Night without Borders

Chapter 503 The Three Treasures of Essence, Qi, and Spirit: The Herb Field Blooms

In the darkness, Qian Cheng, dressed in a blue robe, appeared calm and composed. He took the initiative to greet him, saying, "Brother Dao, you look very familiar. I feel like we've known each other for a long time."

Upon hearing this, Qin Ming smiled faintly but sincerely, saying, "Brother Dao, you possess extraordinary bearing, a restrained divine brilliance, and an ethereal, otherworldly air that makes one want to get closer."

The two stopped, chatted briefly, and then politely said goodbye, much like the light and serene friendship between gentlemen.

"This person is not simple." Qian Cheng muttered to himself from a distance, his eyes deep.

He then wandered around the three main medicinal fields, cautiously approaching and studying the tangible restrictions that crisscrossed them.

"He's quite perceptive. Did he see something in me?" Qin Mingyuan frowned slightly after leaving.

Soon after, Qin Ming approached those scattered medicinal fields. In these colorful nurseries alone, there were rare herbs that could help people break through to the Grandmaster level.

He wasn't that ambitious; he had no interest in getting his hands on any Earth Immortal-level elixirs.

"Cough..." A coughing sound came from afar. Two trembling old men, blood trickling from the corners of their mouths, supported each other as they approached a main medicinal herb field.

Everyone kept their distance from them, suspecting that the two might be "seriously ill" grandmasters. Although such figures dared not act rashly, if provoked, they would disregard the consequences and deliver a single blow that would kill the young and middle-aged generation.

The so-called young "Blazing Sun," as well as the grandmasters who were still barely able to walk outside, all avoided those two.

Even Qian Cheng avoided them.

Seeing this, Qin Ming breathed a slight sigh of relief. Although this "old friend's" cultivation was far beyond the norm, it hadn't reached the point of being "abnormal" or unreasonable.

Of course, this is only a preliminary judgment, and its true nature is still unknown.

The two elderly men coughing up blood did not linger; after a brief pause, they quickly disappeared into the depths of the vast land.

Qian Cheng returned to the vicinity of the three main medicinal fields and said, "A mountain peak shrouded in silver light, a pitch-black abyss, and a flat garden—is this the Three Treasures of Essence, Qi, and Spirit medicinal field? This place is unfathomable."

In the end, he couldn't resist "testing the waters." Before the mountain-shaped medicinal field, blinding lightning suddenly fell from the depths of the night sky, piercing through the earth and leaving scorched marks everywhere.

Qian Cheng retreated far ahead like a ghost, staring at the main medicinal field with a solemn expression. He looked down at a small silver flag that had flown back.

The flag, several inches long, was torn up and had seven small holes. Arcs of electricity spilled out and poured onto the ground. It took about 15 minutes for the tattered flag to recover.

In fact, he wasn't the only one trying to break the restriction; even some of the more cautious old men were taking a chance and experimenting at the edges of those scattered medicinal fields.

As a result, some people's Pure Yang Flying Swords were shattered into dust by the lightning on the spot.

Qin Ming said, "Old Huang, do you need a massage? I guarantee it will make you feel tingly and numb all over, and very comfortable from head to toe."

He actually wanted to try it too, but Huang Luo, the umbrella-wielding official, reacted strongly and issued a stern warning that if anyone dared to use it to block lightning, they would part ways today.

It frankly admitted that its own body was fine and it was not afraid of the tribulation formation, but its incomplete artifact spirit could not withstand the lightning and would dissipate in the lightning.

Qin Ming lingered for a long time and discovered that this forbidden area was very vast. Apart from the decaying corpses, there were also some ruins. The broken tiles cast from secret bronze seemed to be telling the story of past glory.

At the edge of the vast forbidden zone, a thick fog shrouded the area, and an invisible magic array covered everything. Anyone who dared to touch it would be met with terrifying lightning.

Qin Ming gazed at the edge of the misty area outside the restricted zone, where there seemed to be layers upon layers of figures, some as large as mountains, others shrouded in divine halos. Although he couldn't see them clearly, those at the very front appeared to be top-tier creatures.

"On the day the restricted area opens, thousands of troops will rush in, and all sorts of alien creatures will likely surge in like a tidal wave. This area will probably become a hellish scene, with every inch of land stained red with blood." Qin Ming was somewhat uneasy.

To harvest the rare medicinal herbs, one must seize the precious time difference.

Finally, he retreated silently.

Two days later, Luofu City was in turmoil because an astonishing change had occurred in the forbidden zone of the other world: the blood-red Dao chains had disappeared, and the tribulation-crossing formation had begun to fade.

"According to the recorded experience, there are only three days left before the ancient medicine field will be fully opened!" some people said excitedly.

