Night without Borders

Chapter 452 I don’t even want to act anymore

In the misty sea at night, a small boat docked, and a young man in fine clothes calmly disembarked and came to the dilapidated villa. He had a jade pendant hanging from his waist, his black hair was blowing in the night wind, his eyes were clear, and he had an outstanding appearance.

The old man in gray, holding a broom and with a head of dry, yellow hair, had been waiting there for a while. He said, "Go in. Don't rush. That person is taking the most difficult path. He will encounter all sorts of extreme tests. You can easily catch up with his speed."

The young man, Li Heng, stepped forward, greeted the old man in gray, and then smiled. His bright, almond-shaped eyes added a touch of approachability to his already handsome appearance.

The gray-robed old man's expression darkened slightly. He said, "If you really stand before His Highness, don't be so clever. Even if you cultivate a 'divine embryo,' your so-called strongest spiritual allure is nothing compared to His Highness's. Don't dream of becoming the Daoist partner of such a person overnight. Just be dutiful and obey His Highness's orders and arrangements. What's meant to be yours will come to you, and what's not meant to be yours, no matter how hard you try, you won't be favored. Sincerity, humility, and dedication are more useful than the special aura emanating from your divine embryo."

“I understand!” Li Heng nodded.

"Take this road." The gray-robed old man, Li Cang, pointed to a road corresponding to a sign as black as ink.

Li Heng's body stiffened slightly. Although he was very ambitious and confident in navigating a more difficult path, it did not mean that he wanted to attempt a hellish trial.

In the past, some saints retraced these paths, and were lost and helpless on the hellish roads, having to call for help halfway and eventually being carried out.

"So... the road signs are all messed up. Oh, I see. I'll get going then." Li Heng set off immediately, without wasting any time.

He walked through the dilapidated courtyard, past the silver bamboo forest, and entered through the moon gate that exuded a pure and ethereal aura, his steps steady.

He was calm and confident, saying, "A true hero can not be subservient to others. My spiritual realm is a world unto itself, and my divine embryo has been formed. In this special era, I can become a saint and perhaps reach the highest peak!"

Soon, he looked surprised. The road in the distance was churning with a lot of noise, with bursts of red light appearing, then distorting and blurring, and making a sound of collapse.

"What's going on over there?" Li Heng asked gravely. Was someone about to pass the most terrifying test on that road? It was happening far too fast.

Qin Ming's eyes were clear, and his body was surrounded by a hazy light. He said, "This is only the first section of the road, and it is already so difficult. The standards for selecting disciples in Yujing are too high."

This is a journey that requires bearing heavy burdens, with the Daoist aura corresponding to its level descending, exploring the upper limit of what it can withstand, just like the legendary Flying Immortal Mountain pressing down on you.

Qin Ming held on and made it all the way to the end. However, just after he succeeded, the crimson clouds surged in the sky, and a tangible domain descended, suppressing him once again.

Although the initial test has been passed, when the Jade Capital selects its saints, it wants to leave each person with an unforgettable experience. It will put extra pressure on them, not only to test their limits, but also to give the future saints a taste of their own medicine.

The rich red glow surged, and the Taoist aura along the road was like boiling water, finally exploding with a bang and flying in all directions.

Qin Ming exhaled, the cobblestone path beneath his feet was faintly glowing, the nearby bamboo forest rustled, and sweat beaded on his forehead.

At this moment, more purple mist descended from the sky, exuding nobility, but also becoming more dangerous. The dense Daoist aura transformed into tangible pressure, squeezing towards this path.

"It's not over yet, there are many twists and turns, and the pressure is increasing!" Qin Ming was covered by that purple aura.

Moreover, the path beneath his feet was expanding, extending automatically, and merging into the special area of ​​the villa. For a moment, accompanied by celestial music, it foreshadowed the power and extraordinary nature of this auspicious cloud.

Qin Ming's bones were creaking and his body was swaying precariously, but he still managed to stagger across the path.

With a bang, the purple aura exploded, and the Daoist energy dissipated.

Li Heng stared at the road in the distance, his face full of surprise. He already knew what had happened. The other party had actually passed the test, but the test of Yujing was meant to give the new disciples a hard time. In the end, the tester had to be overwhelmed. This was an extra "addition".

He couldn't help but frown. Didn't the old saying go that newcomers who want to choose the easiest path end up "going astray" by some twist of fate and should be eliminated quickly? How could this person have such a dazzling performance?

