Night without Borders

Chapter 433 Outside the World
“Some of the founders of Yezhou once said that their disciples could go to the highest heavens.”

Everyone understood why people like Cui Chonghe and Xiao Rulai dared to set off.

"You can question the character of these old monsters in Yezhou, and be indignant at their ruthlessness, but you cannot doubt their judgment!"

Clearly, the person making this comment must be from outside the region.

The patriarchs of Yezhou have all encountered serious problems and have not appeared for a long time. Now, they have emerged from seclusion despite their illness and are giving instructions to their disciples, which has attracted attention from all sides.

Even some of the Earth Immortals from beyond the realm were alarmed.

"The selection of the patriarchs for each path is not a problem. At least for the time being, it should be safe. We can then proceed to the divine city and the immortal town."

On the land shrouded in thick night fog, in cities that flickered like candlelight, many people were talking about this matter.

"Putting everything else aside, the fact that we were able to safely ascend to the heavens this time is an experience worth bragging about for a lifetime."

It is difficult for anyone other than a master to travel to such a place alone. The pitch-black night sky is full of dangers, and many young prodigies want to take this opportunity to go there.

In Crimson Cloud City, after studying for many days and clarifying various situations, Qin Ming was also tempted and prepared to ascend to the heavens.

The conditions for going to heaven are very broad, with few restrictions. Whether you go in your physical body or ascend to heaven in spirit, you can eventually leave your name on the New List and the Golden List.

Even geniuses in the first realm, whose cultivation is still low and who cannot travel in spirit, can "borrow a body" to go to the highest heavens when they board the ferry.

Most importantly, the rewards are generous. It is said that the first junior cultivator to leave his name on the new list will be directly infused with the Nine Heavens Pure Spiritual Qi, nourishing his physical body to the point of near nirvana.

"The first grandmaster to be listed was engulfed by dense celestial purple energy, which greatly increased his lifespan!"

The news caused a sensation. The generous rewards given to those on the list were truly extraordinary, making everyone excited and eager to travel to the Celestial City and the Immortal Town.

"Even masters at the Grandmaster level have only made it onto the new list." Qin Ming was surprised after learning the latest news.

Meng Xinghai nodded: "Yes, currently, everyone can only leave their name on the new list. The gold list is still blank, and the so-called Dao list is even more out of the question, as it is covered by a thick fog."

He had a wide circle of acquaintances and special access to information.

Recently, the fire springs have been growing stronger, and various sects and major organizations are clearing out the creatures of the Night Ruins. The cities on the land are no longer isolated islands.

As the lord of the three cities of Crimson Glow, Maple Leaf, and Radiant Glory, Meng Xinghai has recently taken over two of them and is quite busy in the short term. He plans to go to the heavens again after some time.

After learning enough, Qin Ming was about to set off.

Ten miles outside of Chixia City lies a strange town, a sacred site left behind by ancient gods. It has long since become ruins, but it is still a place for ascending to heaven.

This place is quite special; the reason why the giant blue centipede wanted to become a god here is related to these factors.

As night falls, hot springs flow among the mountains. Even in some high-altitude areas, the ice and snow have melted. Trees sprout new buds all over the mountains, and the fragrance of wildflowers mingles with the scent of early spring earth, wafting through the mountains. Everything appears fresh and full of life.

"Uncle Meng, you should go back." Qin Ming did not use his physical body, preparing to travel in spirit.

He confirmed once again that although his body of celestial light, a product of his own fused consciousness, was wrapped in tattered cloth, Uncle Meng could not detect it.

Sure enough, Old Bu's temporary ownership status still carries some weight.

In the dark mountain forest, monkeys howled and tigers roared, and weasels, white hedgehogs, fox spirits and other creatures also appeared. This ruin hidden in thorns has been unusually lively lately.

Every night, when the rubble glows, a small town appears, attracting many strange creatures.