Louvre City was bustling with activity; too many people had arrived.

Some even say that the patriarchs and earth immortals might not be able to sit still any longer, and that top-tier experts might risk their lives to take action.

The whole city was in an uproar, and a shadow fell over the hearts of the young and middle-aged leaders who were carrying the banner.

Prices for various puppets and tamed spirit beasts began to skyrocket.

In fact, higher-level "servant beasts," domesticated exotic birds, have already been sold at exorbitant prices several days ago, with the most popular being the Flowing Light Bird, the Dawn Beast, and the Thunder Bird.

Because they are fast enough to be used for exploration, allowing them to use their speed advantage to harvest rare medicinal herbs.

These days, the high price of romaine lettuce has become a reality.

"Everyone, take it easy. After all, this Ancient Mist Gate has been sealed for too long. No one knows if unpredictable changes will occur after so many years."

Moreover, if a patriarch or earth immortal were to fight to the death, it would be even more despairing.

Now, there is a consensus that unless one is truly overflowing with confidence, one will not enter the arena in their true form. There are many options available, such as puppets, avatars, servant birds, or a portion of pure Yang consciousness traveling in spirit.

In addition, all the high-level teleportation talismans were sold out.

"Why are you all so afraid of death?" Qin Ming had gone around to other cities, only to find that having Zhoujin was useless.

The Void Teleportation Talisman he wanted to buy, a rare and precious treasure crafted by the founder himself and of outrageously high value, had long been snapped up.

As for the Great Void Teleportation Talisman personally crafted by the Earth Immortals, it was usually just a rumor, and now it's even more impossible; it could only be held by their descendants.

Items such as life-saving talismans and escape treasures are in severe shortage.

"Forget it." Qin Ming gave up on buying it; he hadn't held out much hope anyway.

Moreover, in his view, those items weren't exactly safe.

"Old Bu, it's up to you this time." Qin Ming wouldn't use his physical body; the idea of ​​rushing into the herb field and devouring the precious herbs was just wishful thinking.

Others couldn't see the golden cloth, so Qin Ming planned to walk along it. As long as he didn't make a violent move or cause a big commotion, his concealment should be excellent.

……

"What deep hatred! We entered the ancient medicinal field with the purpose of picking divine herbs, yet someone paid an exorbitant price to hire us to kill people."

"Forget it, let's treat it as a long-term mission. This time, our main focus is still on picking herbs; other things aren't important."

This is a conversation between members of the Crimson Organization, who specialize in doing the dirty and hard work, and who have accepted a commission.

The employer was very cautious, his origins were unknown, and he only gave the blood-red organization a few strands of hair without mentioning who they were to kill.

"This is a strand of hair from the target, which has been refined by a powerful person using a secret method. It can be used to trace the target."

Of course, this needs to be done within a limited scope.

"If the target has changed its essence and spirit, it is most likely impossible to trace back to the source."

"It doesn't matter. As long as he makes a move and reveals a wisp of his original aura, it will be detected."

There are three other similar organizations that have also received the same commission, two of which are dark forces from outside Night State.

"According to the information, the target is under 25 years old and has not yet reached the fourth realm. In that case, even if he is a genius, he is not troublesome. Sending a fourth realm expert to achieve a crushing victory is enough."

Some organizations were discussing the matter internally, and the tone was relaxed.

"Well, I hope I'm lucky enough to come across this target. It's something I can take care of while gathering herbs, so why not? I can make a fortune from it."

"Take it easy. I heard that the Demon Organization recently took on a job to kill someone, but it ended in a crushing defeat. They refused to reveal who their target was, no matter what. We don't want to run into a similar ruthless person."

"Don't worry, it's not the same target. The person we're going to kill hasn't reached the fourth realm yet, so he's easy to handle."

……

As the day for gathering herbs approached, Qin Ming heard some rumors that someone was looking for him, and that this person was someone of considerable importance.

He frowned and muttered to himself, "Lu Zheng, a descendant of the Celestial Venerable of the Nine Heavens, what brings him to me?"

He clearly remembered that when they first met in the capital of the Great Yu Dynasty, the Little Celestial Venerable was very arrogant and self-important. At that time, he only said "Nice to meet you" to him in a light tone, and then he put on airs and only spoke to Li Wanfa.

Now Lu Zheng is actually inquiring about him privately and taking the initiative to find him. What's going on?
In fact, this was a task given to Lu Zheng by the Celestial Venerable.

“Jingli, your brother Lu Zheng is looking for someone. I heard that he wants to help you find a good marriage. You are getting married, and your Daoist partner seems to be someone from the mortal world.”

