Night without Borders

Chapter 520 Shocked to the point of numbness

Qin Ming was shocked. In the depths of that distant and unknown world of night fog, there were people who also possessed the skill of "threading with golden needles".

He couldn't help but think that more than nine hundred years ago, Qin Zushi, one of the originators of silk calligraphy, left Yezhou alone and entered the depths of the Night Fog world.

Another theory suggests that Master Qin was originally an outsider, and in the end, it may not have been a long journey, but rather his own return journey.

Qin Ming's heart was filled with turmoil. Could this be related to Ancestor Qin, or perhaps to another branch of the Qin family?

The dream insect, only the length of a finger joint, flows with light particles. Its shape sometimes resembles an insect and sometimes a person, and it is quite hazy and light.

It emits a soft light and has a pair of nearly transparent wings adorned with scattered star-like spots. When it flutters slightly, it looks like the stars twinkling in the night sky.

"This is the fifth-ranked wondrous insect in the world?"

Many people stared intently at the memory crystal, their eyes burning with desire, and they discussed it animatedly. There was no way around it; the Dream Worm's reputation was simply too great, having always only appeared in legends.

"Although it is called an insect, deep within that sacred halo, there seems to be a fairy about an inch tall sleeping, with a pair of wings of order."

"You're already dreaming before it's even late at night?"

“I was born with spiritual eyes, and I really saw it.”

Everyone was amazed, marveling that this was indeed a rare and wondrous insect that could only be found in ancient books.

It was very ill, with golden needles piercing its body and silver threads stained with blood. It was sealed in ice, and its fate was unknown.

It must be said that the Kaiyuan Grand Gathering was of a very high standard, with participants ranging from outstanding talents to respected elders and renowned masters.

The ground trembled slightly, and the fifteen-meter-tall golden ape demon was able to walk in, demonstrating the grandeur and size of the hall. He found a seat at the back and sat down.

A crystal chandelier, more than two people tall, hangs from the dome. Its facets are exquisitely cut and it is suspended by silver chains that are arranged in layers of lotus petals. Inside the chandelier is a very rare golden sunstone, which casts a bright but not dazzling light.

At the auction, Qin Ming chose to enjoy the Grandmaster-level privileges and entered a VIP box.

The room is elegantly furnished, with delicate tea snacks laid out on a warm, sandalwood table.

The beautiful young girl standing beside him had a snow-white, fluffy fox tail and big, bright eyes. She was not only responsible for pouring tea, but also for transmitting prices to the master.

Qin Ming calmed down. There was no use thinking about it now. The Dream Worm was sent by the God-like Society. If he approached and investigated it, it might be very dangerous.

He closed his eyes to rest here, actually cautiously resonating, trying to sift out valuable information from the chaotic thoughts here.

His body shuddered immediately. There were too many people at the auction, and all sorts of complex emotions were intertwined, like a surging torrent.

If he were at his weakest, such insistence on resonance might cause his head to explode.

Fortunately, he is now strong enough, with a will as firm as iron, and has not suffered too serious an impact.

The fox-woman poured tea silently, her large eyes darting around, but she dared not utter a sound to disturb her.

Soon, the grand opening ceremony officially began.

The first item up for auction was a precious material at the Grandmaster level—a charred tree stump rich in spiritual energy and covered with various Dao patterns.

"Everyone, this is Five Tribulation Lightning-Struck Wood. It is not as simple as being struck by lightning five times. Each time it encountered lightning and fire, it absorbed a special Daoist essence, thus giving birth to five different textures. It can be refined into a Grandmaster-level treasure."

Qin Ming opened his eyes to look and couldn't help but sigh. This kind of high-level auction had so many good things. The 108 Thunderfire Swords that he had recently reforged were made of this kind of material.

The hall was filled with noise; many people were whispering and looking at each other with eager eyes.

"As the saying goes, a good start is important, so the first item should not be cheap, otherwise it will spoil the mood."

The bidding process quickly began, and one of the bear-men shouted, "Ten thousand gold coins!"

Not far away, a silver wolf sat in its true form on a seat and said in a calm voice, "Fifty thousand gold coins."

The bear-man really wanted to say: "You're such a slacker, can't you take your time?"

However, when it sensed the silver wolf's near-Grandmaster aura, it immediately shut its mouth.

Daylight Gold is a hard currency that can be used for trade by both mortals and cultivators, because a divine substance can be extracted from it, and the essence it accumulates is no less than that of other gold.

Deep within the Night Fog World, certain Earth Immortal Dynasties have a particular fondness for Day Gold. As long as their national treasury is abundant, they can attempt to refine divine treasures and forge terrifying national-level weapons that the Immortal Dynasty can completely control.

Of course, doing that would consume an enormous amount of gold.

"Eighty thousand!"

"One hundred thousand."

……

Qin Ming listened quietly, his thoughts drifting far away.