"Be careful once you're in the air!" Meng Xinghai instructed.

As night deepened, the town ahead began to emerge in a hazy outline, as if bathed in the sunset. Qin Ming waved and walked straight in.

People had already arrived. A young man greeted them with a smile: "Brother, we're on the same boat. If we both pass the imperial examination with flying colors, we can be considered classmates."

“Yes, this can be considered a kind of fate.” Another middle-aged man nodded in agreement.

Qin Ming responded with a smile, blending into the peaceful and friendly atmosphere, and learned more about the situation from them.

"One hundred and eight strange towns have appeared in Yezhou. This town is called Chizhen. It is said that in the ancient times, this place was once the famous Chishen Palace. Unfortunately, the past is gone. Even the gods who can control the Nanming Li Fire have their lifespan and have long passed away."

Qin Ming was surprised. He hadn't expected so many special towns to suddenly appear in the world. Did this mean that there were once 108 gods on earth?

A young man spoke up: "Let's go, let's just board the boat. We don't need to wait for the boatman; he probably won't be back anytime soon."

A small wooden boat, shrouded in azure mist, was moored in the center of Chizhen. Though not large, it was large enough to accommodate a dozen or so people on their journey.

There should have been a boatman, who was said to be a strongman who survived from ancient times.

However, according to the "research" of experts in Yezhou, this person is only a physical remnant; his consciousness is not old. He was unexpectedly revived in a later life and has long forgotten the past.

"His aged body has endured countless years, but the new spiritual field he has formed is at most a hundred years old, and he remains trapped there, knowing nothing about the affairs of heaven."

"Where did he go?" Qin Ming asked.

A young man laughed and said, "He was taken away by an old master and is currently indulging in worldly pleasures. Lately, he's been living a life of luxury and debauchery, truly a case of 'once you enter the Red Chamber, you're in deep trouble.'"

Clearly, the people on Earth were not giving up and wanted to study him more deeply, hoping to learn about the secrets of the heavens and the ancient times from him.

Some people shook their heads and said, "From ancient times to the present, nothing can surpass a drunken night in the mortal world."

A bluish mist filled the air on the wooden boat, carrying a mysterious aura.

The boat contains scarecrows, puppets, and metal beasts, which are objects that can be "borrowed" from.

Half of them chose to wander in their minds, but few chose to use objects to carry their consciousness, as they were all quite confident.

Qin Ming looked at it again and again, and finally chose a scarecrow to "borrow a body from". He instantly revived in it and felt a warm feeling in his consciousness.

"This is no ordinary thing." He was surprised. Then he learned about its origin. It was straw nourished by the pure spiritual energy of the Nine Heavens and had pure yang properties.

Someone spoke up: "Well, it is said that this kind of rice was the staple food of the strong in ancient times, but unfortunately it is not suitable for cultivation in this day and age."

Subsequently, some people became less enthusiastic about Qin Ming, feeling that he was a low-level cultivator who needed to borrow a body and was not worth getting to know deeply.

The wooden boat automatically hoisted its sails, instantly piercing through the night fog, as if riding the wind and waves, rushing towards the heavens at an incredible speed.

A moment later, a vortex of fire appeared in the thick sea of ​​night fog, divine flames flickered, and the wooden boat burst into blue light, carrying everyone into it.

"We've arrived already?" Many people couldn't believe it.

After the wooden boat passed through the whirlpool of fire, it reached the highest heavens, where they saw the hazy divine city and immortal town shrouded in celestial mist and azure energy.

Without a doubt, they had just entered a void tunnel.

"That's good. Crossing the Sea of ​​Night Fog during the process would be extremely dangerous. It is said that there are wind tribulations in the night sky above the nine heavens that can blow away people's consciousness, as well as poisonous fire from outer space."

They disembarked, nearing their destination, while the wooden boat silently sailed away, returning home alone.

