Night without Borders

Chapter 435 Reaching the Top of the New Rankings
After Qin Ming stepped onto the stage, he became extremely solemn and vigilant. After all, he was about to face a mysterious expert ranked third, from an unknown era, who might even be an ancient earth immortal. No amount of caution was excessive.

"I was burdened by fame and acted impulsively." He reflected on whether he had become arrogant. When fighting ancient powerhouses like those who have "reincarnated as demons," there should be a gradual process; one shouldn't try to forcefully defeat a third party.

On the fifth high platform, Bodhi Saint stared at Qin Ming with an unnatural expression. He had "overestimated" his opponent, thinking that his limit was to challenge the 30th ranked expert. However, this Taiyi had overtaken him and faced the third person directly.

He reflected on his words and actions, his old face flushed slightly, and then his eyes became deep. He had misjudged that this was one of "our generation".

It wasn't just him; everyone shared this view. They didn't believe there were any truly young players in the top five; that was simply unrealistic. They were all old monsters with formidable backgrounds.

"Today was truly spectacular. The top ten ranked players faced challenges one after another. Don't underestimate these battles just because they are only at the first level. I dare say that they have already involved a struggle between beings at the seventh level."

Everyone present looked on with eager eyes and discussed the matter animatedly.

"It's a pity they all concealed their origins, otherwise it would have shocked everyone, because it was very likely that it was a battle between Earth Immortals."

"Don't worry, they'll be exposed sooner or later as time goes on."

"Yes, some of the older generation have a keen eye and can often recognize some 'old friends' and find clues that may be revealed later."

"In the end, looking around, are all the top spots on the new list filled with old guys over five hundred years old vying for supremacy? It would be interesting to uncover such a truth."

On the third dueling platform, Qin Ming's opponent has appeared.

Once ranked here, the new list spread out high in the sky gives high-level treatment to the participants, and the manifested figures are very vivid, as if the real person has descended.

A young man stood with his left hand behind his back, his eyes shining like stars, his black hair reaching his waist, his face quite three-dimensional, his features distinct and handsome.

His name on the new list is: Heavenly Venerable.

Qin Ming didn't think too much when choosing his name; he just randomly picked a name from the "Nine Songs of Chu" unearthed from the old era.

He discovered that the old folks were all very proud, and those who ranked higher in the hierarchy had names that were either grand or strange, clearly showing their refusal to accept old age.

The young Celestial Venerable was very domineering. After his appearance, he always kept his left hand behind his back, while his right fist slammed down directly. At this moment, the void was filled with the crystalline fist, and the fist's intent was everywhere.

He was confident, composed, and exceptionally assertive, as if he intended to seal his opponent's fate with a single punch and end the fight quickly.

"My ancestor was sent flying off the dueling platform by that punch. It was truly terrifying!" Indeed, there were some young men in the audience who, lacking cunning, revealed their ancestor's shortcomings.

In fact, it wasn't just his ancestor; other even more powerful figures had been struck by the Celestial Venerable's punch, causing them to cough up blood and voluntarily withdraw from the arena.

With a bang, before the young man could finish speaking, the entire dueling platform trembled slightly, and the Daoist energy surged, with the fist intent spreading out in a flamboyant and domineering manner.

"Taiyi... wasn't blasted away." Many people exclaimed in surprise.

The scarecrow boy blocked the way, standing firmly on the high platform. He grabbed the opponent's fist, his five fingers like the claws of a heavenly dragon, tearing apart the young celestial being's fist intent.

Qin Ming's expression turned solemn. This Celestial Venerable's true form must be unfathomable, and the punch that the New Ranking manifested was already quite astonishing.

Finally, time was up, and with a bang, the young Celestial Venerable's figure vanished into a stream of light. The punch he left behind was merely to test his opponent.

Qin Ming withstood the punch and is now qualified to challenge his true form as an opponent.

In the distance, in a vast immortal city, the young-looking Celestial Venerable sensed something, suddenly turned around, and said, "Which old fellow couldn't stand the loneliness and came out like me, actually locking the flawless fist intent I left in the first realm with his five fingers!"

He had already spotted the scarecrow through the new list, and suddenly, his clear eyes shone brightly as he said, "Could it be some old rival deliberately coming after me? Then I'll go back and take a look, and have a go at him!"

Qin Ming didn't have to wait long before a streak of light flashed across the night sky, and the young Celestial Venerable himself arrived, landing on the dueling platform.

The town was teeming with people, and many from the neighboring divine city, having heard the news, also rushed over to watch the battle between the "Heavenly Demon Reincarnators".

