Night without Borders

Chapter 456 The sky is falling

This was truly unheard of and unseen before. Qin Ming wondered, was the assessment in Jade Capital really this unique? Without uttering a single word, a Saint-level Daoist partner was bestowed upon them.

The butterfly maiden watched as the prince's fair forehead became congested with blood, and a large bump gradually swelled up. She was speechless. Could it be that his skull had been injured?

Outside the villa, the spirit of the magic array asked, "Is that really what you think? Young people are quick-witted and daring, even willing to take risks and reward saints. But isn't the price a bit too high?"

Xinbang was very dissatisfied and said, "What does this have to do with me? Isn't this the Battle Arena that you arranged?"

The woman in white was a saint it valued highly, who had already received the inheritance of the Jade Capital. How could it possibly be traded? No one had the right to decide her life.

In the courtyard, the old sweeper Li Cang was petrified, staring at Xiao Ba, who was covered in blood, with blood still gushing from his chest and even his peach blossom eyes swollen like buns. He stood frozen in place.

"You mean, he changed his route and took yours?"

"Yes!" Li Heng nodded, staggered over, and finally sat down on the ground.

Li Cang was lost in thought. That guy had followed in his father's footsteps, conquering all the challenges. What would happen if he encountered His Highness? He hoped that nothing would go wrong.

Li Heng spoke up: "Ancestor, please don't act rashly. That guy might have a very powerful background. Moreover, he was able to overcome the most difficult path on his own. I suspect that his future achievements will not be inferior to His Highness's."

"Hmm, didn't you take the initiative to get to know him?" Li Cang asked.

"We became friends after our fight." Li Heng wanted to cry; the huge hole in his chest had just healed, and he had wasted a precious dose of his medicine.

Li Cang frowned deeply and said, "The most important thing is that he followed your path. I hope there hasn't been any misunderstanding between him and His Highness."

He took out the snow-white conch shell, pondering how to explain that his earlier information had been seriously flawed, even reporting the wrong path taken by the new challenger.

Perhaps he should go there himself.

……

"Is Yujing in decline and desperately seeking out exceptional talents, or is this yet another deception?" Qin Ming was skeptical.

After all, Newrank is capable of anything; it was clearly a reward, but they tricked him into participating in a challenge.

"Old Huang!" Qin Ming secretly communicated with the treasure hidden in the dust.

Initially, Huang Luo Gai San didn't know it was called that, because the name seemed too casual.

Then Qin Ming changed his address again, saying, "Old Wan, I'm calling you!"

"Hmm?" The Banner of Ten Thousand Gods gave a very indifferent response, ignoring him completely.

Qin Ming said, "In your weakened state, can you suppress this woman in white? If you succeed, I'll give you a big reward and let you go outside."

Upon hearing that it could leave the tattered space, the Myriad Gods Banner immediately perked up, becoming much more enthusiastic than before. It shook twice to indicate that there was no problem.

"Lock her up!" Qin Ming signaled, instructing the device to subdue the woman in white.

In fact, the Myriad Gods Banner was in a terrible state, and even it was unsure of its own capabilities, but it still went all out. In an instant, black mist surged into the sky, and dark light rippled, almost as if the words "Demon Treasure" were engraved on its body.

The Butterfly Maiden sensed something was wrong and rushed into the Battle Arena, staring at him with extreme vigilance.

To facilitate its attack, the Pantheon Banner appeared in its strongest form, its jet-black surface swelling up like a black rope coiling forward.

The woman in white had just suffered a heavy blow to the head, and her mental field was shaking violently. She saw stars and almost fainted, so she was captured without any warning.

The banner, like a black rope with runes, bound her there tightly.

As for the restless mind and wandering thoughts, they were both negative and violent energies that Qin Ming unleashed in a short period of time. They had a terrifying momentum, but they were difficult to sustain and were absorbed and neutralized by him.

"What are you doing? Release His Highness!" The Butterfly Maiden was anxious. It looked like a demonic invasion. The strange treasure, with its surging dark light and billowing black mist, had actually locked His Highness in place.

Qin Ming spoke up: "The time has come for you to fulfill your promise."

