Night without Borders

Chapter 514 Seeing the Sun
Qin Ming had adjusted his appearance, his black hair was loose, his face was weathered with stubble, and his eyes were like deep pools, like a middle-aged man who had been through many trials.

He carried the bone club and lay quietly in wait, patiently awaiting the mysterious winds and clouds to stir in the wheat field.

In the dark, desolate land, the black wheat is nearing maturity. The night wind blows, and the heavy ears of wheat sway with a dark light. The seeds are plump and glistening, emitting the unique fragrance of grains and containing a rich vitality.

"Not to mention the underground, just the rye on the ground, if consumed year after year, can create a master-level talent, so there's no need to worry about a lack of successors."

An old man spoke, his light gold beard extending to his neck like a lion's mane, and his imposing figure made him seem like a beast transformed into a human.

His name was Shi Shiyong, which was a shortened version of his name; otherwise, it would have been a long list of titles praising his bravery and glory.

A middle-aged man with a full head of fiery red hair stared intently at the wheat field, revealing a mouthful of snow-white canine teeth. He was the grandmaster of the Mastiff Clan, named Mastiff Sheng, and said, "I desperately need these divine provisions!"

“Who doesn’t need it?” said a man with silver bat wings who looked to be in his thirties. His name was Fu Bao, which means to accumulate good deeds and receive good results.

The only female master, He Xilan, spoke up: "Unfortunately, unless all the divine food is gathered together and fed to a disciple for several years, the effect will not be that great."

She was tall and slender with flowing black hair and elegant manners. She looked to be in her early twenties. Her ancestor was once a powerful crane that had solidified into a humanoid being, and her bloodline was very strong.

With the four grandmasters present, it was indeed difficult to gather all the divine food produced.

The red-haired mastiff said, "Everyone, let's make a deal. When we get back, I'm willing to exchange rare treasures and ancient books with you. I lack a successor to take on the responsibility. When I'm old and frail a hundred years from now, if I'm bullied by my nemesis, I'll have no descendants to stand up for me."

Bat-like creature flapped its silver wings, stood in mid-air, gazed into the distance, and said, "You're saying all this too early; the news here has already leaked out."

Shi Shiyong's pale gold beard trembled as if he was suppressing his anger. His voice was low as he said, "Duan Yun Village did a good job of blocking the news from this place. But in one night, more than three hundred people died. Such cruel and bloody methods. In addition, the disciples I sent out, a total of more than thirty people, including my two sons, were also killed without their bodies or souls."

He Xilan asked, "Who did it? Have you made any progress?"

Shi Shiyong said, "I made a special trip back to my clan's ancestral land and asked the high priest to perform divination. I found it difficult to trace back to the source, and only vaguely sensed that it should be the work of a grandmaster."

Bat reported with concern, saying, "Could it be a Grandmaster? If someone like that were to come out, it would be far too dangerous."

Shi Shiyong shook his head and said, "He is definitely not a grandmaster. In fact, this divination is very unusual. The other party does not seem to be a grandmaster, but his strength is not weak."

Then, with a cold look in his eyes, he said, "Everyone, I can do without the divine food, but you must promise me that if you find that rival grandmaster, you must help me eliminate him."

The four grandmasters did not communicate directly, but rather exchanged ideas secretly through their consciousness.

However, Qin Ming used resonance techniques to roughly capture and sense it.

Bat casually asked, "Will the high priest of your ancestral land come out?"

That was a grandmaster, with terrifyingly high cultivation, which made them all very wary. Fortunately, the old man was exhausted and in a terrible state.

Shi Shiyong sighed and said, "In this damned world, how dare someone at the level of a high priest come out? If they make a move, they will almost lose their life. No one dares to leave seclusion easily."

In the distance, the night fog burst open, as if lightning had plowed across the sky. Two beams of dark light flew in, moving at incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, the two figures were right in front of them, swooping down.

These are two insectoid beings, with broadsword-like black wings on their backs, nearly humanoid in shape, and with a metallic sheen flowing from head to toe.

Their iron wings vibrated with a deafening clang and crackled with electricity, clearly indicating a powerful race.

When Shi Shiyong, Fu Bao, and the others saw them, their expressions changed. Although there were only two of them, who didn't know the name of the Insect Man?

Ao Sheng said, "Fortunately, it's not the old bug from sixty-three years ago."

He Xilan said, "They should not be underestimated; both of them are very difficult to deal with."