"There's more?" Qin Ming was shocked. Could it be that he was going to fail on this very path?
At this moment, the night sky was no longer peaceful, but a strange force was stirring. Then, poisonous fire, streaks of light, and otherworldly matter poured down from the sky.

The Daoist auras that crashed down from beyond the heavens were incredibly violent, like meteorites rolling down. Upon first contact, Qin Ming's entire body turned crimson, his flesh was burning hot, his bones seemed to be broken, his internal organs felt like they were on fire, and his whole body was about to be burned through.

The violent Daoist energy, like poisonous fire or a sharp blade, directly eroded his body through the void.

Qin Ming was not actually here; he was using someone else's body. However, the sensations were still very real, and the pain was unbearable for him, causing him to groan.

His internal organs felt as if they were being burned to ashes, and his mental energy was about to be burned through. It was an inhuman torment, and the path beneath his feet was rapidly spreading, leading to the secluded depths of the villa.

"This... adds three extra trials, what kind of monster is this?" Li Heng walked steadily on his own path, but his mind was shocked when he saw the various strange phenomena on the opposite road.

Moreover, it seems that the other party has managed to endure it.

"Doesn't this mean that he can be compared to His Highness?" Li Heng's expression changed drastically. A person who should have taken the easiest path had suddenly leaped up, as if he wanted to spread his wings and soar to the top.
"No, if he's so extraordinary, why would he choose the easiest path? Could it be that he's hiding a treasure, and is taking advantage of the Jade Capital's disintegration and initial rebirth to slip through and seize all the benefits of this place!"

Li Heng clearly remembered that even His Highness lost his composure back then, appearing disheveled and with his hair in disarray, and afterwards was unwilling to mention that experience.

Some speculate that His Highness's inner world was blasted through, shattering his celestial aura. His originally untainted, otherworldly body was forced to use both hands and feet to escape in a disheveled state.

Li Heng's peach blossom eyes flickered as he said, "Even His Highness, who used the resources of two major systems to barely pass the three additional trials, how could someone who doesn't even dare to choose the more difficult path possibly do it?"

At this moment, Qin Ming was smoking all over. As he walked this path, each step left a charred footprint. He seemed to be burned through from head to toe, from body to spirit.

Fortunately, he pulled through again. The rich spiritual energy of the Nine Heavens flowed into his body, leaving him surrounded by a refreshing aura.

A moment later, his injuries healed, and he regained his energy.

However, Qin Ming was deeply shocked. Yujing was too strict in selecting disciples, and this path was too difficult, making him feel like he was dying.

He secretly warned himself that he must hold himself to the highest standards in the future, otherwise, how could he compete with the true disciples of the Jade Capital?

The old sweeper, Li Cang, gazed into the depths of the courtyard, a puzzled look on his face. He said, "Judging by the time, that boy should have collapsed by now. Why hasn't he been brought out yet?"

This is a golden bamboo forest, where spiritual matter flows like water. Qin Ming sits here quietly, taking a short rest.

In the night sky, wisps of light of order descended and came toward him.

"Huh?!" He suddenly opened his eyes.

"Given the outstanding performance of the challenger, who bravely overcame the three additional challenges and successfully reached the end of the road, he was baptized by the Light of the Chains of Spell."

A line of golden text appeared, providing this prompt.

"Come out and greet the guests with your yellow parasol!" Qin Ming quickly called out.

He was particularly sensitive to the chains of law, the light of order, and the chains of the Dao, all of which were said to be blessings bestowed by the Jade Capital and a sign of good fortune, yet he was extremely wary of them.

He would never forget that Liu Mo, as a high-ranking deity, was tormented to the point of near death when he finally tried to escape his past. Five hundred years had passed, and he was still not completely reborn.

The yellow parasol was no more than the length of a palm, hovering in front of Qin Ming. He quickly activated it, causing it to enlarge instantly, truly displaying an extraordinary aura, like a heavy weapon in an emperor's procession.

It trembled gently, as if leaping and cheering, finally emerging from the tattered space. It regained the breath of the vast world and was no longer so oppressive.

Suddenly, its divine light surged, as if it were about to burst through the night sky. The umbrella spun, and the sun, moon, and stars embroidered on it seemed to come alive, as if they were about to fly and scatter into the night sky.

It emitted an unusual fluctuation, seemingly indignant, as chains of magic fell, intertwining on its umbrella surface and entangled its metal rod.

It had to fight against and stop this chain of laws from expanding.

Qin Ming was shocked. The original banner of ten thousand gods was now glowing slightly, revealing its true material. Both the canopy and the ribs were made of strange gold!
Putting everything else aside, this material alone is priceless.

