night without Borders

Chapter 427 Slaying Demons and Encountering the Sea
The demon faction is indeed very strong, and can be called the archenemy of Yezhou. The two sides fought to the death more than 450 years ago.

A year ago, in the battle of the Divine Devastation Plains, Night State paid a heavy price, losing many senior figures, such as the master of the contemporary Buddha, Meng Xinghai's grand-uncle, and the patriarchs of the Immortal Path, Wu Zhaoye and Yu Shaohua. The younger generation suffered equally, with some of the most outstanding talents dying one after another, such as Su Shiyun, Xue Yunzheng, the young leader of the Jade Purity Sect, and the Heaven-Shaking One of the Sky-Supporting Sect.

Thinking of these things, Qin Ming felt an overwhelming surge of emotions. His old friends Lu Zhenyi and Zhuo Ya had all perished in the Western Region, as well as Yu Gengsheng's old partner Zhao Ziyuan and the old master Jin Yuan of the Five Elements Palace. These two old men had taken good care of him and stood up for him many times, but in the end, they died on the battlefield.

In the night fog, Gengjin City stood before us. It was not tall and could not be considered a magnificent city. Its population was only a few hundred thousand, but it was an important place because of the large and rare mineral veins located here.

With a clang, Qin Ming drew his mutton-fat jade iron knife, eager to charge into the city immediately.

Yao Ruoxian donned crimson armor, wielding a spear, exuding a chilling aura. A group of demons had invaded the heart of the Great Yu, turning the local people into food and slaves for mining. She could no longer tolerate it.

The female master said, "Our reinforcements have arrived and have already rested."

As a major city in the southeast of Dayu, Yuheng City naturally has experts stationed there. This time, a senior master personally led a team to rush to the aid from 500 miles away overnight.

"It's confirmed. There are two demon masters in the city. We can make our move now!"

It was already early night, and the two teams entered the city from different directions, their destination naturally the city lord's mansion.

These foreign demons had no intention of staying long. After looting the city, they planned to flee far away. Therefore, they were aggressive and bloodthirsty in the city.

Anyone who dared to resist was killed on the spot. On their first day here, they beheaded many people in the city lord's mansion, and blood flowed out from the cracks in the gate, staining the white marble steps red.

Early in the morning, someone drove an oxcart, carrying some children, into the tall mansion shrouded in demonic energy.

Moreover, more than one oxcart came from afar, and the children on the carts were trembling with fear, while some children were so frightened that they sat there blankly.

"What is this for?"

"It's probably... the blood and flesh of demons."

"What a beast!"

As the group approached the center of Gengjin City, they saw some people who seemed apathetic, and the entire city appeared somewhat lifeless.

In such a short time since it was occupied by demons, a city that should have been full of vitality has almost become a stagnant pool.

"Both demon masters are in the mansion," said Zhuo Qing, the female master beside Yao Ruoxian.

As long as those two most troublesome enemies don't escape and are dealt with, everything will be fine.

Clearly, at the Grandmaster level, their senses are exceptionally sharp, and even though the group had come stealthily, the two old demons still noticed them.

In an instant, two plumes of blood-red energy, like smoke from a wolf's tail, rose from the depths of the city lord's mansion, indicating that the two opponents were extremely powerful.

At the same time, guards stepped forward to stop the oxcart that was about to enter the mansion.

Before the demons guarding the mansion gate could speak, the man driving the oxcart shouted angrily, "Who are you? Get out of the way!"

The burly man on the oxcart behind shouted, "Are you looking for death? You've delayed the adults' mealtime, can you take responsibility? How many people have you killed these past few days? And you still have the nerve to cause trouble, you're really tired of living!"

At that moment, Qin Ming and his group all felt that this kind of person was even more hateful than a demon.

To say they were accomplices to evildoers is an understatement of their depravity.

These people who work for the demons are all fierce. They were originally gang members in the city and are not good people. Now they are responsible for providing blood food for the demons every day. They are all children. They can drive oxcarts into the city lord's mansion and think they are three classes of superior people.

"puff!"

Qin Ming beheaded the burly man with a single stroke, and the headless corpse fell onto the street.

"How dare you?" the other people in charge of escorting the blood offerings shouted.

The guards around Yao Ruoxian rushed forward instantly and dispatched them with a series of splattering sounds.

"How dare you commit violence in front of the City Lord's Mansion!" The demons standing in front of the vermilion gate finally spoke up; they had been watching the show earlier.

They now realize that something is wrong; these people are far more formidable than the troublemakers of the past.

The female grandmaster Zhuo Qing and the old grandmaster Qi Liancheng from Yuheng City simultaneously transformed into clouds and smoke, rushed over, and stormed into the mansion. Based on the aura they sensed, the two each locked onto an opponent.

“You…” The demon guarding the gate’s expression changed drastically.

"Leave none alive!" Yao Ruoxian ordered.

In an instant, demon blood stained the stone steps in front of the city lord's mansion.

An old demon in the mansion sighed, "Your noses are really sharp. It hasn't been long, and we haven't even dug up any exotic gold particles yet, and an expert has already arrived."

Some houses exploded, and some powerful demons emerged.

