Night without Borders

Chapter 497 Night Chaos
In the hall, twelve thick golden nanmu pillars are carved with distinct scales and claws of celestial dragons, complemented by cloud patterns, with the dragon heads holding divine glass palace lanterns.

There are many guests here, mostly young people.

Due to the prevailing circumstances, older generations are retiring. As some have said, it is now the era of the middle and younger generations, and they will be the ones to carry the torch.

Unable to refuse such hospitality, this was Qin Ming's third gathering in the capital of Dayu.

"Brother Qin, have you ever considered going to the Nine Heavens to cultivate?" Feng Zhige walked over, holding a luminous cup. The wine inside was as fine as jade, shimmering and emitting a rich aroma.

Since his public battle with Cui Chong in the arena, various forces, both overt and covert, have been coming to Qin Ming's door, making him a target for many large organizations to recruit.

Even though he was a celestial being, many eyes turned to him, and people were sent to approach him.

Qin Ming politely declined, saying, "The heavens above are filled with extraordinary talents, like the blazing sun. If my meager cultivation were to ascend to the heavens, I would be overshadowed and the pressure would be too great. I'd rather not."

How could he possibly go to the Nine Heavens and stand in front of those old men if he concealed his identities as a member of the Realm Sect and a Sword Master? He would be too busy trying to avoid them.

Yan Zhuohua's hair was as smooth as silk, her eyebrows were drawn with light ink, and her clothes were dyed with blue mist. She stood tall and graceful and said with a light smile: "Brother Qin, you are too modest. You are born with the potential of the blazing sun. Moreover, the Chaos Force has amazing offensive power. Even if it were placed in the heavens, it would probably be ranked among the top ten extraordinary scriptures and secret manuals."

Lu Chengyuan and Su Moran were also present, both nodding slightly in agreement.

Qin Ming shook his head and said, "You don't know this, but the Chaos Force is difficult to cultivate. The first three realms are relatively easy, but the difficulty will increase greatly in the fourth realm, especially in the later stage of the Heart Lamp. It is like walking a tightrope. If you are not careful, you may leave hidden dangers that could lead to your death."

Su Mo Ran and Qin Ming had a good relationship, and she genuinely thought he had some worries, so she comforted him, saying, "The Ultimate Scripture and the Top-Tier Mystic Techniques are all for pursuing the power of forbidden domains, so they all have some problems to some extent. This is a common problem."

Qin Ming sighed and said, "In the late stage of the Heart Lamp Realm, the so-called hidden dangers are not insurmountable. However, when you reach the fifth realm—True Form, the problem becomes truly serious. Even the founding ancestors of the Dharma in those days exploded, and their bodies and spirits disintegrated at the same time."

This is not an exaggeration on his part; it is true, and these are all old stories that happened back then.

The Chaos Law was too domineering. Once it reached the fifth realm—True Form—even the Sixth Emperor and the Old Buddha, who had switched to practicing this true scripture, were blown up and finally managed to piece together their form and spirit with great difficulty.

In fact, Feng Zhige, Lu Chengyuan and others had also heard about it.

Yan Zhuohua said, "Brother Qin, you are making good progress on the path to becoming a new student and are known as a leading figure. I expect you should be able to change that situation."

This banquet was jointly hosted by Xingchen Mountain, Zixiao Cave, and other celestial sites high above the nine heavens, attracting many extraordinary talents from the heavens.

Of course, many people also attended, including those from the Night State Immortal Path, the divine seeds of the Esoteric Sect, and disciples from the extraterrestrial immortal dojos.

Qin Ming frowned and said, "It's difficult. Look, the hall is full of young talents from all paths, but how many young experts are there on my new path? This path is difficult to walk, and the Chaos Force is extremely dangerous. There is thick fog ahead, and I can only feel my way across the river step by step. I could be swept away by the turbulent current at any time."

Then he saw Li Wanfa and Little Rulai, and a thought suddenly struck him: he couldn't let these geniuses in the heavens keep staring at him.

Qin Ming gestured and said, "If we're talking about the orthodox Chaos Force, the current source is in Pugong. Do you see? The closed-door disciples and grand-disciples of the contemporary sages are all there. With the guidance of the old Buddha, these two should be able to overcome the True Form Tribulation of the Fifth Realm."

