Night without Borders

Chapter 485 The World Is Changing Too Fast
The darkness, the firelight, the falling ashes filled the night with an atmosphere of despair, accompanied by frantic screams echoing through the fog.

Qin Ming's body was ice-cold, and his soul was dim, as if he had fallen into a dark abyss. The huge, glowing footprint violently impacted his inner world.

"The world is like a raging fire." These four simple words perfectly capture his truest feelings at that moment.

A colossal city was reduced to black ashes in an instant. The entire city perished without a sound, and the lights of every home went out in a flash.

Qin Ming left the mountain range where he had been staying, his heart pounding. He arrived at the village outside the mountains, in the edge area affected by the glowing footprints.

Flames soared into the sky, all the houses were ablaze, and the villagers stared blankly at the sky, flames rising from their heads as they uttered hoarse sounds.

Qin Ming tried to extinguish the fire and rescue them, but found it was completely useless. Their consciousness was ignited, and their bodies and spirits withered rapidly from the inside out.

"Hide...I need to hide..."

After attempting to resonate with them, Qin Ming gleaned nearly identical thoughts from their chaotic and frantic remnants of consciousness, sending chills down his spine.

Everyone's eyes were unfocused, their will lost, and they growled like wild beasts.

Only a few people, still clinging to their instincts, managed to push their child out of the village, but it was to no avail; both mother and child were engulfed in flames.

Qin Ming tried to extinguish the flames again, but he was still unable to do so; their souls were the nourishment for the fire.

The child seemed to still have a little bit of consciousness left. He clung to the woman's arm and called out one last time: "Mother."

Then, the mother and son collapsed in pain and despair.

……

"Mother, I'm scared." In a town fifteen miles away, a blind girl trembled, surrounded by the town's fires that lit up the night sky.

Qin Ming discovered that the purer one's mind, the more one retains their instincts and will, yet it still cannot change their fate; the blind girl's soul has been ignited.

These are tragedies.

Qin Ming traveled to many affected villages and towns, witnessing one human tragedy after another.

Those people's souls were burned hollow, and their last shred of madness was all about hiding and avoiding.

As the fire died down, the world fell silent, and the affected villages and towns were reduced to ashes, as if they had been wiped out.

Much later, the two enormous, glowing footprints faded and disappeared from Qin Ming's sight. Only then did he walk forward, circling around them from a distance to observe them.

A medium-sized city with a population of 800,000, smaller than the big toe of the previously glowing footprint, is now destroyed and plunged into darkness.

Under the night fog, at the edge of the horizon, a colossal city, about half the size of a glowing foot, now lay lifeless.

Near the two cities that had turned to ashes, Qin Ming resonated with the remaining chaotic emotions, still those same few keywords.

Soon, those lingering emotions dissipated in the night wind, leaving nothing behind.

Before the outsiders arrived, Qin Ming quietly left.

On that day, news spread that a mysterious creature had crossed the land, leaving no trace but enormous, glowing footprints that traversed the Night State, causing widespread devastation.

It was like a hurricane, spreading rapidly to all corners of the world.

"Is that a god heading towards decay and destruction?" This is the first association many people make.

No matter how you look at it, its destructive power should exceed the realm of Earth Immortals; its performance is truly terrifying.

It travels through the night, crossing mountains, stepping over cities, and venturing into desolate places. Wherever it passes, its glowing footprints burn everything in their wake.

Before those footprints, everything twisted and destroyed, and all that remained was silence.

The unknown creature seemed to be hiding from something, traveling far away in the night fog, much like a human who, when traveling, doesn't look down to see the ants they step on.

This is tragic for the living who have died.

It should be noted that along its path, countless people and other species have died, totaling at least 20 million deaths. This is an unprecedented catastrophe.

People are eager to know what it is and why it happened.

Unfortunately, in the end no one could describe its shape, because it was completely formless, only footprints.

"Something seems to have gone wrong deep within the Night Fog world; some terrifying monsters are on the run..."

In the end, it was an old celestial being from heaven who, after carefully inspecting the various places, uttered these words, which weighed heavily on everyone's hearts.

This world is too vast, the night fog is boundless, even the gods cannot reach its end, and even the most powerful places are just well-known training grounds in the vast and boundless world of night fog.

Yujing is the supreme location in Yezhou.

But its location deep within the foggy world is hard to say.

After all, even the upside-down Jade Capital disintegrated and shattered more than a year ago. It is not truly transcendent; everything has its "lifespan."