The insect-like creature was tall and looked like it had been cast in metal, but it spoke very gently: "I have met several masters. Harmony brings wealth. It is fate that we can travel together this time. There is no need for us to fight each other. The real purpose is to explore the greatest fortune together."

Shi Shiyong smiled and nodded, saying, "Brother Dao is right. The current environment of heaven and earth is very unfriendly to us. We should work together to seize the opportunities of creation."

In the distance, Qin Ming didn't remember the long list of names of the two insect-men; according to his own understanding, he regarded them as: Big Insect and Second Insect.

In the wheat field, the ears of grain swayed, like shimmering black waves rising and falling. The little figures on them had stopped dancing for the past two days; they were all very old.

They seemed to be in their twilight years, their lives nearing their end.

One strange thing is that their lifespans do not follow the division of realms; their lifespans seem to be almost the same, and they are all about to end their short and peculiar lives.

The most terrifying thing was that among the group of little people deep in the wheat field, one of the grandmasters finally broke through to the Grandmaster realm. He raised his eyelids and looked out, and it was as if two bolts of lightning had fallen, causing the void to tremble and seem to be distorted by a tremendous force.

However, he had no intention of taking action, but instead waited for the end of a cycle, quietly awaiting the countdown to his life.

The three-inch-tall grandmaster sighed, "Can life be lived again? When the mountains and rivers have faded and the red sun has disappeared, my heart is filled with sorrow."

Finally, he was barely breathing, his hair and beard lost their luster, his spirit and vitality were waning, and his blood and energy were rapidly drying up; he was about to die completely.

The other little figures did the same, each sitting cross-legged on the ears of wheat, their breaths gradually ceasing.

The ephemeral mushroom knows not the dawn and dusk, the cicada knows not the spring and autumn. How many days have these little creatures been born? They die so quickly, having completed their life's journey.

Secretly, Qin Ming felt somewhat confused and thought they were pathetic, but he quickly shook his head. He himself had traveled to a foreign land to cultivate in hardship in order to survive, so how could he have the right to say that others were suffering?

Moreover, mayflies are born in the morning and die in the evening, enjoying their lives to the fullest. Although their lives are short, they are not necessarily imperfect.

All the little people died, which can be considered a natural death. They then turned into black clouds and formed a strange scene, with wind, rain, thunder and lightning appearing. The black mist gathered together and went down along the wheat stalks into the earth.

In a daze, the black mist transformed into a bridge, connecting the place where the illusory shadows of the sun and moon alternated.

"It's now!"

The masters present all moved, harvesting the rye and keeping a close eye on the black bridge.

Qin Ming also immediately attacked, wielding his sword like a scythe to quickly seize the divine food.

He blends in with the world, his cultivation is unfathomable, and his daring to come here alone naturally makes him a master-level figure.

Immediately, all the grandmasters looked over.

Not only Qin Ming suddenly broke in, but three other grandmasters rushed into the wheat field from different directions; they all seemed to be independent cultivators.

In an instant, the wheat ears on this black soil disappeared completely; the master harvested the grain so quickly that it was done in the blink of an eye.

Moreover, amidst the whooshing sounds, they rushed towards the mysterious bridge.

The moment they approached, their bodies shrank to only three inches tall, while the straw looked as tall as an ancient tree.

With the white bone club slung over his shoulder, Qin Ming, along with the other grandmasters, descended into the underground along the steep bridge, heading towards a mysterious and unknown land.

As if stretching for tens or hundreds of miles across the land, the bridge began to level out, with black clouds surging and carrying everyone forward.

Qin Ming touched it with his hand. Although the bridge was formed from black energy, it was quite realistic. It was cool to the touch and its texture was difficult to damage. At the very least, it would be difficult for a grandmaster to break through it if he exerted his power here.

Faintly visible are many ancient symbols and patterns of ancient people carved on the bridge, all depicting scenes of sacrifice.

A rogue cultivator master spoke up: "Everyone, we are all fellow travelers. There is no need for us to fight amongst ourselves. This place has great potential, enough for us to seek it together. I hope we can live in peace."

“That’s excellent!” Big Bug nodded, and the others had no objections either.

The end of the bridge was no longer dark; a faint light gradually appeared, and soon the view before everyone was completely clear.

The group of grandmasters were all somewhat lost in thought, none of them uttering a sound, staring at the red-glowing land in front of them.

What did they see in the pitch-black underground? They saw scattered islands and a fiery red sea, as if in a dream.

They had heard that the underground source of divine food was strange, but the sights varied depending on the time, place, and location of the event.

"There's actually... a sea underground?" He Xilan was stunned.