"As expected, it has a very important origin; it's most likely a treasure from some region!" Qin Ming's expression turned solemn. This kind of item is definitely not easy to control.

Fortunately, it has encountered a major problem; its grade seems to have dropped, and it is now extremely difficult to fight against the Chain of Law.

In the end, the yellow parasol seemed to have been "tattooed," with inexplicable magical chains appearing on its surface, like veins growing on its body, and radiating divine brilliance.

Qin Ming said, "I've heard that the more interwoven and denser the chains of magic on a rare treasure, the more terrifying it is. You must have received quite a stroke of good fortune."

With a whoosh, the treasure transformed back into the Banner of Ten Thousand Gods, filled with ghostly shadows, eerie atmosphere, and billowing black mist, threatening to turn this place into an ink-stained world.

Its spirit was once severely injured and is now confused, but it can still understand the current situation. It is furious and if it could speak, it would be "full of fragrant words".

In fact, it wanted to smear his face with the banner!
Seeing this, Qin Ming threw it directly into the tattered cloth space.

"Aren't weapons meant to be used? I'm giving you a new magic chain so you can slowly fight against and analyze it. It will be of great benefit to you in the future, yet you're not grateful."

Within the tattered space, the Banner of Gods trembled, feeling extremely uneasy and unwilling to linger even for a moment longer.

In an instant, it transformed into a yellow silk canopy again, which could be considered a disguised form of bowing down.

Qin Ming said, "Most special weapons made from exotic metals can be liquefied and turned into battle armor that can be worn. Can you transform into one of them?"

He was extremely envious of Li Qingyue and Jiang Ran's ability to transform their weapons into battle suits.

However, the yellow parasol emitted a hazy fluctuation, clearly indicating that the systems were different and it could not become a battle suit.

However, one could sense that the spirit was very arrogant, as a blurry image of black mist sweeping across the entire world appeared on the umbrella surface, which was quite terrifying.

Qin Ming played with the small, yellow silk umbrella before setting off again.

He hadn't walked far when he saw a scripture repository. As he approached, he revealed a jade token in his hand, his identification given to him by the new roster. Instantly, a jade table and a prayer mat appeared before the repository, with genuine scriptures placed on them.

One of them is "The Ultimate Golden Body," which even the Celestial Venerable practices and has studied for most of his life. It is his fundamental scripture, and this immortal body-refining method can directly lead to the realm of celestial immortals.

Qin Ming sat down, opened the yellow silk canopy, and activated it to enlarge, thus enjoying the grandeur of an ancient emperor.

"The Ultimate Golden Body" consists of two volumes. Although both are very thin, the text inside is densely packed with annotations from predecessors, which are the interpretations and insights of many senior figures.

"Hmm?" Qin Ming was surprised. This book must have been quite old, but it was surprisingly "clean" and showed no signs of emotion.

This means that he cannot resonate.

"Was this cut off by someone? Or did certain Daoist principles and emotions dissipate when Jade Capital disintegrated?" Qin Ming's expression was quite solemn.

He realized that the ancient powerful beings were extremely terrifying, and perhaps they knew about the ability to resonate!
He didn't insist; having the complete text of the scriptures was enough for him. His own comprehension was actually quite terrifying.

Qin Ming flipped through it roughly, and then went to look at the "Heavenly Jade Book," which was made of jade and had only six pages in total, making it the complete book.

The Pure Land of the Outside World, with its four damaged jade books, was already regarded as a sacred text of the sect and one of the three most difficult scriptures to practice. It is understandable that there are only two extra pages here.

Moreover, even in the Jade Capital, this was an extraordinary scripture, which was studied by the once-famous gods and peerless immortals.

The jade book, too, could not resonate; it remained silent and undisturbed.

Qin Ming calmed his mind and began to study the text carefully, trying to understand its various profound meanings.

Li Heng looked at the road in the distance and said, "He should be studying the scriptures. I need to hurry and get to the finish line before him."

Soon, he was startled, for he saw spiritual light emanating from the road in the distance, accompanied by faint chanting.

"He's rapidly grasping the true essence of the scriptures?" Li Heng was deeply shaken.

He knew very well that this test was a test of comprehension. The man seemed to have shown extraordinary comprehension ability, and even when he was studying the scriptures, strange phenomena appeared.

"Could he be cheating?" Li Heng wondered, just like him, knowing in advance which scripture would be tested on this path.
The gray-robed old man, Li Cang, had taught him diligently and lectured on the scriptures for several days.