Qin Ming felt a sense of unreality. Had he really arrived in the heavens? This was his first time stepping into this realm. Normally, only celestial realms could be suspended here. Beneath their feet, the path was paved with bluestone slabs, not the golden steps and jade staircases he had imagined; it was quite simple.

Qin Ming headed towards the first immortal town, while the others paused briefly before continuing on their way.

"Brother, you can even travel in your mind for a short time, are you still in the first realm?" someone couldn't help but ask.

"I am indeed not skilled enough, let me first take a look at this town," Qin Ming replied, noting that different towns in the sky correspond to different realms.

Some people thought he couldn't possibly be that weak, and said, "We'll set off first and wait for you in the divine city ahead."

Qin Ming waved goodbye to them and entered the first immortal town.

He walked around as a scarecrow and discovered that he was not special. There were many others like him in the town, including scarecrows and puppets. There were quite a few of them.

Someone warned, "Everyone be careful and don't leave the area of ​​the Immortal Town. If you venture into the Sea of ​​Night Mist above the Nine Heavens, you may lose your life."

Qin Ming looked out of the town and saw only darkness, with howling winds distorting the very air.

Moreover, occasionally, in the sea of ​​night fog, red light would surge past, seemingly at extremely high temperatures. When the light returned, dazzling flames would suddenly rise up, seemingly enough to burn through a grandmaster's mental field.

Qin Ming's expression turned to surprise; the heavens above were indeed terrifying!
"There were creatures in the foggy sea that night!" someone exclaimed.

Qin Ming looked out of the town and saw an old woman, dressed in tattered clothes, whose face was a hundred times paler than Cui Chong's and his great-grandmother who had been dead for fifty years.

"Those are ancient people who have died, don't worry about them," someone told us.

Immediately, many people were shocked.

Someone exclaimed, "This... she survived the tribulation of the heavens unharmed, could this be a physical body left behind by a celestial being?"

“This is at least the remains of an Earth Immortal!” someone said with great certainty.

A moment later, someone discovered that in the depths of the dark night fog, a bright green leaf drifted by, but it shattered and disappeared in the gale in an instant.

"The heavens are truly unfathomable; could it be that living plants grow there?"

"Of course, haven't you heard? In the Nine Heavens Night Mist Sea, there exists a lost golden palace and a priceless elixir of immortality. Unfortunately, it is rare and hard to come by; even earth immortals would find little to no avail in their search."

Qin Ming was lost in thought. The uninhabited area beyond the sky was exceptionally vast and mysterious, filled with all sorts of unknowns, opportunities, and extreme dangers. Only top-tier experts dared to explore it.

He ventured deeper into the town and found it bustling with activity, with crowds jostling each other on every street.

Soon, Qin Ming realized something was wrong. Wasn't this the town corresponding to the first realm? Many people were directly traveling in spirit, not attached to any special objects.

"Could it be that they all possess special physiques, such as the Pure Yang Body, with naturally strong spiritual energy, allowing them to travel in spirit for extended periods even at lower cultivation levels?" He began to have doubts.

In this immortal town, everyone, including Bao Qinming, displayed the cultivation level of the first realm.

Qin Ming knew his own situation. He mixed his essence, the core of his consciousness, with the light of day, and then wrapped it in rags to conceal it.

He looked at the people around him with suspicion. If people could travel in their spiritual realm at the first level, were all these people with extraordinary talents pure yang bodies or powerful innate souls?

Then, he used his newborn eyes and gradually saw through the clues. Some of them were definitely old guys, their eyes were too weathered, and they were definitely not young people.

Qin Ming realized that many people, like him, were using special methods to conceal their true abilities.

Otherwise, how could there be so many people with special constitutions? He had only found one or two people with the so-called pure yang constitution on the ground.

One of them is Leng Feiyue, a descendant of Leng Mingkong, the founder of Yangtu Tuolu.