"Ladies and gentlemen, as we step onto the bridge, our bodies seem to shrink, and the glowing red sea ahead may not be as magnificent as we imagined."

“I think this is underground magma,” Aosheng said.

As they approached, they felt a wave of heat wash over them.

With a splash, a huge fish with gleaming scales, seemingly dozens of meters long, leaped out of the water from the fiery red sea, creating a massive wave.

After a moment of distraction, Bat Report spoke up: "There can't be fish in lava, can there?"

Ahead, the glowing red sea stretched as far as the eye could see, vast and magnificent, teeming not only with giant fish but also with golden shrimp bearing dragon heads.

Even more unusual sea creatures revealed their massive backs, exuding a dangerous aura.

As the giant insect walked, its black and golden wings collided slightly, like metal plates rubbing together, creating a sense of oppression. It spoke up, "Is it possible that this is actually an underground fire spring?"

Those present were all masters, moving at incredible speed, shrinking the distance to an inch, and arrived at the seaside, only to find that the temperature was very high and there was no trace of a fire spring.

Some people tested them, their faces grim, and even their precious treasures were burned, implying that this "seawater" might also harm them.

"What do you seek?" At the end of the bridge, golden words appeared in the sky above the red sea. It was very abrupt, but apart from Qin Ming, none of the other grandmasters were surprised.

Rumor has it that newcomers are always asked what they want.

However, the sea that our predecessors faced was probably not like this.

The characters were complex and not within the scope of a Grandmaster's understanding, but since some imprints had been activated, they could sense their meaning.

"Longevity!" Shi Shiyong's voice was hoarse and somewhat excited, his light gold beard trembling, and golden divine light shooting out from his eyes.

Bat-like creature flapped its silver wings and immediately echoed, "Yes, isn't the greatest desire of us cultivators in this lifetime to achieve immortality?"

Clearly, they had communicated and the four-person group shared the same goal.

“Okay!” Big Bug and Second Bug nodded in agreement. They felt that this goal was very ambitious and they could totally agree with it.

Above the sea, the golden words appeared clearly and vividly, saying: "More than half of the respondents agree. This is what you all want. There is no turning back. You can only continue down this path."

Qin Ming and the other three rogue cultivators exchanged glances, having been represented but not yet able to voice their own thoughts.

The golden sunset descended, enveloping them as if probing something. After a moment, the words reappeared in the void above the sea: "To attain immortality, one must cross the sea and reach the other shore."

Everyone was excited. Could they really achieve immortality?
However, they quickly calmed down. The sea was vast and the temperature was terrifying, enough to injure a Grandmaster. How could they cross the sea and go far away?

Golden characters flowed, clearly visible: "Unfortunately, your cultivation is insufficient to reach the other shore. Realistically, you can at most gain half a lifetime." Extending one's lifespan by half a lifetime? This was a tremendous opportunity, sought after by even some peerless powerhouses. However, compared to immortality, it seemed insignificant, and everyone felt as if they had been doused with cold water.

In the distance, a huge black shadow appeared in the waves, rapidly approaching from afar; it was a large ship.

He Xilan said, "To be precise, it's a tortoise shell!"

It was fifty feet long, riding the wind and waves, carrying gusts of scorching air, and in the blink of an eye, it reached the sea.

The so-called seaside had no sandy beach, only desolate black soil, and a large black tortoise-shell ship suddenly docked.

Qin Ming frowned and looked back; the black bridge had long since disappeared.

"There is another way out," a kind-hearted rogue cultivator told us.

The group of people had no choice but to board the turtle ship, which automatically sailed out to sea.

Golden text reappeared, displaying the words: "Life is full of disappointments, and among you eleven, no more than three will be able to achieve your wishes."

What's going on? Da Chong, Fu Bao, and the others all had their pupils contract. Most of them would find nothing, and what's with this extra person?
Those who boarded the ship were clearly ten grandmasters.

"Is someone carrying an elder with them?" Erchong asked coldly.

In an instant, everyone dispersed and became wary.

In today's environment, even if the older generation strikes, they will either kill or cripple the victim. However, they still have a deterrent effect, and if one is forced to that point, it will be extremely dangerous.

In fact, even masters like them would inevitably cough up blood and suffer severe injuries if they took action.

The group of people were secretly wary of each other, and only Big Bug and Second Bug dared to stand back to back.

One of the rogue cultivators couldn't help but ask, "I've heard that the requests of the sages of the past are mostly fulfilled, so why are we often disappointed?"