Li Heng now strongly suspects that this newcomer has probably been "taken care of" beforehand and also has a powerful background, otherwise how could he be so "fierce"?
Li Heng quickly calmed himself down, sat quietly in front of the jade table, and began to study some kind of spiritual text.

Anyone who embarks on this path, even if they fail, will not have wasted their time, for they have read a highly valuable manual, and most of them can directly reach the sixth realm.

Qin Ming has two true scriptures here, the corresponding levels of which are clearly far beyond the standard. This is mainly related to the fact that he came with a jade token, which clearly states which scripture he wants. This can be considered as a reward.

"The Ultimate Golden Body is indeed wondrous. No wonder the Heavenly Venerable, as a body refiner, can look down upon all heroes. This scripture is profound and unfathomable, with unique insights and unparalleled dominance." Qin Ming exclaimed in admiration after reading it.

He has studied the "Scripture of Body Refinement and Dao Integration" and comprehended the "Diamond Sutra," both of which are related to body refinement. The former, in particular, is mysterious and unpredictable. Without using the light of heaven, he can slay gods with the pure power of his physical body!
Therefore, Qin Ming's understanding of the "Ultimate Golden Body" was twice as effective with half the effort, and he quickly mastered it.

As for the parts of the scriptures that were beyond his understanding and comprehension, he simply memorized them.

He went to look through the jade book again, memorized the last two newly added pages, and then put it down. This true scripture was extremely difficult, involving topics such as slaying the mind monkey. He had already comprehended the parts that he could understand before.

Qin Ming got up and continued walking.

“The spiritual radiance has dissipated. He has finished his enlightenment and is on his way again. This... he's not even putting on an act anymore!” Li Heng found it outrageous. Although he had studied the scriptures in front of him beforehand, he had at least put on an act. This guy was too arrogant.
He was unsure whether this person with connections had an even stronger backing than him.
In the sea of ​​night mist, a huge tree branch grew into the courtyard. The appearance of the ancient tree itself was unknown, but this branch alone was as thick as a mountain ridge, and its verdant greenness exuded a sacred aura.

At the very tip of the branch grows a huge flower bud, with thirty-six layers of petals, seemingly corresponding to the thirty-six heavens. It is fragrant and has a flowing, hazy mist, exuding a strong Taoist charm.

Deep within the giant flower bud, a woman sat cross-legged, silently comprehending the supreme inheritance of the Jade Capital.

A woman with transparent butterfly wings flew over and reported, "Your Highness, the person who followed the same path as you has passed two trials and is setting off again."

The woman inside the flower bud, radiant and like the divine moon, even her hair glowed. Her entire body was hazy, as if moonlight had been condensed. She was slightly surprised and said, "So fast? How many extra trials were added to him in the first stage?"

The butterfly maiden, with her graceful figure and beautiful appearance, said, "I don't know. I'm too far away to investigate, but I imagine it's impossible for me to have been subjected to three extra trials like Your Highness."

Then she added, "Judging from the spiritual radiance he exuded while comprehending the scriptures, as well as the faint resonance of the scriptures, he seems to be practicing the 'Ultimate Golden Body.' He finished so quickly, he probably obtained the scriptures ahead of schedule."

A woman's slightly magnetic voice came from the flower bud, saying, "The 'Ultimate Golden Body,' which points directly to the path of immortality, is something that ordinary people have no chance to see. The Heavenly Venerables who are ranked extremely high on the new list practice this scripture."

The butterfly maiden said, "Could it be someone with connections? Did they study this scripture in advance? Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to comprehend it so quickly, even more efficiently than His Highness did back then."

Then, she chuckled and said, "He probably doesn't know that His Highness is meditating here, and that you will need to personally oversee things at the last moment. If it's someone with connections, he will be severely punished and suffer a major blow, which may cause his confidence to collapse and his path to enlightenment to become unstable!"

……

Qin Ming had arrived in front of a huge mirror. There were inscriptions on the mirror's surface that said that attacking this mirror would reveal one's own shortcomings.

He realized that the rewards the new list had arranged for him were closely related to the path of trials for saints; they were almost identical, if not completely. This was a mirror reflecting the laws of nature.

On the other road, Li Heng muttered to himself, "Hmm, I've reached the third level. Yujing has become more accepting of people like me and has begun to bestow favors upon me. There are three mirrors here that can help me identify my shortcomings. I need to seize this opportunity."

He took a deep breath and rushed toward a mirror. A figure appeared in the mirror and pounced on him, engaging in fierce combat.

During this process, his shortcomings were revealed in the mirror, indicating that there was room for improvement. In the end, the mirror even pointed out the flaws in the scriptures he practiced and the problems with his body.