Qin Ming found it outrageous. He saw that the old guys had not changed their faces and had arrived in their true forms. They were all masters of the Immortal Path and the Secret Sect!
"This is shameless. Do they want to compete with newcomers in the first realm for rankings and to obtain mysterious rewards?" he muttered.

Clearly, he forgot himself; he wasn't a complete newcomer either, having also lowered his own cultivation level to come here.

Someone nearby muttered, "Isn't it dangerous here? After all, an old guy is pretending to be young, the situation is really complicated!"

Someone laughed and said, "New here, huh? Don't worry, in the immortal town corresponding to the first realm, no matter how powerful you are, or even if an earth immortal comes to visit, you can't exceed the limits here. We are all 'fellow Daoists' of the first realm."

Upon hearing this, the man visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

Upon hearing this, Qin Ming felt relieved; it was nothing to worry about.

"Isn't this a bit unfair? The old guys are also coming to join in the fun. It's practically like a reincarnation of a demon. Even if they are fellow cultivators at the same level, the newcomers can't compete with them, right?"

"I reckon the existence of the New Ranking and the Golden Ranking is precisely to select exceptionally talented individuals, not to select geniuses from a greenhouse. It's intentional to leave them unrestricted and let the old guys stir things up."

Above the town, shrouded in blue clouds, a new list stretched out, shining brightly, with many names written on it, appearing and disappearing in the distance.

"How is this possible? I'm still so far from being on the list. There's a gap of more than a hundred people between the candidates?" A member of the esoteric sect was utterly bewildered, unable to believe his eyes.

Qin Ming was quite surprised when he heard this.

He already knew that in each realm, regardless of whether you were a "reincarnated demon," as long as you came, you could participate in the competition, and eventually one hundred beings would be listed.

"I'm... 150 places away from making the list!" A celestial being looked dazed, feeling that this was outrageous and that his own situation was truly dire.

Qin Ming saw some familiar faces in the town, such as the elegant Pei Shuyan in white. He was very angry and hurried, and he did not hide his true appearance.

"This is a fourth-realm immortal seed, what happened to him?"

Someone responded, "He did make the list, but his ranking is constantly dropping. If this continues, he might be pushed off the new list."

Some people even knew the details: Pei Shuyan had temporarily returned from the Immortal City of the Third Realm to compete again and improve his ranking.

Qin Ming subsequently discovered many familiar faces, such as Helian Yaoqing, a female immortal disguised as a man, and Cheng Sheng and Zhao Qingcheng, top-tier divine beings of the secret sect.

Someone whispered, "It's shameful. Many of them are old guys, not just grandmasters, but even patriarchs who come here to boost their rankings and get freebies!"

This is the truth: even immortal seeds and divine seeds can't compete with those old guys.

Upon hearing this, Qin Ming was dumbfounded. Most of the people here were like him, belonging to the realm-based school.
He estimated that there weren't many pure first-realm newcomers, and even Pei Shuyan, Helian Yaoqing and others had come here to compete for a place on the new ranking list.

Someone sighed, "There's nothing we can do. The old guys from all eras are vying for the benefits on the list. The competition is too fierce. Besides the seeds from Night State, there are also beings from beyond the realm, as well as geniuses like Shen Yue from Sky City and those with the talent of Lieyang."

"This... someone's back to fight again!"

Chaos broke out in the Immortal Town. Some people discovered that many of the extraordinary talents, such as Little Buddha, Cui Chong, and others who had gone to the Divine City, had returned, all in an effort to maintain their high rankings.

"Hiss, that's Sky City. Even those who were confirmed to become the Blazing Sun have turned back!"

Many people now suspect that not only are grandmasters and patriarchs appearing, but there might even be mysterious immortals pretending to be young, coming here to stir up trouble, hoping to gain great fortune in the nascent Jade Capital.

Qin Ming became genuinely interested. He really wanted to try his luck on such a prestigious list and see how high his ranking could be.

(End of this chapter)