The Butterfly Girl was dumbfounded. Was this guy really so uncouth? His impatience was truly terrifying!
"Old Wan, you don't need to tighten it so much!" Qin Ming couldn't stand it anymore either.

As the goddess gradually regained consciousness, even though she was usually calm and aloof, she could no longer remain composed. She was bound by a black rune rope and could not break free.

"You...you can't do that!" The butterfly girl's voice trembled.

Upon hearing what the Butterfly Maiden said, the Jade Capital Saint—the Heavenly God—changed her expression immediately. Her already tattered white robes became even more disheveled, and she felt intense unease.

"I knew it! You guys are dishonest and want to break your promise!" Qin Ming said angrily, shoving aside the butterfly woman blocking his way and carrying the woman in white as he rushed out of the Battle God Arena.

He wielded the Chaos Sword Demon at extreme speed, rushing towards the thick, mountain-like tree branch deep within the courtyard, approaching the enormous divine flower.

Qin Ming tossed aside the woman in white he was carrying and climbed onto the flower, which was shrouded in ethereal mist and shimmered with divine light like rippling water, ready to pick it.

Regardless of whether it involves deception, he simply followed his conscience.

"Is that your target?" Even though the Butterfly Maiden had transparent wings and could truly fly, she was still two steps behind Qin Ming when chasing him.

"What else did you think?" Qin Ming replied.

The butterfly girl was stunned, completely dumbfounded.

The woman in white looked displeased. She had been completely ignored by the other party, who had simply abandoned her beside the flowers without even considering it. This was truly... like discarding a worn-out shoe.

As a highly respected disciple of the Imperial Academy, honored as a prince, who among her peers would dare to look down on her? Yet, she was casually thrown away. Such treatment... no one would believe it if word got out.

She was experiencing it firsthand, while this person didn't care at all.

Furthermore, the other party's eyes and words undoubtedly indicated that she and Butterfly Girl were like swindlers and not very trustworthy, hence they were viewed with suspicion and disdain.

Qin Ming naturally had to take precautions. After leaving the Battle Arena, he was likely no match for the woman in white, whose cultivation level was definitely higher than his.

So he talked to Lao Huang and asked if he could suppress her.

The butterfly maiden came to her senses and said, "You went so far as to abandon His Highness, only to ask for this flower?"

She naturally realized that there was something unclear about the situation. Had she been having a "misaligned" conversation with the other party from beginning to end?
The woman in white was displeased. The matter was already clear, so why was her maid bringing it up again? Didn't she see that she was still lying on the side?

The butterfly girl rushed over and helped her up.

The woman in white was chained up, her graceful body tightly bound. She felt extremely uncomfortable, as she, a core disciple of the Jade Capital, had been captured like this for the first time in her life.

In fact, from the start of the battle, she knew that the person in front of her was definitely not a member of the Li family. Their martial arts techniques didn't match, and the opponent was far too powerful. If Li Heng were that strong, the Li family wouldn't have been so humble in the past.

This enormous divine flower has thirty-six petals, all as radiant as the morning glow and exuding a captivating fragrance. It appears delicate, yet Qin Ming was unable to budge it when he tried to pick it.

He was even shaken off the ground.

The woman in white spoke up: "This is a divine flower that grew from the tree on the Jade Capital Avenue. Your efforts will be in vain."

Qin Ming turned his head to look at her and said, "You call yourself... my wife? Then help me pick them."

"Who claimed to be one?!" The god's expression turned unnatural.

"Didn't you yourselves say that the so-called 'willing to accept the consequences of a bet' is just empty talk?" Qin Ming asked.

"There's been a misunderstanding; we've mistaken you for someone else!" Butterfly Girl quickly explained.

Qin Ming nodded and said, "Oh, another childhood friend is coming? It can't be that Li Heng, can it? Then your standards aren't very high."

The butterfly maiden said, "That's not true. We just misunderstood you, which is why His Highness fought with you."

Qin Ming looked at the woman in white and said, "But what's done is done, and we've already fought as agreed. How about this, in order to make your Dao heart more harmonious, after you help me pick this herb, our duel will be over and we can just let it go."

The woman in white had flowing black hair, a slender waist, and long legs. Even though she was captured, she still radiated light, like the moonlight itself. She said, "The divine flower cannot be picked to refine medicine until a specific time. For now, it is only for disciples to use in their seclusion."