Several years ago, in a remote place like Black and White Mountain, one gold coin would have been enough to solve the problem of food and clothing for a year.

Later, as his strength gradually increased, he often had several thousand gold coins, which was not enough to buy a courtyard on the banks of the Shuyu River in the capital of Dayu.

Now, a group of people are bidding, often in units of tens of thousands of gold coins.

Even now, Qin Ming doesn't have tens of thousands of gold coins on him, but if you include various weapons, precious medicines, and so on, it would be quite considerable.

The atmosphere was lively, with several extraordinary items being unveiled, which heightened the crowd's excitement.

Qin Ming felt a bit numb, thinking that the day gold might not be enough, after all, it was only the beginning and there had already been items with sky-high prices.

"The next miraculous medicine is called: Reappearance in the Human World."

A strange black flower sits quietly on a tray, encased within a crystal of the highest purity, with a faint black mist swirling around it.

In the hall, many people stared, then began to discuss it. What was it? Few people knew.

"This is a relic of an Earth Immortal!"

"what?"

"Don't get carried away. This is a special medicinal herb that grows on the coffin lid in the tomb of an earth immortal. It is indeed a miraculous medicine and is extremely rare. Some say it is because the earth immortal lingered in the mortal world and reappeared as a flower."

"My darn thing!"

……

A group of people felt that this was an ominous object.

However, the starting price for this "reappearance in the human world" was set at 500,000 gold coins, and the auctioneer was changed, with a person in charge personally taking the stage to preside over the auction, which shows its significance.

"Those who know, know." That was all he said.

"You're so clueless!"

"Can't you just explain it clearly?"

Some people were dissatisfied and complained in hushed tones. However, the organizers of the Kaiyuan Grand Gathering were powerful, and no one dared to cause trouble or turn against them.

An old master said, "Such a 'reappearance in the human world' is said to be a black flower born from a mortal immortal who wandered through the realm of the dead and struggled back to the human world before completely sinking into oblivion. It may carry extraordinary information."

"Forget it, anyone who ingests this flower will die instantly. It's a demonic flower, also known as the Evil of the Earth Immortals!"

While they were still discussing it, someone made an offer.

"Six hundred thousand gold coins!"

"Eight hundred thousand gold coins!"

"million!"

……

Immediately, many people were stunned. This so-called evil of the Earth Immortal was actually being bid on by several well-known forces in this world.

"To put it this way, if the 'Evil of the Earth Immortal' is refined together with the sacred 'Flower of the Earth Immortal,' it might be possible to refine the Dragon-Tiger Elixir, which even top-tier Earth Immortals need!"

Of course, to start refining pills, you also need various extremely rare auxiliary ingredients, which are very difficult to gather.

"No wonder, things that top-tier Earth Immortals need are naturally snapped up."

People have realized the true value of "those who know, know".

"That kind of Dragon Tiger Elixir requires bombarding the divine furnace with thunder and fire. It's good if you can succeed once out of five attempts at refining it. So no one is foolish enough to actually drive up the price to an astronomical level. They're just looking to find a bargain so that it won't be too outrageous in the end."

Although Qin Ming couldn't participate and didn't have access to many of the daytime gold auctions, he gained valuable experience. It was the first time he had ever heard of such things, and he felt he had come to the right place.

Then, the so-called not-too-outrageous price still made his scalp tingle, and he could only stare blankly.

Earthly immortals are rare to be born, and their descendants are constantly bidding against each other.

Clearly, "Reappearance of Humanity" was a "masterpiece" of this grand opening ceremony, igniting the atmosphere of the entire venue.

Ultimately, the prize landed in the No. 3 VIP box, with a price exceeding six million gold coins. This was even after the top powers from all sides exercised restraint, believing the chances of failure in alchemy were high, and refrained from actively intervening. Qin Ming was deeply shocked and muttered to himself, "I should become an archaeologist in the future. It's a field full of light. Daring to explore ancient tombs and rescue our predecessors from the dust of time, allowing them to see the light of day again, is of great significance!"

He felt that this might also be a golden path, and if he could find it, it could help him break through the barriers quickly.

The organizers of the Kaiyuan Grand Event were very skilled and knew how to control the pace. After the climax of "Human Reappearance," they appropriately introduced some auction items that were not expensive but had unique features.

The atmosphere became lively again after seven items were auctioned off.

"The next item up for auction is very special. She is alive and beautiful, and most importantly, she is a master!"

As soon as the chief auctioneer finished speaking, the hall erupted in excitement. They weren't unaware that living beings could be auctioned, but it was extremely rare for a grandmaster to be priced.

Qin Ming realized that this world was strictly hierarchical and extremely cruel, with no attempt to conceal anything. In another place, such transactions would definitely be conducted in private rather than openly.

"She came from afar and was once a very dazzling pearl."