The golden text reappeared: "They are pragmatic and their desires are not so great, such as completing the true scriptures, asking for some kind of profound method that is difficult to comprehend, or inquiring about how to break through a certain barrier, etc."

The group sensed something was wrong. Shi Shiyong said, "We don't seek immortality. Can we try something else now?"

The golden text glowed: "It's too late. You've already embarked on the path to immortality, and I don't know its end. You only have one chance to leave, which is when you reach the point of extending your lifespan by half a lifetime, then you can go far away."

Judging from its words, it had never seen immortality either.

The sea was crimson and shimmering, with huge monsters occasionally churning up waves, their exposed dorsal fins like blades, looking quite terrifying.

A group of people looked solemn. Even as grandmasters, they dared not easily touch the seawater with its terrifying temperature. Yet these monsters could live here. What level were they on?
This is truly an extremely dangerous sea area!

Fortunately, the large black tortoise-shell ship emitted light, forming a curtain of light that blocked the occasional surging red waves, ensuring their safe passage across the sea.

The ship was getting faster and faster. Qin Ming felt that he had already traveled tens of thousands of miles. Along the way, he saw some barren islands and reefs, and occasionally he could see some huge islands with monsters crawling on them, but there were no plants and no signs of life.

Why did you slow down?

After traveling for tens of thousands of miles, the large ship gradually came to a stop.

Nearby, the red sea stretched endlessly, and a giant shark, as large as a mountain, with horns and multicolored scales, appeared on the distant sea, its imposing figure looming large.

"The road ahead is fraught with danger; we must lighten our load before setting off. The rotten and sinking ship cannot bear the weight of eleven people." The golden text was brief, but this warning was deadly.

Instantly, a group of people felt their hair stand on end.

The Great Insect couldn't hold back any longer and asked, "Most of the sages of the past returned safely, with only a minority encountering danger. Why must we go through all this?"

Golden text appeared: "Most of what they seek is to complete the true scriptures, to learn the secrets to breaking through barriers, and at the same time, they are also making offerings, giving away their own scriptures. You come seeking longevity, but eight or nine out of ten will not get what you want and will naturally have their lifespans shortened."

In an instant, the group of people's faces froze, their heads throbbing as if they had been struck by lightning.

They felt they had stepped into a deep pit, and it would be difficult to get out on their own.

Qin Ming was also dumbfounded. He had initially thought that there was no great risk in following this group of indigenous people who were confidently setting off, and that he could take advantage of the situation. He never expected that he would be on a pirate ship.

He looked back, but there was no way to retreat on the sea behind him, and these grandmasters in front of him were completely unreliable!
Shi Shiyong spoke up: "Fellow Daoists, although we are helpless and bitter, it seems we have no choice. We will respectfully invite one of you to embark on your journey. In order for more people to survive, we will choose one person now. We can only apologize to him for now."

The bodies of the group of people tensed up.

Qin Ming took the initiative to align himself with the three independent cultivators, as it was more appropriate for them to stick together for mutual support now.

Clearly, the original four-person group had the advantage.

With his red hair flowing freely, Ao Sheng revealed a mouthful of snow-white canine teeth and said, "Let's choose him. What do you two fellow Zerg cultivators think?"

He reached out and pointed at Qin Ming, who was backing away.

Beside Aosheng, Shishiyong, Fubao, and Hexilan all nodded, the four of them standing together, acting in unison.

Qin Ming's eyes sharpened instantly. Before the two insectoid beings could speak, he shouted, "Everyone, kill this group of four first. Otherwise, if they become too powerful, they will threaten everyone. Fellow cultivators, let's attack together!"

As he spoke, his entire body erupted with heavenly light, burning like the blazing sun, and he charged forward.

Behind him, the three rogue cultivators remained motionless, while the two giant insects on the other side were as still as a rock, showing no intention of making a move.

Qin Ming charged alone towards the four grandmasters. He had no backup and might even be ambushed and killed by those behind him.

At this moment, his body tensed up, holding nothing back. His blood and spirit surged to their peak. He had to solve the problem in the shortest amount of time. Every second he wasted would greatly increase the danger to him.

Because if he shows the slightest weakness, everyone will see him as easy prey, and he will become the victim.

Qin Ming stared at the four people, but his most desired target was naturally the red-haired mastiff that had called out his name. Anyone who dared to target him first would be the first to be killed.

With a thunderous roar, he unleashed his inner Heaven-Opening Axe, unleashing a dazzling divine light that made even the crimson ocean appear dim.

The giant axe flew out from the inner world, swirling with dense runes, and slammed towards Aosheng.