In the days that followed, many large organizations, powerful families, and people from all walks of life were poring over ancient books, digging for the truth, and trying to see if there were any similar tragedies in history.

"There really is a few clues, involving some vague records." Someone found some anecdotes written in rare books.

"The crow flies in the sky, the roc disappears into the darkness, the earth gushes blood of the unicorn, and all living beings in the region are wiped out."

This is not a bloody disaster that occurred in Night State, but an old story that has been passed down from the depths of the Night Fog World.

"There's more!" Someone discovered another passage.

"On the day the earth splits open, the dragon will perish in the abyss, the Kun will sink into the sea, the gods will flee into the wilderness, and the immortal plants will turn to ash."

Without a doubt, this is still a terrible event that occurred deep within the world of night fog.

Although there are some rough notes, unfortunately there are no details, making it difficult to explore its true nature.

People from the heavens also got involved. One of the earth immortals said sullenly that the matter should be left as it was, and that it was impossible to investigate further, as the horrors deep within the Night Fog World far exceeded the comprehension of ordinary people.

Many people felt a suffocating sense of oppression. A mysterious creature passed through, causing devastation along its path and killing more than 20 million people. This world is too dangerous.

Some experts who went to the scene felt a tightness in their chests. If such a thing could happen in Yezhou, which is located in a remote corner, what is the real world deep in the Night Fog world like?

"Don't think too much. I think the environment of the world may have changed. It's not limited to the territory ruled by Yujing. The entire Night Fog World is undergoing drastic changes. Perhaps there's something wrong with the high-level beings, so they're fleeing..." someone made a "reasonable" guess.

Over the past few days, Qin Ming, Li Qingyue, and Jiang Ran have been exchanging information and have confirmed that each other is safe and sound.

After learning about the current situation in Yezhou, the two women returned to their respective places outside the city.

A mysterious woman is blocking the way at the remnants of Feixian Mountain, and now inexplicable glowing footprints have appeared. The world is becoming increasingly chaotic, so Li Qingyue and Jiang Ran are being cautious and have not set off again for the time being.

"It's good that Uncle Meng and the others are all safe and sound. I wonder how Xiang Yiwu and Xiao Wu are doing, and where they are now." Qin Ming did not return to Chixia City.

Several days later, news came from beyond the realm that wherever the glowing footprints passed, calamities werefallen everywhere. For example, the demon camp even destroyed one of their ancient capitals.

After this news spread, it was as if a mental storm was sweeping through the entire territory radiating from Yujing, leaving the leaders of all races extremely shocked.

A grandmaster sighed, “It’s in chaos. I feel that the world is unveiling its original gentle facade in a very cruel and cold-blooded way, revealing its true nature.”

As if to confirm his words, half a month later, a traveling expert returned from outside Yujing, bringing back a message.

"In the distance... a unicorn's hoof has been discovered."

It is said that in the deeper parts of the Night Fog World, glowing beast toes are running away, destroying some important cities and crushing some top-level training grounds along the way.

It is said to be the hoof of a unicorn, but it is actually a blood-red hoofprint like the sunset, enormous in size, belonging to an unknown species, and has been shrouded in sanctity by the mouths of fearful creatures.

“In the depths of the foggy world, even the slightest disturbance will cause chaos in our outer areas.”

Fortunately, all the incidents gradually subsided over the next six months.

During this period, Qin Ming secluded himself in the deep mountains to meditate, comprehend the Dharma, and cultivate. Occasionally, he would go out to learn about what was happening in the outside world.

Too many things have happened in Yezhou in the past two years.

Ever since the old mountains in the heavens were reprimanded by the great figures of the Jade Capital, they have changed their ways.

After the lock was torn apart, they did not continue to mend it, but the locked areas were not unsealed.

At the same time, the so-called Dharma Chain and Dao Chain were no longer in use. From then on, the people in heaven showed some sincerity, strictly followed the decrees of the Jade Capital, rigorously selected talents, and granted them opportunities.

Some of the patriarchs of Yezhou have returned, and immortal and divine beings have also appeared.

Some powerful families and large organizations have even ascended to heaven, and some immortals and gods have received baptisms with secret medicines in the highest heavens.

"It's probably difficult to expect some of the old strongholds to completely lower themselves, but intimidated by the power of the capital, they are indeed now moving closer to the people on the ground, making compromises and concessions." This is the true situation that Qin Ming learned after leaving the deep mountains.