As the auctioneer introduced her, a woman wearing a sealing ring walked onto the stage. She had a slender and graceful figure, with cascading silver hair that reached her waist. She had fair skin, a bewitching and beautiful face, a wild temperament, and golden veins in her eyes.

"She is a member of the Tiger Clan and possesses the rare White Tiger bloodline. She is very likely a descendant of the White Tiger God. Even after many generations, her bloodline remains extremely pure."

Someone immediately asked, "This is a grandmaster, and one with considerable influence. Could there be hidden dangers? Could he face a backlash in the future?"

The chief auctioneer said, "No, she was captured from outer regions. Our teams that have been operating outside the region have recently been reporting frequent successes, so there won't be any problems. Moreover, we have very mature slave imprints here. Whoever wins the bid can have them implanted on her immediately."

In an instant, many people in the hall became restless. Who wouldn't want a loyal servant of a grandmaster? Even people from top-tier sects were tempted.

The auctioneer stroked his beard and said, "She was originally a rising star with far greater potential than you imagine. Buying her will definitely not be a loss. After she is branded as a slave, you will immediately have a master-level Daoist partner. Of course, she can also be a master, maid, senior sister, disciple, or confidante. Her identity is up to you."

"You old lecher!" a female cultivator glared at him.

"She should be under sixty years old, right? Maybe not even over forty. I've heard that the descendants of the gods have incredibly powerful early-stage abilities."

Why don't you say she's not even thirty years old yet!

"You useless old turtle, don't argue with me!"

In a short time, the price of the White Tiger Clan's female grandmaster was bid up to over a million gold coins, and it was still soaring.

Qin Ming noticed that the fox-woman in the VIP box was glancing at him. He immediately realized that he was also a tiger, and a golden-striped divine-eyed spirit tiger, one in a million.

As a member of the same clan, it would be unreasonable for him to remain silent and not participate in the bidding. Therefore, Qin Ming quickly took advantage of the intense bidding and participated twice.

The fox-woman blinked her beautiful eyes, helping him bid telepathically while gracefully demonstrating her tea ceremony and pouring tea for him as she approached.

"What are you doing, swaying back and forth like that?" Qin Ming frowned.

The fox woman quickly lowered her head, secretly thinking that this tiger clan master was truly heartless. As a beautiful fox woman, she naturally wanted to use the tiger's power to follow the master.

Qin Ming naturally knew what this fox woman was thinking, but he didn't want to get involved. How could she compare to Li Qingyue's pure and extraordinary beauty? Even in terms of alluring figure, she couldn't match the stunning curves of Da Tang's back, because he had personally kicked her with his foot...

He immediately shook his head. How could he compare the fox-woman before him with his old friend? That would be disrespectful and blasphemous.

The atmosphere at the auction grew increasingly lively, with everyone in high spirits.

From the "Scripture of Slaying Immortals" to fragments of earth immortal treasures, it has everything.

Qin Ming was astonished to find that he hadn't won a single bid. He looked down on the ordinary items, and the ones he favored were all incredibly expensive, making it impossible for him to participate in the bidding. He gave up after a few rounds of bidding.

That would be incredibly embarrassing; he might end up leaving empty-handed.

No one expected that the Dream Insect would appear early, and it was indeed not the final item to be auctioned. The icy aura there was chilling and was submerged by light particles.

Immediately, the entire audience erupted in discussion.

"Teacher, would you like to participate in the auction?" Someone whispered in the VIP box next door.

Qin Ming resonated with the information and immediately picked up on some details.

However, he could not resonate with the thoughts of that "teacher," whose mind remained undisturbed.

A moment later, Qin Ming learned that it was a decaying god. Although it had degenerated severely and had long since fallen to the fifth realm, its mental state was still terrifying, without the slightest emotional fluctuation.

The two young disciples who had followed this decaying deity were very active in their thinking, and Qin Ming resonated with some astonishing information.

Dream insects, must not be touched!
This was the deity's admonition, which stirred the two disciples' emotions.

"Dream insects can use the talents of others to comprehend the Dao. To put it nicely, it is to cultivate by borrowing the talent of the target. In fact, it can also be considered as borrowing life."

It ranks fifth among the many strange insects in the world, and it competes as an individual, not by quantity. Moreover, it knows how to seek good fortune and avoid misfortune, so how could it be so easy to tame?
"Ultimately, it's hard to say whether it's humans raising insects or insect owners feigning submission to humans."

The two disciples were deeply disturbed; they were astonished to discover these hidden secrets.

Inside their private room, decaying ashes drifted down, and the deity transmitted a voice: "It's very evil. Try to avoid it. Unless it's a top-tier sect with an unparalleled master in charge, they won't allow their descendants to raise this strange insect. Otherwise, don't get involved."

According to him, the Dream Insect dared not become the Insect Lord because there was a top-tier old monster watching over it.