The four were shocked. How could this seemingly weak rogue cultivator suddenly unleash such power? It was extremely dangerous. They blocked with all their might and attacked together.

At the same time, Qin Ming's Nine-Colored Sword Aura was also unleashed. The sword light tore through the sky, and the pure Yang sword light was everywhere, with rolling aura covering the area in front.

He used the Inner Realm Heaven-Opening Axe to kill Ao Sheng, and used the Nine-Colored Sword Fiend to indiscriminately attack the other three to block them.

Sure enough, even the four grandmasters were overwhelmed by his frenzied attacks and had to focus on fighting off the killing light before them.

"boom!"

The burly man with a full head of red hair, Ao Sheng, had his battle aura dimmed by the axe light. That was his strongest defense, but it couldn't withstand it, and his divine power also collapsed under the giant axe.

He growled, his blood-red hair flying wildly, his eyes wide open, blood seeping from his canine teeth, his entire body tense, and his blood surging wildly.

Qin Ming was shocked. This Ao Sheng was indeed very strong, actually withstanding his ultimate attack head-on.

However, that bloodthirsty courage was only momentary, and Aosheng only briefly blocked it. The axe light was surrounded by runes, and the giant axe was as heavy as a mountain pressing down. Aosheng's body began to bleed, and cracks appeared on his body surface.

He couldn't hold on anymore.

Qin Ming frantically activated the Nine-Colored Sword Aura to block the other three. His physical body moved, and he charged towards Ao Sheng, wielding the white bone club.

"You dare to plot against me? I'll smash your dog head in!"

Qin Ming swung his club, unleashing a burst of Primordial Heavenly Light. With a bang, he shattered the exotic treasure that Ao Sheng had hastily summoned. Then, he struck down with his second club, breaking the opponent's arm that was blocking the attack.

With a soft "thud," Qin Ming smashed Ao Sheng's head with a bone club.

Qin Ming, his eyes bloodshot with rage, prepared to fight the other three as well.

At this moment, golden words shone: "Burden reduction successful!"

The giant insect shouted, "Fellow Daoist, that's enough. The journey is long, and we don't know if we will have to pave the way with our lives. Take it easy."

He and the two insects offered their advice.

Qin Ming was mainly afraid that they would join forces, so upon hearing the news, he resolutely backed down and did not want to be caught in the middle of the two groups.

However, he casually took away Aosheng's storage bracelet, which contained divine food that he couldn't miss.

Although Aosheng's head was gone and his consciousness was shattered, it could still reassemble. However, the huge five-colored shark in the sea opened its mouth and sucked away his broken body and spirit, swallowing them into its belly.

Lion King, Bat Report, and Crane Xilan all looked extremely ugly. In that split second, this upright ape demon had actually killed one of their allies. He was truly vicious and despicable and deserved to be killed!
No one expected that Aosheng would nominate others, but he himself would be the first to set off.

Qin Ming exhaled a breath of stale air, feeling incredibly relieved. Anyone who dared to openly demand his death should be sent on his way immediately. Indeed, taking a step back would only leave him feeling resentful, while taking a step forward with passion would open up a whole new world.

"How should I address you, fellow Daoist?" Erchong asked.

With a blood-stained white bone club slung over his shoulder, Qin Ming replied in a deep voice, "Great Sage Equal to Heaven!"

The name contains the characters for "Great Sage"? Shi Shiyong, Fu Bao, and He Xilan all felt that this upright ape demon was too arrogant, and they were filled with resentment.

“That is…” A rogue cultivator was shocked and could hardly believe what he was seeing. He pointed at the sea, his whole hand trembling.

Everyone looked ahead, where the giant tortoise-shell ship was sailing at high speed, and at the edge of the sea, a great sun was rising above the water.

"The vanished sun is here?" Everyone was stunned, their heads spinning, staring in disbelief at what lay ahead.

As they drew nearer, the great sun filled their field of vision, dominating the entire sky, making them appear as insignificant as dust in comparison.

The enormous sun shone brightly, turning this place into a world of daylight, with not a trace of night fog and no darkness whatsoever.

At this moment, the blazing sun shines overhead, becoming the sole superposition, dominating the entire sky and earth. A drop of golden liquid falls from the endless sky, tracing a golden trajectory and bringing a rich, fragrant aroma.

"A drop of a life-extending elixir?"

"Where are we? We've actually seen the sun!"

This spectacular sight attracted their attention even more than when they saw rare and precious medicines.

"That day, the sun set and never rose again; it was hiding here!" a master murmured.

(End of this chapter)