The unification of Yezhou is progressing steadily and is almost completely concluded.

This is because it was something that a high-ranking official in Yujing had mentioned when he reprimanded those old factions.

Now, everyone, whether in the sky or on the ground, knows that the situation of three great dynasties and ten dynasties standing side by side is about to come to a complete end.

Now, with everyone working together, we are determined to create a powerful Earth Immortal Dynasty.

"There is a saying that after unification, the throne will be blessed with special Daoist energy, and a very powerful Earthly Emperor will emerge."

Since this rumor came out, the competition among the three dynasties has become increasingly fierce.

"Beneath the land of Yezhou, there are some things that cannot be dug out or found. Even if a high deity were to personally descend into the earth, he would find nothing."

"It was for this reason that Yujing stayed there and never left."

"It is said that only a unified Earth Immortal Dynasty, after receiving special Daoist blessings, can possibly draw out things from the underground."

But it's only a possibility. After all, Yezhou was unified before, successfully bringing out some mysterious things, but not all of them.

These are the various rumors circulating in Yezhou over the past six months, which have gradually spread to various places, and many people have come to believe them.

There is an even more astonishing theory that Yujing will eventually descend to the ground and merge with the unified imperial dynasty.

If that were the case, the impact would be enormous.

Therefore, the position of the Earthly Sovereign is extremely important, and many people are green with envy, all coveting it.

In recent months, the pace of the merger of the three dynasties has accelerated significantly.

The main issue is that a powerful figure in Yujing has seemingly resurrected for the second time, and has reiterated this matter, stating that if there is no progress within two years, those old factions will be severely punished.

Moreover, once accountability is pursued, both new and old grievances will be settled together, and even a top-tier Earth Immortal could lose their head.

"The Great Rui Dynasty is out of the game!" This news came out abruptly.

In the past, when a celestial immortal descended to earth, the royal family of Da Rui immediately knelt down and offered their allegiance. However, in the end, they turned out to be the first to be eliminated, which was beyond everyone's expectations.

How did things come to this? This is a question many people want answered.

Within the Great Rui royal family, a gloomy atmosphere prevailed. They knelt most thoroughly, yet the throne of the Earth Emperor remained forever out of their reach.

"It is said that the patriarchs of all paths and the seven-day superimposed ones have returned from the outer realms and have also asked for some help. They are all in opposition to the rise of the Great Rui royal family to the throne."

Upon hearing this, everyone was initially taken aback, but then they all smiled, feeling that it was only right.

Subsequently, Daqian was also eliminated.

The situation is changing faster than people imagined. In just a few days, all parties have worked together to promote a comprehensive consensus on the unification of the land.

“A powerful figure in the capital has been urging this matter repeatedly, and the old mountain stronghold in the heavens has become impatient, so it has compromised with the ground to expedite the process.”

If the celestial immortals insist on elevating Da Rui to the position, the earthly patriarchs, the Dog Sword Immortal, the Seven-Day Stacker, and other powerful figures may unite with the Silk Calligraphy Patriarch, the Old Barbarian God, and other strong individuals to oppose them, causing trouble.

Those old mountain strongholds had suffered at their hands and harbored both hatred and anger towards them. If it weren't for the warning from the creatures within Yujing, they would most likely have gone all out to annihilate those people.

With that, everything was settled. The Great Yu Dynasty emerged victorious, and they were the ones who wrote the great chapter of unification.

Even if Da Rui and Da Qian were unwilling, they were powerless to change the situation. This was the result endorsed by all the powerful beings in the heavens and on the ground, and no one could go against it.

For more than a dozen dynasties, they could only bow their heads.

As for those large organizations and families with their own cities and fiefdoms, they had nothing to say. They obeyed the decrees of the Earth Immortals and the Seven-Day Accumulation Masters. Who would dare to disobey?
On this day, the whole world knew that Yezhou had been unified.

Moreover, on that very day, a strange phenomenon appeared: from the void above the endless, dark sky, wisps of Daoist energy descended and converged towards the capital of the Great Yu Dynasty.

Ordinary people couldn't see it, but anyone who cultivated spiritual eyes or divine eyes could see it clearly, and the entire capital city became a little brighter because of it.

“You can cultivate here much faster!” someone exclaimed in surprise.

What is most shocking is that a few geniuses of the Great Yu royal family seem to have undergone a purification and baptism, with their innate qualities and talents being enhanced.