The decaying deity said, "There is a saying that one insect can be passed down for three generations."

A young disciple asked, "Dream insects have long lifespans, why can't they be passed down for four or five generations?"

"The lifespan of a top-tier old monster is limited. It can't last that long. Before it passes away, it must help its descendants eliminate the hidden dangers and send the insects into the depths of the Night Fog World."

The two disciples were shocked. Were dream worms really that terrifying? That even the gods would be wary of them? That was truly outrageous!
The decaying deity spoke: "Dream worms, though extremely rare and a legendary species, did not spring from a crack in a rock. They must have parents. When they were abducted and brought into the mortal world, how could one know that no old worm was watching all of this from the darkness?"

Some top experts speculate that this is the old insect tempering the larvae, a unique way for them to grow, extracting all the laws of the world from the great dye vat of humanity to comprehend the Dao.

The decaying deity spoke: "In the distant past, if an insect is not sent away after three generations, something terrible might happen. There are vague records of a horrific bloodbath that occurred in a certain immortal sect."

One of the disciples turned pale and said, "So, the Insect Lord's guess is more reliable? Dream Insects are actually difficult to be truly enslaved."

The decaying deity nodded and said, "Hmm, even if this insect seems docile and obedient on ordinary days, and its so-called master is very satisfied, we cannot completely trust it. Who knows if this is not the dream insect controlling everything? Making its 'master' feel involuntarily happy, upon closer thought... it's terrifying. As far as I know, there was once an earth immortal who sent a dream insect into the depths of the night fog world as if it were a plague god."

Qin Ming did not detect the old god's fluctuations in consciousness, but he was able to deduce the truth from the unusually active thoughts of his two disciples.

He immediately became extremely wary of these dream insects.

He opened his newborn eyes and looked at the strange insect, about an inch long, in the ice crystal on the stage. It glowed dimly, sometimes in insect form and sometimes in human form. Its wings were transparent and covered with star spots, as if carrying galaxies.

Most importantly, the insect was pierced by the gold needle and was already dying.

Qin Ming was worried. If he displayed similar methods in the future and the Dream Insect Clan discovered it, would any of the older insects seek revenge on him?

"However, it is worth studying that the jade burial suit in my hands exhibits the property of longevity, but conversely, it can also trap people in a death calamity from which they cannot be brought back to life."

"This dream insect is about to die, and you still dare to ask for a minimum guarantee of eight million gold coins? Are you crazy?!"

People simply couldn't believe it; normally, if there were any sincerity involved, this would never be done.

Qin Ming was also incredulous. He was pondering whether he could command the starting bid if he put himself up for auction and displayed all his talents.

Subsequently, young dragons, exotic gold, and blood of the unicorns were put on the table one after another, all fetching astronomical prices, leaving Qin Ming stunned and numb.

He gained nothing here; there was nothing he could do, he simply couldn't compete.

For a fleeting moment, Qin Ming had an impulse to go on stage and shout: I, the Emperor, am robbing you!
Of course, he could only think about it.

The top-tier items were all snapped up by those mysterious guests of the highest rank, including grandmasters from immortal sects and people from the Earthly Immortal Dynasty.

Compared to them, Qin Ming was so poor that he had almost nothing.

He sighed and left. He saw a silver butterfly pulling a tiny cart, carrying the smiling Red Bird Master away. He also saw an old tree-man with a miniature forest growing on his head, surrounded by green light rain, walk out of the hall...

Most of the grandmasters in the fifth realm have gained something.

Qin Ming shook his head. He would just consider this a learning experience; he had indeed broadened his horizons today.

"Are you Master Hu Dingming?" The chief auctioneer of the Kaiyuan Grand Auction actually came over personally at the last moment, asking with a gentle smile.

What's going on? Alarm bells rang in Qin Ming's mind.

He felt he was very low-key, did not raise prices during the bidding process, did not engage in any emotional disputes, and did not leave early when he left. Most importantly, he did not win any items, so how could he be targeted?

He was very low-key and did not display much wealth. Compared to the large organizations, he was penniless, and he really couldn't imagine why they would come to him.

The chief auctioneer informed them, "In the top-tier VIP box over there, a distinguished guest wishes to speak with you for a few minutes."

At the same time, the heavy sandalwood door of the private room was pushed open, and a group of people came out.

Qin Ming realized that something was about to happen because the other party was a member of the God-like Society, whose insignia on their robes was very conspicuous and not concealed at all.

"Brother, we mean no harm." The people on the other side all wore friendly smiles, and one of them was none other than the legendary divine child.

Qin Ming knew very well that the Dream Worm was sent to the auction by the God-like Society, and now this organization had actually approached him.

"I, the Emperor Emeritus, am robbing!" Was he forced to utter these words before leaving? A major conflict was about to erupt.

(End of this chapter)