Immediately, everyone's eyes turned to look in that direction.

The sages of the seventh realm possessed a chaotic energy that once shocked the ancient mountain strongholds of the heavens. In the past two years, they had been studying this lineage and had come close to it many times.

Now that Qin Ming had said this, Feng Zhige, Lu Chengyuan and the others naturally had something to say again, and they smiled and raised their glasses to Li Wanfa in greeting.

In fact, Li Wanfa was surrounded by people, including some celestial beings of the blazing sun level, such as Zhou Tiandao and Gu Yanci.

The two groups approached each other, and were very polite to one another.

Li Wanfa was tall and upright, around twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with clear eyes and a body like a black hole, not emanating even a trace of spiritual power.

He walked over with a jade cup in his hand, took the initiative to clink glasses with Qin Ming, and said, "You truly deserve to be called a rising star of Yezhou and the face of my Xinsheng Road. This battle has made you famous throughout the world, and your name has even spread beyond Yezhou."

Qin Ming responded politely: "Brother Li is the true hermit, having long transcended worldly concerns. He has no need to take action, and all parties respect him. I am forced to step in, burdened by empty fame and struggling for survival."

At his three most recent extraordinary gatherings, he was tired of praising his rivals and being modest, but there was no way around it; when traveling, such social obligations were unavoidable.

In particular, he was in the capital of the Great Yu Dynasty, the central city of unified power. It was a place close to the Dao, filled with various forces. The blessed light that rose from the city every day could nourish the pure land in the heavens, which even earth immortals needed. It was a place where all sorts of people mingled.

Little Buddha opened his mouth, wanting to correct him. Although Li Wanfa looked like just a young man, he was of extremely high seniority, and even he had to call him Grandmaster Uncle.

However, Qin Ming had already firmly insisted on using the term "Brother Li," as he had no habit of greeting people with whom he had only a casual relationship.

Li Wanfa was very open-minded, with a bright smile. He waved his hand and said, "It's alright. Let's each talk about our own things. All the chaotic energy in the world comes from the same source. Brother Qin can perhaps represent the lineage of Ancestor Qin. Now he can be considered the head of a lineage, and his status is very high."

The crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling of the hall refracted a dreamlike light, and the people coming and going in the hall were all extraordinary. Overall, the atmosphere was very harmonious.

Of course, not everyone values ​​Qin Ming. Some disciples of the outer realm immortal dojo would at most nod when they met.

Qi Yunxiao, Cen Jinghong, and others harbored hostility towards him, but they hid it well.

In the distance, a man in a golden robe spoke calmly: "Is he Qin Ming? Since it's already confirmed that he's quite different from 'One Sword,' there's no need to make contact."

Several men and women around him had advised him to win over Qin Ming, believing that this person was destined to be extraordinary in the future.

However, he was reserved and self-assured, so he rejected the suggestion, only glancing at them a few times before carrying his wine glass toward Jiang Ran and Li Qingyue.

Rather than getting close to a "strongman" who might explode in the future, it would be better to spend more time with the number one young immortal on the path of immortality in Yezhou and those with innate fire bodies.

Someone told him, "The two of them are very close to Qin Ming."

Upon hearing this, the man in the golden robe stopped and turned to walk towards Qin Ming. He had just come down from the heavens and was unaware of the relationships between the people on the ground.

Now that he has a basic understanding, he doesn't want to needlessly offend people.

Qin Ming sensed something and turned around to see the young man in the golden robe. He thought to himself, "This man's indifferent expression and self-assured demeanor are really something."

"He is Lu Zheng," Feng Zhige introduced.

Qin Ming then realized that this person had a very important background, with a peerless Earth Immortal in his clan.

People on the ground may not know, but those core disciples of top-tier Daoist sects high above the heavens understand just how terrifying the ancestor behind that clan is.

Su Mo Ran secretly transmitted her voice to him: "You know that Celestial Venerable on the new list, right? He has mastered the Extreme Golden Body and is almost the most powerful body cultivator in the Nine Heavens. Lu Zheng is his descendant and has recently been called the Little Celestial Venerable in private."

Qin Ming was surprised. That was someone he had dealt with before, someone he had fought on the sword-fighting stage. Afterwards, whether the Celestial Venerable was sincere or not, he gave him a jade token, telling him that if he ascended to heaven, he could take this token to meet him, and he would be welcomed with open arms.