Qin Ming said, "Could it be that you are unwilling to turn the page and therefore do not want to go to gather herbs?"

The woman in white suddenly felt a tightness in her chest and wanted to punch him ten times. His words made it sound like she was desperate to cling to him. She was the most core successor of Yujing; how eager could she be to marry him? ...

After much deliberation, Li Cang finally took Xiao Ba on a detour to the depths of the villa. The moment the father and son appeared, they witnessed a scene that made them question their very existence.

Li Cang's withered yellow hair moved and danced even without wind. He was already so old, but his heart was trembling. His Highness had actually been tied up.
Li Heng stood motionless, like a clay or wooden sculpture, speechless, completely unable to believe his eyes. This must be an illusion, right?

He rubbed his swollen eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things. His Highness had become a prisoner, bound and gagged, with black ropes embedded in his fair arms, his slender waist seemingly about to be broken.

He couldn't help but look at Qin Ming, feeling incredulous. Although he had once called this man "brother" and intended to befriend him, the scene before him was still too shocking.

In Li Heng's eyes, His Highness was peerless in beauty and unparalleled in talent, so how could he possibly be defeated? And yet, he was so desecrated.

His Highness had never met him, but Li Heng had seen this exceptionally handsome prince from afar in a crowd long ago, and he was unforgettable at first sight, admiring him ever since.

Many people know that this prince was identified as one of the most core disciples long ago, and was pre-determined to be one of the "strongest" in the future of the Jade Capital system.

Therefore, Li Heng felt that the sky had fallen!
Even though he used to call Qin Ming "brother," he now finds it hard to accept that the other party is standing inside the divine flower garden, which belongs exclusively to His Highness and is absolutely inaccessible to outsiders, and is taking over the role of the guest.

The old sweeper, Li Cang, was pondering whether to make a move, but then he thought that this new challenger had also become a saint. With such power, he should naturally become one of the core members, and perhaps it wouldn't be long before he was addressed as His Highness.

"Your Highnesses, is there some misunderstanding between you?" In the end, Li Cang actually spoke like this, completely changing his mind.

Li Heng vaguely heard the sound of his own heart breaking. His old man was so pragmatic, compromising on the spot and bowing his head to the new prince.

He rubbed his eyes, which were swollen like steamed buns, and immediately felt hot tears welling up.

With a flash of light, the spirit of the magic array appeared in a hazy light and shadow, saying, "You have successfully passed the trial, but I must emphasize that we do not grant Daoist partners on this path."

……

Deep within the Sea of ​​Night Mist, a thick tree branch, as thick as a celestial dragon coiling around, stretches out for countless miles into the heavens.

At its very tip, a divine flower blooms, shrouded in white mist. At this moment, it is as if the sun shines with divine radiance, with layers upon layers of petals unfolding, and a young man sitting cross-legged in the center.

He suddenly opened his eyes, and as far as his eyes could see, the sea of ​​night mist parted, and the world suddenly brightened.

At this moment, someone reported the latest news to him.

"Newrank..."

"The Black Tower Civilization..."

"There's one more thing. Just now, someone challenged another prince..."

Upon hearing this, the man, as radiant as the blazing sun, stood up and said, "The outcome is already decided, yet you haven't found out the result?"

"Yes, Your Highness, do you need me to follow up on this matter?"

"I will go there myself, and perhaps the third Flower of the Great Dao will also find an owner."

……

"Didn't you say you couldn't enter this place?" Qin Ming noticed that the new list had also appeared.

"Take a detour. The assessment is over, and I can approach it." The words appeared on the New List floating in the night sky.

At this moment, Qin Ming had already put away the Myriad Gods Banner and released the woman in white.

This self-proclaimed god had relatively good "gambling etiquette" and showed no intention of turning hostile. However, he was secretly communicating with Newrank to find out the details.

A moment later, the new sign glowed and communicated with Qin Ming, saying, "I really can't give you the Divine Flower. This isn't a reward, and it can't be touched right now."

"Didn't I just lose both my wife and my flowers?" Qin Ming felt that he had wasted his time in the competition.