Hearing her best friend's teasing, Lu Jingli remained composed, saying, "My elders want me to get to know him first, but we're not sure yet." Her best friend's expression turned strange, and she said, "I've heard that this Qin Ming is quite extraordinary. He's cultivated Chaos Force on his own. Although it's not a pure immortal path technique, it still belongs to the body refiner category. Your ancestor wouldn't happen to be interested in him or his calligraphy, would he?"

Everyone knows that the Celestial Venerable is almost the most powerful immortal body refiner in the Nine Heavens.

"Will you really marry someone from the ground up?"

Lu Jingli shook her head reservedly and said, "It's too early to talk about these things."

"I'm your best friend, why would you hide anything from me? You've told me more than your brother has. The renowned Fairy Jingli is coming to Earth to choose a Daoist partner, which will surely break the hearts of a group of outstanding talents in Heaven."

Lu Jingli had an oval face and bright, sparkling eyes; her appearance was indeed outstanding. She shook her head and said, "Stop teasing me. Nothing is certain yet. To be honest, if he really is an anomaly, I don't care about his background; I'll take him to heaven. But if he's exaggerating and isn't a body refiner with limitless potential, then this matter won't count. How could my family let me marry a country bumpkin from the ground? Don't talk nonsense to outsiders lately."

Her best friend nodded and said, "Yes, I understand. Otherwise, if things don't work out, it might damage your reputation and offend that so-called genius on the ground."

……

On the third day, the cultivators of Luofu City set off one after another, passing through the Ancient Misty Gate, while many others had already set off beforehand.

Only a small number of people entered in their true forms and headed towards the Ancient Misty Gate. Most of them were low-level rogue cultivators who were willing to risk their lives for their future.

"Don't be afraid, I've heard this time it's relatively safe."

"Where is safe? We need to control the time difference well. If it is not possible, we must retreat immediately, otherwise we will die without a burial place."

Qin Ming also arrived, flying in with a conventional pure Yang consciousness, successfully passing through the foggy area and arriving in the other world.

Soon, he discovered an overwhelming number of Radiant Birds, Dawn Beasts, Zapdos, and others.

Clearly, most of these tamed alien creatures are consumables, with only a few high-level alien birds possessing "life talismans" that allow them to freely enter and exit the Ancient Misty Gate.

Most of the speed-based anomalies can only enter, not exit. After completing the herb-gathering task, they can fly to this passage.

Someone saw Qin Ming and said, "Brother, you're pretty wild. You didn't even prepare a puppet, you just flew in with your pure Yang consciousness?"

Qin Ming sighed and said, "There's nothing I can do. I'm just a poor, independent cultivator with no connections. I can't buy anything."

He planned to hide himself on the rag when the time was right.

"Hmm?" He spotted Qian Cheng, who had actually barged in with his physical body, making him quite conspicuous.

"Brother Dao, you are truly brave!" Many people exclaimed, unsure whether they were genuinely praising him or mocking him.

Qian Cheng sighed: "I had no choice. I suffered a Dao injury and my spirit cannot leave my body for a long time. But as a rogue cultivator, I really crave the rare medicine here, so I risked my life."

Qin Ming didn't rush to hide. Instead, he followed Qian Cheng from a distance as a rogue cultivator, heading towards the ends of the earth with many others.

Perhaps, it's safer to "hide in plain sight" in the early stages.

Qin Ming saw Tang Jin, Master Wu, and the hidden disciple Qi Qianchen. They had traveled over in spirit form, and their pure Yang consciousnesses were standing on a small boat the size of a palm.

If Qin Ming hadn't opened his newborn eyes, he really wouldn't have been able to tell who the three concentrated pure yang spiritual lights on the small boat actually were.

"This small boat... seems to be a rare treasure." Qin Ming pondered, wondering if he could hitch a ride at a crucial moment? Perhaps by attaching himself to the bottom or stern of the boat.

Within the vast forbidden zone, all sorts of flying aliens were everywhere. The void surrounding the three main medicinal fields was even darker, completely submerged by the aliens flapping their wings.

However, in some areas, even high-level exotic birds dare not approach, because the few old men standing there are suspected to be Grandmasters.

An old woman, her face ashen, said, "Old monster, what do you think? There seems to be something wrong with these three main medicinal herb fields."

"A mountain peak, a deep abyss, a flat plain... Hiss, could this be the blooming field of the three treasures of essence, energy, and spirit?"

"The main ingredient is at least a high-level elixir of the Earth Immortal level, or even more extraordinary. Is this Treasure Land of Essence, Qi, and Spirit really an unclaimed possession? I feel uneasy."

If this medicinal field were to be connected to any creature, it would be absolutely terrifying!

……

Qin Ming saw some familiar faces, but there was no way he could greet them here. He just silently followed Qian Cheng. This guy dared to come in with his physical body, so he must have some tricks up his sleeve.