Boom!

Zhuo Qing and Qi Liandao were already engaged in a fierce battle with the two old men. Wherever they went, the artificial hills in the mansion shattered and the frozen lakes turned into mist. The battle was extremely intense.

"They're just two human grandmasters. Our demon race has sent elites, including grandmasters, a great expert in the late fourth realm, and several celestial demon seeds. We're more than capable of wiping them out!"

"Hurry up and kill these people first, then go help our clan's two grandmasters!"

A group of powerful demons, all with cold expressions and surging demonic energy, took the initiative to attack.

After receiving Yao Ruoxian's handwritten letter, the people of Yuheng City dispatched many experts, including several elders who were in the middle to late stages of the fourth realm, to directly confront the enemy, together with experts from the royal family.

The several celestial demons naturally spotted Yao Ruoxian immediately. Sensing that everyone was focused on her, they immediately attacked.

"So young, could she be a top-tier immortal being? I'll take her down first!"

"Hey, she's the princess of the Great Yu!"

In the past, they had all participated in the Great Battle of the Gods' Lair, and had learned about the young experts on the human side, and had also fought fiercely with them.

"The other one... Damn it, it's Qin Ming! Kill him!"

A demon recognized Qin Ming, and its eyes immediately turned red.

Back then, Qin Ming's killing of the Heavenly Demon Seeds caused great indignation among the younger generation of the Demon Clan.

These demon seeds are either in the late stage of the third realm or the early stage of the fourth realm, and their cultivation is considered extremely profound among their peers.

Qin Ming said to Yao Ruoxian, "Leave this to me. You take the men and go wipe out the other demons!"

Yao Ruoxian nodded without saying much. Even though several Heavenly Demons had come together, creating a sense of oppression, she was confident in Qin Ming's combat strength.

The guards were all astonished; those were high-ranking Heavenly Demons, each one comparable to Immortals and Gods.

"What are you so arrogant about?" A celestial demon seed challenged, transforming into a streak of light to attack. Its true form was a silver bear, which was not clumsy at all and arrived in an instant.

However, he came quickly and left quickly; in less than a breath, his head flew back, leaving only his body lying in a pool of blood.

Qin Ming stood still, the mutton-fat jade iron knife in his hand dripping crimson demon blood.

"What? A little over a year ago, he wasn't even at the third realm yet, and he was only killing low-level seedlings..."

In such a short time, Qin Ming has already been able to kill a Heavenly Demon Seed in the late stage of the third realm.

These demons who knew him were shocked and incredulous; his improvement was far too rapid. "Where is the Jade Emperor?" Qin Ming's greatest desire was to kill that locust beast, a notorious figure among the celestial demons. In the past, he had to avoid it, but today he was prepared to face it head-on.

The several celestial demons exchanged glances, then simultaneously unleashed their power, joining forces to attack Qin Ming, intending to kill him quickly.

The rapid growth of this human boy before them made them feel extremely uneasy; if they didn't eliminate him now, he would inevitably become a major threat in the future.

A red-haired boy, transformed from a fire lizard, bathed in raging flames, pounced through the air, his right hand extending into a gigantic beast claw, as large as a house, as he reached for Qin Ming.

A blond young man possesses immense strength; his true form is a golden beast, known as the royalty among giant beasts, extremely rare in number, and capable of becoming incredibly terrifying once he grows up.

He's still quite young, yet he's already reached the fourth realm!

There was also a young man in white, whose movements were graceful and followed the path of a demon sword immortal. His true form was a white crane.

The three celestial demon species, along with their followers, abandoned all pretense and directly hunted down Qin Ming, hoping to kill him as soon as possible.

Qin Ming flicked his finger, and a wisp of Southern Bright Fire flew out. It wasn't very intense, just a faint wisp, but it broke through the fire lizard's demonic fire that burned the night sky.

Then, he swung his knife and chopped off the fire lizard's house-sized claw!
"Ah!" The fire lizard, a Heavenly Demon Seed at the peak of the third realm, was severely injured in the first exchange, which he found hard to believe.

He endured the excruciating pain and said, "Gentlemen, this boy is a monster. We must join forces to kill him today!"

The fact that the Heavenly Demons called Qin Ming a monster shows how much they feared him.

The blond young man wielded a large, purplish-red staff, made of pure jade and iron, which was incredibly heavy. He had already unleashed dozens of blows at Qin Ming.

However, Qin Ming, wielding the nimble jade iron knife, actually managed to withstand the attacks and block them all.

"What level are you at?" The blond young man was a golden behemoth, known for his strength, but he felt numbness and even excruciating pain in his arm, which he found absurd.

"The seventh level of the Spirit Realm," Qin Ming said.

In fact, he had already reached the third realm, but he just didn't want to attract attention to it for the time being.

"A third-realm being able to withstand my divine power?" The blond youth was shocked. Even as his opponent, he had to admit that this was an incredible human monster.

He could only believe those legends; within the terrifying upright ape demon race, some individuals possessed unimaginable potential, seemingly without limit.

The white-robed youth was like a demonic sword immortal reborn. He was also in the fourth realm, but he had not achieved anything even after slashing over a hundred times. He had even more sword lights that he had generated.