At this point, Bodhi Saint also successfully passed the test and could now face off against the true form of the fifth-ranked master.

He longed to witness the battle between Taiyi and Tianzun, but alas, his opponent had already made his appearance.

"What a spectacle! Two pairs of ancient monsters are vying for supremacy at the same time; they are most likely Earth Immortals!"

Those who enjoy watching a spectacle are always eager for more excitement, and the place was filled with commotion. Some were shocked, some were expectant, and as the news spread, more and more people came from other cities.

On the third high platform, Qin Ming stared at the young Heavenly Venerable, feeling as if he had encountered a "kindred spirit" with a distinct aura of heavenly light emanating from him!

"Which old friend?" the Celestial Venerable asked, his long black hair flowing freely, his eyes like rainbows, his aura powerful and his heroic spirit awe-inspiring.

"I am a newcomer, just beginning my journey to the heavens." Qin Ming clasped his hands in the form of a scarecrow.

The Celestial Venerable naturally didn't believe it. How could a newcomer stand before him? What a joke! He had made up for the shortcomings of the first realm and was almost in the perfect realm, which was why he was ranked third.

"The old man is pretending to be young!" the young Celestial Venerable murmured.

Qin Ming was speechless; he was indeed not a complete novice.

But... he's not old, and he's only broken the rules for a year or two. Even if he wanted to tell the truth, no one would believe him.

Qin Ming had no intention of probing his identity, because even if the other party revealed his identity, he might not have heard of it, as they were not from the same era.

When the two met, they had nothing to say to each other. After a brief silence, they took action without any hesitation.

With a loud bang, Qin Ming's clear right palm collided with the opponent's fist, which was bathed in golden light, causing the entire dueling platform to shake violently.

The duel between the two was approaching the limit of power allowed by the first-realm high platform.

"A celestial body refiner!" the young Celestial Venerable exclaimed. He had "figured out" his opponent's background; they were kindred spirits. Runes shimmered in his eyes.

However, no matter how hard he thought about it, he couldn't recall ever having such a powerful opponent.

Qin Ming understood why the other party seemed like one of their kind: ancient body cultivators also collected heavenly light, regarding it as a special elixir for refining flesh and blood.

"This is interesting. Come on, let's have a good fight!" The young Celestial Venerable's eyes were deep. No matter who his opponent was, he was confident that he could crush them in this field.

He retraced his steps, and dared not say what would happen after the sixth realm, but the first realm was absolutely perfect, with flawless body refinement. He refused to believe that anyone of his kind could compare to him.

With a whoosh, a thousand hands emerged from his body, densely packed, all refined from the Heavenly Light Elixir, radiating a dazzling light.

He truly looked like a young celestial being walking among the earth, sacred and transcendent.

Intense celestial light emanated from Qin Ming's body, enveloping him. A golden wheel seemed to rotate around his body, its clanging sound blocking the thousand hands from the outside.

Normally, a body cultivator in the first realm cannot freely display the light of heaven, but these two are not restricted.

The Celestial Venerable had thousands of arms, some holding golden hammers, some carrying divine spears, some gripping long swords, and others beating drums, bursting with lightning.

Normally, if the young Celestial Venerable were to go all out like this, few opponents would be able to withstand the first wave of attacks alone. Their defenses would be torn apart, and their secret treasures, spiritual light, and so on would be scattered.

However, he encountered Qin Ming, whose golden wheel, blazing like a blazing sun, spun around his body with terrifying force, severing many of his thousand hands.

Qin Ming naturally wouldn't hold back. Facing this ancient monster from an unknown era, he had to go all out, fearing that Tian Guang's strength wouldn't be enough.

Passive defense was not his style. He extended his arm from within the golden, sun-like halo, condensing heavenly light into a long spear that flowed with nine colors, was incomparably sharp, and seemed indestructible.

While protecting himself with the golden wheel, he concentrated all the heavenly light on the spearhead and attacked the young celestial being.

"Ok?"

The Celestial Venerable showed a look of surprise. His protective light barrier had been breached, and if it weren't for the thousand hands moving together to grab the spearhead, his body might have been bleeding.

"There are still body cultivators who can compete with me? It seems they are definitely not from the same region as me. I have encountered an old monster from the seventh realm outside the domain."

In an instant, golden light surged around his body, and he withdrew his Thousand Hands. His temperament was completely different, and his whole being seemed to be burning.

The young Celestial Venerable displayed unparalleled body-refining techniques, establishing himself as a perfect being at this level.

He possessed the renowned body-refining manual of the immortals, which was said to lead directly to the realm of celestial immortals. He had devoted most of his life to studying it, and his attainments were terrifyingly high.