Beside her, the woman in white revealed a face of unparalleled beauty. She was about to say something, but after she intercepted the transmission with her magic, her expression immediately froze.

Newrank responded: "This path does not provide Daoist partners, but how you develop it is entirely up to you, and we will not interfere."

Qin Ming said, "Aren't there any other divine medicines in the heavens? Give me one, and everything will be over."

Xinbang suddenly said, "Oh no, this girl can overhear our conversation."

Qin Ming: "?"

Woman in white: "!"

In the end, Qin Ming was led away from the villa by Xinbang, with Li Cang, Li Heng, and Die Nu watching from behind.

"Do you see this? This is the Tree of the Great Dao. It has only blossomed three flowers so far. The first two already have owners. If you join the Jade Capital and become a core saint, then the mysterious third flower can be used by you."

Deep in the Sea of ​​Night Fog, Xinbang led Qin Ming to visit an ancient and enormous tree, though in fact they only saw a part of its branches.

The branches alone resembled mountain ranges, so magnificent that the old bark on the branches cracked, like giant dragon scales unfolding.

"I will seriously consider it!" Qin Ming said. If it weren't for the Dao Chains, he would naturally be willing, but the example of Liu Tianshen made him full of worries about the future.

Newrank responded positively: "I know what you're worried about. You think about it first, and I'll think of a solution. The core disciples really need to be free from worries."

Qin Ming hadn't expected the other party to value him so much.

He then asked the New List some questions, such as why the Golden List and the Dao List were established, and why it seemed that no one could make it onto those two lists this time.

"The Golden List involves bloody conflicts between civilizations on par with the Jade Capital. Those who can leave their mark on history will be recorded on this list. As for the Dao List, it will probably never be used, and it has been empty from ancient times to the present."

"Hmm?" Suddenly, the new list shone brightly, piercing through the sea of ​​night fog and dispelling the boundless darkness. It flew into the sky and looked ahead.

It was extremely dissatisfied, its emotions running high, and said, "The third flower has already been taken, and it was decided at this time... is this intentional competition? This is a bit too much!"

Although three divine flowers are not the limit of the Great Dao Tree, as the saying goes, three give birth to all things, and new buds may be born in the future, it is probably not possible in the short term.

Because the Tree of the Great Dao also disintegrated when the Jade Capital was destroyed, it is currently extremely weak.

Qin Ming immediately realized that the waters in the sky were very deep, and the Yujing system was full of factions. It was best not to get involved at the moment, or he might be doomed.

"Those are the core disciples chosen by a group of old-fashioned remnants!" Xinbang said. It felt that the other party was intercepting it and knew that it was about to have a result. Then, that group of people quickly selected the people they liked.

It continued, "To be precise, some of them are 'remnants,' all young men who are hundreds of years old. It's a pity that this era cannot produce gods or immortals for the time being. If some great figures from the Jade Capital had survived and had not decayed, things would not be like this."

The new rankings show a clear change in sentiment, unlike the calm and uneventful past.

It even seemed somewhat listless, looking tired and desolate.

Suddenly, from the depths of the Sea of ​​Night Mist, a clear and melodious bell rang out, causing the entire dark sky to boil. A dazzling white light burst through the night mist, and in the distance, one could even see a jade bell growing larger, pressing down on the heavens and shaking violently.

The new ranking list trembled violently, seemingly in utter shock.

But that's not all. In other directions, jade bells shone brightly, transforming into enormous objects that rang out in the sea of ​​night mist.

A total of eight jade bells rang out, illuminating the sky.

"How dare they?!" Xinbang exclaimed, his voice trembling, actually making a sound.

Qin Ming was completely bewildered, having no idea what had happened.

Xinbang sighed, "Only the bell in the nascent form of the supreme Jade Capital has not yet rung, but with all eight bells ringing, the outcome is already decided."

Qin Ming was full of doubts, but Xinbang didn't say much and saw him off.

Soon after, a small wooden boat, steaming with green mist, carrying Qin Ming, crossed the Sea of ​​Night Mist, flashed across the sky, and disappeared without a trace.

"I'm afraid the heavens will be sealed. You should wait for news in the mortal realm. Various changes may occur in the coming days. I... respect your choice and will not force you." This was the voice that came from the New List at the last moment.

(End of this chapter)