Qin Ming greeted him with a smile, saying, "I've long admired your Supreme Golden Body, the strongest body-refining technique of the immortals. It truly shakes the heavens and the earth."

"Nice to meet you." The young man in the golden robe, Lu Zheng, nodded lightly. Although it wasn't particularly impolite, it carried a sense of distance, indicating no intention of getting to know him better.

Qin Ming didn't care. He was praising that powerful Celestial Venerable, who was indeed terrifying. His so-called long-standing admiration had nothing to do with this Little Celestial Venerable Lu Zheng.

Lu Zheng had come for Li Wanfa. Although he remained somewhat aloof, he wasn't so indifferent to the direct disciple of a sage, and took the initiative to strike up a conversation. Those around him naturally wouldn't let the conversation fall silent, and quickly moved on from the topic.

Qin Ming didn't care. He had even fought Lu Zheng's ancestors, so why would he care about a descendant? If there was a conflict in another place, he would make sure this person understood how to properly cultivate the ultimate golden body.

The atmosphere in the hall gradually became lively. Many people held wine glasses and sought out like-minded individuals to exchange ideas. The Ancient Mist Gate was about to open, and both the blazing sun in the sky and the disciples of the Earth Immortals on the ground wanted to find allies to explore together.

After dealing with wave after wave of people, Qin Ming suddenly sensed something and turned around. He was surprised to find that he could sense the aura of the Heart Monkey. Could it be that the main character had appeared?

He saw Li Qingxu and Cao Tian beside him. The latter was unruly, but at this moment he smiled at him and drank the wine in his cup in one gulp.

"Could it be Cao Qianqiu's restless mind?" Qin Ming had mastered the six-page jade book and studied the Subduing Heart Sutra in detail. He always felt that this person and Old Cao seemed to have a similar characteristic.

However, this was not the person he was looking for.

Qin Ming turned around and saw Bai Meng and his sister. He walked over with a smile and said, "Fairy Tang, let me offer you a toast. How about we wipe the misunderstanding between us clean? If that doesn't work, I'll invite you for tea another day and we can clear up the misunderstanding in person."

Today, Tang Yushang, dressed in a black dress, was extremely aloof and beautiful. Looking at his smile and thinking of the past, she immediately wanted to swing her long leg and kick him.

However, the occasion was inappropriate, so she restrained herself well, smiled slightly, and said, "Alright, I will stay in the capital of Great Yu for the next few days."

Qin Ming smiled easily and said, "Okay, let's make an appointment later."

Bai Meng looked at the two of them from left to right, and couldn't help but wipe the sweat from his brow, thinking to himself, "Are you two serious about this date? I hope you don't end up fighting."

Tang Yushang raised her swan-like white neck, drank the amber-colored wine to the bottom, turned around and gracefully walked away without saying another word.

"Qin Ming, long time no see." Wang Caiwei walked over. She was a girl who loved to smile. Her eyebrows were curved, and the trace of the past sorrow was gone. She was bright and radiant.

Qin Ming greeted her with a smile. Even though there was nothing between them, he couldn't ignore her because she was Ning Siqi's cousin.

In the distance, Cui Chongxiao nearly crushed the luminous cup. It belonged to his younger brother's fiancée, and there had been some rumors about the three of them before. If Cui Chonghe, who was recovering from his injuries, knew that the two of them were clinking glasses, he would probably be so angry that he would vomit blood.

It should be noted that Qin Ming was the ruthless man who personally crippled Cui Chonghe.

Cui Chongxiao suppressed his anger, not wanting to lash out here. After all, the Wang family was also a thousand-year-old clan, and they were not to be trifled with either.

The coldness in his eyes faded, his fingers loosened their grip on the wine glass, and he said, "Qin Ming... just wait!"

Su Mohua gracefully approached, winked playfully, and said, "Master, my mistress wants you to come over."

Qin Ming was taken aback and couldn't help but turn around, immediately realizing that she must have taken it upon herself to call him that.

However, he still excused himself and followed her toward Li Qingyue and Jiang Ran.

Clearly, not only were the people nearby taken aback, but some highly skilled individuals could also hear Su Mohua's witty remarks amidst the noisy banquet.