At this moment, he seemed to have transformed into a golden immortal, even the blood energy gushing from his pores was as brilliant as the morning glow, and his eyes and hair also turned golden.

At this moment, every move he made possessed terrifying destructive power, and he had an immortal essence. He was a weapon from head to toe, and he could make thousands of troops flee in terror with just a charge.

Qin Ming's expression was solemn. With his left fist and right palm, he clashed head-on with the flawless golden body of the young Celestial Venerable. The instantaneous duel produced a deafening sound on the dueling platform. It sounded like celestial swords clashing or heavenly blades striking each other, producing clanging and resounding sounds. Everyone found it absurd. One was a scarecrow, and the other had a golden body. Both were bizarre, yet they displayed power that surpassed the limits of their respective realms.

Many people are certain that if they were to go up there themselves, they would be blown apart with a single punch and wouldn't be able to withstand even one move. That's the wonderful state of body refinement that has reached perfection without any flaws.

The Celestial Venerable's expression changed. In the fierce confrontation, he was actually forced to retreat. How could this be? The opponent's celestial light was far too powerful.

Most importantly, his golden body was covered in wounds, bloody marks from the opponent's fists, and his skin was cleaved by the opponent's palms.

He was a cultivator of immortal bodies, possessing the most powerful true scripture. He had cultivated himself for a lifetime, and after retracing his steps, his golden body still had flaws.
Once he bleeds and his body is broken, it means he's in big trouble and there's a possibility that his powers will be completely destroyed.

"You are really strong!" Qin Ming said seriously. With a clang, a Heavenly Light Blade materialized in his hand. He had already used the Four-Force Power!
"This is..." The young Celestial Venerable was shocked. His golden body was cut open by that bright blade light, this time not only on the surface of his body, but also deep into his flesh and blood.

At the same time, his palms were also covered in blood, yet they could not withstand the blinding blade light.

"A remarkable body refiner!" Qin Ming said in a deep voice, wielding the Heavenly Light Longsword and unleashing the Four Control Forces to launch a fierce attack on this formidable opponent.

The young Celestial Venerable was covered in blood and retreated rapidly. Every strike from his opponent could break through his defenses. He could hardly believe his eyes. What kind of monster had he encountered today?

He had pushed his body-refining path to its limit, how could he possibly encounter such a situation? His immortal golden body could not withstand the opponent's astonishing heavenly light.

"That old monster is truly terrifying!" Qin Ming said solemnly.

Both the Celestial Venerable himself and all the spectators were speechless. Was this scarecrow serious? He said others were terrifying, but his sword light had actually injured the Celestial Venerable.

Qin Ming was speaking from the heart. The opponent's golden body was ridiculously strong, requiring the Four-Force Power to break through. Even if someone else had extraordinary abilities, they could at most only wear down a Heavenly Venerable.

At this moment, the young Celestial Venerable was helpless. He was about to break through his cultivation. Some of the sword light pierced straight into his internal organs. If he had not refined his body into a flawless golden body, his body would have already exploded.

However, he now seriously doubts whether he has reached the pinnacle of body refinement. Even if he has made up for the regrets left over from his youth, there still seems to be a problem.

But when he looked inward, he was certain that he had no flaws.

With a soft "poof," he was almost severed by Qin Ming's shoulder. That Four-Force Power was incredibly terrifying; once unleashed, it was nearly unsolvable in the first realm.

The young Celestial Venerable was sent flying backward, almost collapsing into a pool of blood. He asked, "No, did you cheat? This isn't the power of the First Realm."

He lost and questioned Newrank.

However, Newrank responded that there was no problem, that all underhanded methods were suppressed here, and that Taiyi could withstand scrutiny.

"I actually lost..." He frowned deeply. Having his golden body torn open really made him break out in a cold sweat. What kind of opponent was this?
He was thinking that if the two met in the outside world and went all out, he would most likely end up in tragedy.

The Celestial Venerable spoke: "Fellow Daoist, what is your name? Is this considered a reopening of the Dao path, a new domain in the first realm? Such attack power truly amazes us."

At this moment, he no longer put his hand behind his back, but earnestly asked for advice, eager to have a conversation with the other person.

Qin Ming responded: "I am Taiyi, merely a traveler on the long road of cultivation."

The Celestial Venerable frowned. This old fellow was somewhat rigid, unlike the energetic younger generation, and seemed unwilling to communicate or interact.

Qin Ming guessed that the other party might be an Earth Immortal, and they would not be able to talk to each other at all. He would only make mistakes if he said more, so he was not enthusiastic.