"This... does the unified Earth Immortal Dynasty have such a big impact?" Upon hearing the news, many of the older figures changed their expressions.

In fact, even those in the sky showed surprise.

“There are records of such cases. The same thing happened in Taixu in the past. Later, even after Yujing left Taixu, the Earth Emperor Clan still held a superior position and considered themselves a holy clan. In every generation, there were extraordinary people born.”

This information was personally researched and consulted by those ancient immortals high above the nine heavens. Even they were moved and had various thoughts arising within them.

“You must understand, this is just the beginning. We haven’t even held the sacrificial ceremony yet, and this is already happening.”

Some of the old guys in the sky were extremely emotional. If they had known this would happen, they would have wanted to get involved. It would have been better to arrange for someone from the sky to unify the country.

"Marriage!"

"Send people to garrison the capital of the Great Yu!"

"Acquire the fiefdom of Dayu and become a regional lord!"

This was their first thought; they wanted to get involved, hunt for opportunities, and get a share of the spoils.

The response from major organizations on the ground was just as fast, if not slower, than that from the sky.

On that day, many prominent families and major sects dispatched important figures to the capital of the Great Yu Dynasty—Chongxiao City.

They expressed their full support for Dayu and their comprehensive cooperation, implying that they were also participants, not bystanders, and that they wanted to gain a corresponding status.

For example, some people have their eyes on the position of Imperial Preceptor, which has led to secret competition among some top Taoist lineages. They know that this position may bring many benefits, and the Imperial Preceptor's status will rise with the unification of the country, receiving special Taoist empowerment and blessings.

Naturally, some people also wanted to marry a princess of the royal family and become her consort.

For a time, Chongxiao City was bustling with activity, and even people from the heavens came.

Qin Ming sighed, marveling at how quickly Yezhou had changed in such a short time.

He cultivated diligently while traveling, and finally returned to Crimson Cloud City, where he met Meng Xinghai at the City Lord's Mansion.

"Uncle Meng, what do you think?"

"Sit back and take your time to read," Old Meng said with a smile. He was very happy. Qin Ming had been in seclusion for a year and had also traveled far away, disappearing for a full year and a half before returning to this place.

Meng Xinghai said, "After completing the great unification, the Great Yu Dynasty has been blessed by Heaven and is destined to rise rapidly. All the major organizations are actively working to gain benefits, and Chongxiao City has become a place of fame and fortune..."

The two chatted for a long time, and Lao Meng even suggested that Qin Ming try his luck in Chongxiao City.

Qin Ming shook his head and said, "I always believe that cultivation depends on oneself. I will sit in a remote place and observe for the time being."

Meng Xinghai suddenly remembered something and said, "Oh right, half a year ago, Cui Chonghe sent someone to deliver a letter."

"What is it?" Qin Ming asked.

Meng Xinghai put down his teacup and said, "Although I haven't opened the letter, I can roughly guess that he probably wants to discuss philosophy with you."

"I think he's really getting cocky!" Qin Ming sneered.

He opened the letter, read it carefully, and it really was true.

Meng Xinghai was dissatisfied and said, "Does he think it's prestigious to use a higher cultivation level to fight against a lower one?"

Qin Ming laughed and said, "That's hard to say. We really don't know who has a higher level of cultivation right now."

"Huh?" Upon hearing this, Meng Xinghai was immediately taken aback. Looking at the young and confident face in front of him, he was truly shocked. What kind of cultivation speed was this? It was practically divine speed! The improvement was too fast!
Qin Ming put down the letter and said, "Well, Cui Chong left a message saying that one day when I advance to the fourth realm, I can have a fair discussion with him, because he has tried his best but can no longer suppress himself to the third realm."

……

A month later, the Great Yu Dynasty held a sacrificial ceremony to Heaven. On that day, various extraordinary phenomena appeared. Dragons and horses pulled a dazzling holy chariot down from the sky, celestial dragons coiled around the capital, and divine phoenixes swooped down. Auspicious vapors rose everywhere.

The capital of the Great Yu Dynasty—Chongxiao City—is undergoing astonishing changes.

At the same time, all the major organizations felt that after participating in various affairs of Dayu, they also gained some kind of wonderful feeling, and the Daoist aura surged forth.

"Yujing has vanished!"

In the sky, the people on each of the old mountain peaks were utterly shocked. Even some old folks who were nearing the end of their lives came out and looked up at the sky. The otherworldly place was completely empty!
(End of this chapter)