Li Wanfa and Lu Zheng both turned their heads and glanced in this direction, with the latter, Little Celestial Venerable, glancing at Jiang Ran and Li Qingyue a few times.

"This girl is really good with words." Yu Gengsheng appeared silently with a smile on his face. Although he hadn't been invited, he figured that if he approached, no one would notice.

The old master regarded Qin Ming as the future hope of the new path, and had long regarded him as his own son. Because of this affection, he also had a good impression of the people around him.

Suddenly, Yu Gensheng came to life, vanished from his spot, and then abruptly pressed down with his palm towards a distance, the magnetic light of the heavens intertwining and distorting the void.

With a loud bang, a thick piece of nanmu wood carved with a coiled dragon exploded in the hall, and many glass lamps also shattered at the same time, as if an abyss had enveloped the place.

A mysterious master was approaching from the shadows and engaged Yu Gengsheng in battle.

In fact, Qin Ming had already sensed it beforehand, but he held back. After all, he was not a swordsman, much less a grandmaster. Everyone knew that he was only at the Spirit Realm.

However, he narrowed his eyes, preparing to retaliate. It seemed that this was aimed at him. In such a public place, taking advantage of the crowd and noise, they were trying to kill him.
However, this was far too audacious and showed no respect to the attendees.

Cui Chongxiao's pupils contracted, and he really wanted to curse: Which force is making this move?
Even if the Cui family wanted to kill Qin Ming, they would have held back first; how could they possibly cause trouble at this critical juncture?

"Their intentions are despicable." Cui Chongxiao gritted his teeth inwardly. This easily led people to think that they were retaliating, giving the impression that they were desperate and resorting to such measures.

Then he felt relieved, thinking that a clear-headed person would realize that the Cui family wouldn't be so "reckless".

"Since that's the case, can I take advantage of the situation and really go for the kill?" The glint in Cui Chongxiao's eyes faded, and he finally disappeared from the scene.

With a loud bang, the hall exploded and the palace collapsed. Li Qingyun appeared and chased after them.

"It's not necessarily aimed at Qin Ming, everyone be careful!" Feng Zhige transmitted his voice. As the blazing sun from the sky, he knew a lot of inside information.

After Yujing disappeared, a group of old men in the Nine Heavens were very anxious, worried that a supreme lineage on par with Yujing would invade.

Some believe that the Black Tower civilization was testing the waters last time, and that there may be similar terrifying hunters deep within the Night Fog world.

Everyone was very cautious and immediately hid in the night.

Inside a residence in Chongxiao City, an old man smiled faintly: "Some people are willing to do dirty work and take on shady business. We only need to spend a little money to achieve unexpected results, and we won't get into any karmic entanglements. Why not?"

Soon, his expression changed. He had received a report that a mysterious force had intervened.

Qin Ming, Li Qingyue, Jiang Ran, Ning Siqi and others left the banquet area, each on high alert, with the two women even wearing liquid armor.

Qin Ming's expression was solemn. In this deserted place, his essence and spirit silently left his body. The sunlight enveloped his consciousness and wisdom, clinging to the tattered cloth, dim and lifeless, as if it had vanished.

He is now the temporary owner of the old cloth, and outsiders cannot discover this exotic gold cloth.

He had been studying the Scripture of Body Refinement and Dao Integration, and it was enough for him to retain only a part of his consciousness, making him even stronger than those who had mastered the Ultimate Golden Body.

Moreover, there should be no problem with his real identity standing with the two women, and he can use this to clear himself of any suspicions.

"Qin Ming, die!" someone shouted from the night fog, and shot a powerful arrow in his direction.

With a bang, Jiang Ran shattered the terrifying arrow with her Heavenly Spear.

Qin Ming's expression immediately turned cold. Was someone trying to stir up trouble here under the guise of hunting him down?
If the main target was him, there wouldn't be such a direct call to kill.

"In the end, you came with ill intentions!" Qin Ming decided to retaliate, and he even wanted to take the initiative to hunt.

In the night sky, Qin Ming's essence and spirit were attached to Lao Bu, silently, like a ghost wandering around. In this state, he possessed his peak power.

He whispered, "The temporary possession of this rag has made me a top-tier assassin, someone who can help you stir up trouble to the very end. Hmm, the night is truly beautiful tonight!"

(End of this chapter)