Night without Borders

Chapter 525 A True Dragon Exists in Yezhou

Qin Ming walked steadily, getting closer and closer to the Ancient Night Mist Gate. He didn't turn around, but waved to the back of him again.

The White Tiger Grandmaster stood still, the night wind lifting her shimmering silver hair. She watched the figure recede into the distance and whispered, "Will you really come back?"

Her wildly beautiful face had lost some of its arrogance and gained a touch of gentleness. Her voice was soft, as if she were reluctant to part and a little sad, as she quietly saw her off.

"Yes!" Qin Ming nodded, his pace unchanged, without stopping.

He felt uneasy. In this situation, no matter how you looked at it, he seemed like "Zha Dingming," abandoning those he loved and leaving alone without looking back.

He was suffering inside; he was clearly very nervous, but he had to pretend to be relaxed and make a promise.

The more Qin Ming pondered, the more he felt that the White Tiger Grandmaster was unfathomable. It was truly remarkable that she could trace back to this place, just like the Old Insect.

Behind her, her silver hair danced in the night mist. The woman's figure was silent and still until Qin Ming was five steps away from the Ancient Night Mist Gate. Then she sighed softly, "From this moment on, we will be in two different worlds."

"Don't worry," Qin Ming said rather naturally, then felt that his words were too brief and that he should say something more.

To be more down-to-earth and to match his earlier gesture of patting the other person's head, he turned his back and gently added, "Be good, wait for me to come back."

Actually, his nerves were already on edge. Was he going too far by saying that?
If the woman behind him were an unfathomable master, would she feel seriously offended upon hearing such words?
In the thick fog, the woman remained motionless and whispered, "You made a promise, and I took it seriously."

Qin Ming thought back, he shouldn't have gotten involved in any mysterious contracts, right?

He was only two steps away from the Ancient Night Fog Gate, and he could force his way in. Even if the other party was truly unfathomable, it would be too late to stop him, right?

Just then, a soft voice called from behind: "Wait a minute."

After a moment's consideration, Qin Ming did not hesitate. He stopped, turned around, and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Okay, you can go now." Her silver hair fluttered in the night mist as the woman stood motionless, her eyes clear as a spring, quietly watching him.

"Take care!" Qin Ming nodded, turned around, and stepped into the deep portal.

In this final scene, he even had a strange feeling, as if he really was "Zha Dingming". This damned distance of a few steps made his emotions fluctuate wildly.

Fortunately, he successfully stepped onto familiar ground and truly returned to Yezhou.

Only then did Qin Ming breathe a sigh of relief; everything had finally settled down.

He had reason to suspect that the white tiger female grandmaster, who could be so cute that she was barely the size of a palm, also had the power to transform into a grandmaster-level giant tiger.

As they parted, Qin Ming rubbed her head and stroked her cascading silver hair, hoping to resonate with her, but he didn't notice anything unusual.

In fact, upon careful reflection, he realized that there had been no problems along the way, and the other person's emotional fluctuations were all quite normal.

The more flawless it was, the more flustered Qin Ming became, because everything was too natural, and that was the biggest problem.

Finally, the White Tiger Grandmaster also appeared near the Ancient Misty Gate, making Qin Ming realize that he wasn't just making wild guesses.

"Not weaker than the old bug? At what level is it? That's a bit of a mystery."

That day, Qin Ming returned to Black and White Mountain. His consciousness and body merged into one, and he no longer felt like a rootless duckweed. He felt warm all over and full of energy.

He was drinking local wild tea in his small courtyard. The fragrant aroma made him feel completely relaxed, and he drifted off to another world. The journey was quite eventful.

"However, it was worth it, quite colorful." Qin Ming was very satisfied, reflecting on the grand opening ceremony, feeling that the trip was worthwhile.

He pondered, both the White Tiger Grandmaster and the Dream Insect had been auction items.

"Tigers are also called 'big insects'," Qin Ming murmured.

The giant insect and the dream insect at the Kaiyuan Grand Gathering are quite extraordinary; upon closer examination, the waters run deep.

Qin Ming thought it over carefully. He couldn't go to that world for the time being; both worms were extremely dangerous.

"The Dream Insect was pierced by the golden needle. Unfortunately, we were unable to capture it. With the old insect's phantom protecting it, we were unable to investigate the truth. This race is truly terrifying."

Is Xiaobai really a purebred white tiger?

Qin Ming lay on a recliner in the courtyard, unable to come to his senses for a long time.

He was wondering if he had overlooked anything.

After all, he had once shared a body with the White Tiger Grandmaster, and the thought of that feeling was strange.

"Could it be that she traced my movements based on this?"

"Uncle, you're back?" Wenrui walked into the courtyard and immediately made him tea in a very considerate manner.

Then, the magpie, the red squirrel, the thunder king bird, the divine son Liu Bai, and Wen Hui also came over, making the courtyard extremely lively.

Lu Ze and Liang Wanqing immediately went to prepare a wild game dinner.

"Here, have some fresh fruit." Qin Ming took out some bright red and purple berries.

These fruits aren't exactly rare, but since they can be placed in a master-level storage bracelet, they're not ordinary either; they're the kind of common fruits that fifth-realm experts enjoy on a daily basis.

"Such rich spirituality, the mountain lord is so generous!" Yu Que immediately blinked her jewel-like eyes and flattered him vigorously.

"Delicious!" Liu Mo's youngest son was overjoyed. While eating, he and Wen Hui helped Qin Ming rock the recliner, trying to curry favor in advance so that he could eat and pack some to go.

Qin Ming wasn't worried that the two little ones, who hadn't yet embarked on the path of cultivation, would overeat. This fruit was very filling; they could eat as much as a fingertip-sized one.