Finally, he stood in the sword wheel and lunged at Qin Ming.

puff!
The fire lizard's head flew off and was beheaded by Qin Ming; he was the first to die.

"what……"

Next came the white-clad youth, covered in blood. His demonic sword was broken, and it was originally a bird's beak. Now, his true form was revealed, with not only his beak severed but also his wings torn apart by the blade.

The earth beneath Qin Ming's feet surged with energy, lifting him high into the sky. With a gentle slash of his jade-white iron knife, the white crane instantly turned into a bloody mist, shattered by the blade.

Finally, it was the blond young man's turn. He coughed up a mouthful of blood and transformed into a massive form, which was then slashed more than a dozen times by Qin Ming. Blood gushed from his body, and then he disintegrated with a loud bang.

Including the silver bear from earlier, a total of four Heavenly Demons attacked, and they were all killed in a short time. Even their followers were also found dead, the ground littered with demon blood and severed limbs, a horrifying sight.

Only Qin Ming remained in the arena, standing silently with the blood-dripping mutton-fat jade iron knife in his hand.

A moment later, he picked up the purplish-red jade iron rod from the ground. This trophy was quite good and extremely valuable.

"Tell me, where is the Jade Emperor?" Qin Ming interrogated him, capturing any living demons nearby.

"The Jade Emperor is using the tsunami to practice his swordsmanship." Among the demons, there were both tough guys and cowards, and soon they confessed everything.

"The sea in the Night Ruins?" Qin Ming asked in surprise.

The Jade Emperor was indeed a remarkable figure. He honed his physical body by interacting with the Night Ruins, and eventually even used the vast ocean of the Night Ruins to practice his swordsmanship.

Qin Ming's face lit up with joy. Although Yao Ruoxian had sent people to help him investigate and had some leads on the sea, those areas were all too dangerous.

If the Jade Emperor can enter the sea, then he can probably approach it as well, and practice his skills to break through the fourth major realm!
Zhuo Qing and Qi Liancheng were both senior masters. Even when facing two terrifying old demons, they successfully blocked their attacks and gained the upper hand.

Clearly, once the battle between grandmasters is decided, the course of the entire battlefield will be completely determined.

Moreover, Qin Ming's swift and decisive victory in slaying four Heavenly Demon species truly intimidated the other demons, demoralizing them and forcing them into a passive resistance.

The outcome of this battle was no surprise; all the demons in Gengjin City were eventually slain!

Soon, the whole city was in an uproar!
Those numb faces, and those children who were too scared to cry, all started screaming.

"Thank you so much, Your Highness, for saving us!" Some of the elderly people came as representatives, expressing their heartfelt gratitude. Their lips trembled, and tears streamed down their faces.

Yao Ruoxian helped them up and said, "As citizens of Dayu, you have suffered. This is what I should do."

Qin Ming has already set off, wanting to see the sea.

It is said that the Jade Emperor originally had his eye on a special place in Dayu—the Earth's Secret Cave, a place where one could nourish the body, with effects comparable to the Spirit Nest of Mountains and Rivers.

As a result, that secret passage had long been destroyed and is now merged with the Night Ruins, connecting to another world.

According to those demons, the Jade Emperor had entered and exited the Night Market many times, proving that some people could enter the Night Market without dying.

However, when other demons tried, they all backed down because their bodies were corrupted as soon as they entered, and the situation was quite serious.

Subsequently, Yao Ruoxian also arrived with some people, intending to deal with the Jade Emperor.

"Has Qin Ming already gone in?" Yao Ruoxian asked.

The Thunder King Bird immediately nodded. It guarded the secret passage of the earth and dared not transform into a brute when facing the Fourth Princess of Dayu. It was Yao Ruoxian who gave it to Qin Ming.

This abandoned earthly secret is less than three hundred miles from Gengjin City.

As Qin Ming entered the dark depths of the mountain, he could already hear the sound of a tsunami, and then he gradually began to see hazy scenery.

Along the way, blue fire springs shimmered with an eerie light.

He knew that he had entered the Night Ruins.

During this time, his body felt a sharp, stabbing pain, as if pricked by needles, and a strange Daoist aura surged forth, trying to penetrate deep into his flesh and blood.

Qin Ming gradually adapted, walking deeper into the night fog.

Finally, all the scenery became clear. Qin Ming saw a vast ocean, with towering waves constantly rolling in, and a faint blue light occasionally flashing across the sea.

Qin Ming was somewhat lost in thought. Born in Yezhou, this was the first time he had ever seen the sea, and what he saw was truly magnificent.

Standing here, he felt deeply insignificant. The surging waves were like a thousand horses galloping, deafening, and the waves shattered the boundary between the sky and the earth.

Moreover, blue light occasionally rises from the sea in the Night Market, disappearing into the sky, merging the sea and the sky into one.

Qin Ming sensed something and the Heluo Jing began to operate automatically.

Although the Nightfall was eroding his flesh and blood, he knew that this was the place he was looking for, where he could break through the Heavenly Barrier and step into the fourth realm—the Heart Lamp.

(End of this chapter)