With a bang, he finally materialized his divine embryo, condensed a heavenly blade with his spiritual field, and slashed it out, shattering the first Law-Illuminating Mirror.

Some streams of light entered his mental field; these were all prompts, telling him where he was lacking and where he needed to correct his mistakes.

It was at this moment that he sensed something was wrong and looked up at the road in the distance.

Li Heng's eyes widened in shock. He exclaimed, "So... fierce! He shattered three Law-Illuminating Mirrors in one go? Did he obtain the treasure mirror beforehand, so the Law Mirrors were ineffective against him, allowing him to pass through them in one go? This is a true case of connections; he's not even pretending anymore!"

In fact, the feedback Qin Ming received from the Law-Illuminating Mirror was very positive, even praising him generously. He even wondered if he had encountered a fake mirror? It didn't correct anything for him and was completely useless!

Qin Ming shattered mirrors one after another, and when he finally broke through twelve precious mirrors, the last three mirrors finally gave him some valuable feedback.

“The fundamental scriptures practiced may have hidden dangers, and there is a risk of physical and spiritual collapse in the future, with a probability of more than 30%.”

Upon seeing this prompt, Qin Ming couldn't help but ponder. Unfortunately, the Treasure Mirror didn't offer a real solution, only suggesting reducing the fusion of top-tier scriptures.

Clearly, this did not meet Qin Ming's expectations.

"How could his path possibly have twelve treasure mirrors, and how could he break through them in one go?" Li Heng was astonished, becoming even more certain that the other party had cheated. He had experienced the wonders of such law mirrors beforehand, corrected his own shortcomings, and thus was able to advance unstoppably.

Qin Ming discovered that the chains of magic in the night sky had reappeared, flowing down like glowing streams, as if to baptize him.

Furthermore, there are golden inscriptions suggesting that this might compensate for his shortcomings, using the chains of magic to mend his form and spirit, and forging strands of immortality.

"Yellow silk umbrella, welcome the guests!" Qin Ming once again brought out the dusty treasure.

At the same time, he collected all the broken treasure mirrors and threw them into the tattered cloth space, intending to destroy them later. Who knows if they recorded scenes that shouldn't exist?

The Pantheon Banner was clearly filled with intense emotions, billowing black mist and uncontrollable rage, because it had been "tattooed" once again!

Qin Ming set off again, heading towards the fourth level.

After Li Heng shattered the three precious mirrors, he didn't have time to savor the experience. He quickly memorized the clues from the flowing light and set off, not wanting to fall behind and hoping to reach the destination ahead of time.

"Hmm, how is that possible? How come a wishing well appeared in the fourth level?" Soon, Li Heng blinked his peach blossom eyes incessantly, revealing his surprise.

Ahead, spiritual energy swirled, light and mist rose, and Daoist principles flowed. A hazy, indistinct pool, like the source of the Milky Way, appeared in the void.

Moreover, Li Heng discovered that several roads converged on this location.

At that moment, he could already see his rival on the distant road approaching the wishing well, which was enveloped in divine light.

"It's definitely someone with connections. They had experienced the Law Illumination Realm beforehand, which is why they were able to pass so quickly. Then they encountered the Wishing Pool. It was all arranged in advance."

Li Heng's heart sank. The other party seemed to have a very strong backing, capable of rewriting the rules.

"Let's go for it! We're all connected, who's afraid of who!" Li Heng rushed forward, wanting to be the first to enter the wishing well.

"A competitor?" Qin Ming's expression changed, and his mood became heavy. He had taken the easier path and was already feeling the pressure. Even if the path on the other side wasn't hellishly difficult, it probably wasn't far off either, and it was definitely more difficult than his path.

Qin Ming felt that he had most likely encountered a formidable opponent.

"The wishing well cannot be lost. It is mine to begin with, and I will never back down!" Qin Ming whispered.

"As expected, you can't even pretend anymore. You've already decided on the outcome beforehand, haven't you?!" Li Heng exclaimed indignantly. Although they were both people with connections, he thought the other party had gone too far. To say such things in public was utterly shameless.

He would naturally "argue his case" and would never back down. If the situation got out of control, he would at the last minute ask His Highness to step in and uphold justice for him!
"It belongs to me!" In an instant, Qin Ming's whole body shone brightly, and the light of heaven, consciousness, and divine wisdom merged together, bursting out with a terrifying light that pierced through the night. His fighting spirit was high, and he used his most powerful strength to prepare to fight this unprecedented enemy.

(End of this chapter)