However, he would be willing to contact the other party if there were a paid exchange of insights on the first realm, but now is definitely not the right time.

Scarecrow Taiichi's ranking has changed on the new list, and he has been replaced by someone else, now ranking third.

The Celestial Venerable's ranking has automatically slipped to fourth.

The town was filled with discussions, and Bodhi Saint ended his battle amidst the commotion. After a fierce fight, he defeated his opponent and maintained his winning streak.

"Taiyi and Bodhi Saint both made rapid progress and arrived at the top of the new list."

"Would the Bodhi Saint be planning to challenge Taiyi?"

While people were shocked by the two's record, they also noticed a pattern: Bodhi Saint challenged masters ranked ninth, seventh, and fifth. If this continued, wouldn't it be Taiyi's turn next?
Someone pointed out: "This...the situation has changed."

At this moment, after Bodhi Saint successfully challenged the fifth-ranked expert, he is now ranked... sixth, a decline rather than an improvement.

Bodhi Saint had mixed feelings. He and Taiyi entered the Immortal Town at the same time and went up on the stage together. However, Taiyi suddenly ran ahead of him and was about to become his strongest opponent.

He took a deep breath, ready to challenge Taiyi!

However, Qin Ming had already jumped off the dueling platform, and he was about to continue his challenge upwards.

"Huh, who's that woman on the second dueling platform?"

Many people noticed a figure appear there, shrouded in white mist, a woman standing gracefully with a silver mask on her face.

"She is known by the name Guanghan and is a mysterious expert ranked second on the new list. She hasn't been challenged yet, so how did her true form return?"

Guanghan nodded to Qin Ming and extended her slender hand in a gesture of invitation.

Clearly, after witnessing the Celestial Venerable's defeat upon her return, she believed that Qin Ming was about to challenge her, and thus she directly appeared on stage in her true form.

Qin Ming clasped his hands in apology and gave her a brief explanation via telepathy.

Then, people saw him go straight up to the number one fighting platform to challenge the number one person.

Immediately, an uproar erupted.

"Will the top spot change hands today?"

"That...not necessarily. The one ranked first is quite freakish. It's said that he wore down both the Celestial Venerable and Guanghan until they were both exhausted and had to admit defeat."

After Qin Ming stepped onto the stage, both Bodhi Saint and Guanghan focused their attention on him, and both of them were eager to fight him.

A moment later, Qin Ming met the mysterious powerhouse ranked first.

This one is truly extraordinary; he is actually a giant spirit god!

Among those who walk this path, there are naturally experts, but it is rare to find an unparalleled powerhouse. However, someone here defies common sense and actually tops the new rankings.

He was very unassuming; his name on the new list was simply "Giant Spirit God".

The figure emerged and gradually solidified. He was not as imposing as imagined; he was only twelve feet tall and his entire body shone with a precious radiance.

Qin Ming knew that the giant spirits were very special; some were as tall as mountains, while others, after returning to their original state, might eventually become no different from ordinary people.

The Celestial Venerable muttered to himself, "This is a monster created by the perfect combination of timing, location, and human factors. It's somewhat unsolvable in the first realm. Let's see if you can break through its defenses."

Qin Ming needs to defeat this illusory figure in order to see the true form of the real entity.

Therefore, he took a deep breath, unleashed his full power, and exploded with strength surpassing that of the Four Divine Forces.

The giant spirit's arm swung with the force of tens of thousands of pounds, and the terrifying divine light shining from its flesh and blood seemed even more frightening than the golden light of the Heavenly Venerable.

Qin Ming was shocked; the opponent's physical strength was even stronger than his own when he was in the first realm.

However, this is understandable, since some creatures have innate racial advantages, such as giant beasts, whose physical strength in the first realm is indeed far superior to that of humans.

In the end, Qin Ming used the celestial light that surpassed the Four Imperial Forces to condense a long sword, which was extremely dazzling and cleaved the giant spirit god's body in two!

"This……"

The pupils of both Tianzun and Guanghan contracted. They had personally fought against this special giant spirit god, suffered greatly, and were eventually defeated after being exhausted.

In the distance, in a divine city, the true form of the Giant Spirit God frowned and said, "Who is this person? He can actually cut through my flesh and blood divine light. Since that's the case, even if my true form goes back, it won't be able to withstand his heavenly light. Forget it, I'll admit defeat."

In the night sky, blue clouds surged, and the new list shone brightly, the name at the top of the list had changed dramatically.

In each city, people noticed the changes in the new list and looked up to see the newly rewritten names.

(End of this chapter)