"Wow, the earth here collapsed and mountains crumbled a couple of days ago, leaving behind ruins and one broken black-gold pagoda after another. How come they look like the towers where immortals used to draw heavenly lightning to refine artifacts and medicines?"

"They're just a little short, each one is less than ten zhang tall."

Many people were discussing it, and quite a few people gathered around. The place was far from the main medicinal herb field and rather remote.

Qian Cheng also walked forward and entered the ruins.

After the massive mountain collapsed, dozens of black and gold towers were exposed inside the mountain.

Each of the dilapidated black gold towers is engraved with strange symbols, which are being studied by many people. They are mostly believed to represent puppets, clones, and pure yang consciousness.

Qian Cheng spoke up: "Everyone, this is a lightning-attracting array, inscribed with runes. Perhaps it contains a true scripture. Let us join forces and inject pure yang energy from the immortals to try to activate the imprint in this tower and see if a true scripture can manifest."

Qin Ming had been secretly observing his every move and discovered that he didn't seem to be putting on an act, but was genuinely excited and wanted to explore this place.

"Great!" Qin Mingyin, hidden in the crowd, responded enthusiastically along with some people nearby.

Although many people were reluctant to get involved and thought that collecting herbs was the most important thing, some couldn't resist and followed Qian Cheng's lead.

These ruined towers glowed, becoming slightly crystalline, and the runes on them continued to shimmer.

A fervent light flashed in Qian Cheng's eyes, then vanished. He moved swiftly, his figure shifting like a ghost, striking each tower.

During this process, he quickly formed various hand seals, and blazing lightning bolts flew out one after another from between his palms and fingers, all of them crashing into the tower.

Qin Ming was surprised; these were all methods related to Thunder.

He practiced Thunderfire Force and Wind Thunder Force, but unfortunately, they were not complete manuals of extraordinary skills.

In addition, he mastered the technique of using heavenly thunder to ignite earthly fire in the Eight Views Divine Illumination Scripture, but this technique is more suitable for refining medicine within the five internal organs of the human body, and there are not many thunder techniques that can be truly released externally.

Therefore, Qin Ming has always coveted the Thunder Scripture, but has yet to obtain it.

Everyone knows that the power of thunder is terrifying, especially suitable for those who cultivate their bodies, and it is known as the might of heaven. However, such a true scripture is extremely rare.

Qian Cheng, a master of thunder magic, is now envious of this place. Qin Ming suspects that this place might contain some extraordinary secret manual.

Rumble!
With Qian Cheng's intervention, the Black Gold Pagoda seemed to fully revive, with lightning striking the night sky and exploding continuously nearby, creating a deafening roar.

Many people who had traveled there in a state of pure Yang consciousness were horrified and quickly retreated, not daring to approach at all.

No lightning struck near Qian Cheng in the Black Tower area; it was peaceful there, with only faint arcs of electricity moving across the tower.

People could tell that he was groping around, searching for something.

Qin Ming gathered his strength, raising his perception to its limit, and sensed that Qian Cheng's emotional fluctuations in front of the Black Gold Pagoda were extremely intense.

Qian Cheng was studying the symbols that had been revived and attracted lightning. No specific scriptures appeared on the tower, but he seemed to be engrossed in it, sometimes frowning, sometimes sighing, and sometimes flashing lightning in his eyes.

"Hmm? Did you guys feel it? Those few strands of hair provided by the employer are glowing slightly, which means the target is nearby. Just now, this person seemed to have released a wisp of aura." Members of the dark organization were present, and they were communicating in secret.

"When luck comes, you can't stop it. The target hasn't even reached the fourth realm yet. Eliminating him is just a matter of convenience!"

Qin Ming noticed that several people seemed to be glancing in his direction.

However, he didn't care, he was too preoccupied with the matter at the moment, and he was moving closer to the Black Gold Tower.

Qin Ming frowned. Over the long years, there were no obvious traces of ancient emotions remaining on the Black Gold Pagoda.

However, he quickly relaxed his brow.

Qian Cheng touched the broken tower, pondering its meaning, while Qin Ming could move closer to resonate with the intense emotional fluctuations left behind by Qian Cheng.

Qin Ming relaxed and prepared to "cross the river by feeling the way he came."

With a rumble, the forbidden zone trembled violently, all the medicinal fields were glowing, and a faint fragrance could even be smelled. The medicinal energy was gradually seeping out from the ancient medicinal fields, and the three treasures of essence, energy, and spirit were in full bloom.

Everyone knew that, according to the experience recorded by the ancients, the forbidden zone of the alien realm would be fully unsealed in at most half an hour.

(End of this chapter)