Most importantly, these berries are mild in nature and not a potent medicine.

Outside the courtyard wall, a black and white bear about a foot tall rolled to the doorway, looking adorable as it peered into the courtyard. Clearly, this was a skilled protector of Liu Mo's offspring.

It rubbed its dark circles, looking surprised, and muttered to itself, "Wow, the food is so good? It's even better than Black and White Mountain's premium selection."

In the courtyard, the Thunder King Bird asked, "Mountain Lord, what have you been through? Even a casual glance from you is more powerful than before, inspiring awe."

The red squirrel immediately nodded, saying that there was an invisible aura about Uncle Qin that made it feel uneasy.

"Is it that obvious?" Qin Ming was surprised. He had already been very gentle. It seemed that his fierce battle with the Grandmaster and the killing of three of them, plus his final struggle with the terrifying old worm, had imbued him with an invisible killing intent.

The black and white bear at the gate of the courtyard felt a jolt of fear. After careful observation, even a master like it was somewhat alarmed. Just how strong was that kid's true skill?
"This won't do!" Qin Ming circulated his true essence, and immediately, black and white light flowed across his body as he used the Yin and Yang energies to dissolve the killing intent.

A moment later, intricate lightning runes reappeared on his body, and the Purple Gold Pill floated within his body, as if he were refining a Nine-Turn Divine Medicine, causing him to emit a faint fragrance.

Then, he used the Heart Lamp to cleanse his spirit and energy, and in an instant, his flesh and blood became clear and his form and spirit were both wonderful.

……

Not long after, Qin Ming's mind became clear and his temperament refined. He became gentle and peaceful, and could no longer sense those mottled murderous auras.

"The mountain lord is about to become an immortal!"

They discovered that Qin Ming seemed ethereal and otherworldly, as if he were about to ascend to immortality.

"Stop flattering me," he said with a smile.

"How's Wenrui's training going lately?" Qin Ming asked, testing his disciple and giving him some pointers.

After dinner, the courtyard quieted down, and Qin Ming returned to his room to take stock of his spoils.

A seven-colored jade slab, flowing with a soft celestial glow, is a rare find in the world. This is a seven-colored spiritual jade, and the light flowing on it is lustrous and not dazzling, with white celestial mist swirling around it.

No matter how you look at it, this is truly an object of divine power.

"How extravagant! A peerless immortal once used it as a coffin lid. But what good is such pomp and circumstance? It was still dug up, and I reckon the body couldn't even be preserved."

Qin Ming's gaze was mainly fixed on the plant on the seven-colored jade slab. It was like a strange flower from the underworld blooming in the human world. The layers of petals were all engraved with strange patterns, like some kind of lost ancient script.

It's no wonder that there are legends that immortals linger in the mortal world, wander through the realm of the dead, and reappear as flowers.

From its roots and stems to its leaves and petals, the entire plant is jet black.

It and the seven-colored jade slab were encased in a piece of transparent crystal, yet Qin Ming could still faintly smell a unique fragrance.

This is the item that fetched an astronomical price at auction—a reappearance in the human world, with a price exceeding six million gold coins!
Compared to its legend, its practical value is equally terrifying. With the help of thunder and fire, and supplemented with other rare herbs, it can be refined into the Dragon-Tiger Elixir, which even the most powerful Earth Immortals of the seventh realm need.

Unfortunately, it's considered good if one batch succeeds out of five attempts; the success rate is extremely low.

Otherwise, the price would be far higher, and all the top powers would be scrambling to snatch this rare flower.

At the grand opening ceremony, Qin Ming was completely mesmerized, never imagining that this item would eventually end up in his hands.

Qin Ming placed his hand on the spiritual crystal, sensing the wondrous nature of this extraordinary flower.

He was surprised and said, "Huh, what's going on? While we can't believe everything we hear, this priceless herb is indeed a bit unusual."

On the layers of petals, the ancient-looking patterns flowed slowly across the exotic flower like a gentle stream, as he sensed them.

"Something's wrong. Why do I feel like this flower is displaying some kind of lost script?" Qin Ming asked, puzzled.

He tried to resonate, but found it useless; only purely unfamiliar words appeared among the black petals.

Qin Ming pondered for a while, and then a thought struck him. He remembered a true scripture—the Nine Heavens Book, also known as the Abyss Strategy or the Hell Scripture.

"Legend has it that this flower transcends the boundary between life and death. I'll try practicing the 'Hell Sutra' here." He observed the flower while practicing and surprisingly gained some entirely new insights.

"It's a bit eerie, and a bit mysterious." Qin Ming seemed to see black earth covered with writing, corresponding to the complex patterns on the petals.

"Strange, as I practice and comprehend the Dao, some of the words seem ambiguous, but perhaps I will be able to understand them in the future." This gave him a slight jolt.

What information does this priceless flower carry? Qin Ming felt it was very worthy of study, and he wanted to decipher it slowly.

He put them away for the time being and continued to inventory the other items.

"This rare calming incense can instantly bring peace of mind and make one feel at ease with the Daoist principles."

Qin Ming was surprised. This was a high-quality calming incense, from a grandmaster's storage bracelet. This incense could help people comprehend the Dao and was a luxury item for the fifth realm.

It goes without saying that it is expensive and inaccessible to ordinary people.

"Hmm, it's not a small amount. I'll share some with Uncle Meng later; he'll probably be grinning from ear to ear." Every time Qin Ming went to see Meng Xinghai, he would see him burning incense and candles in the living room.

Qin Ming discovered that the masters of the God-like Society were very particular about their food, clothing, and daily necessities. Even their writing brushes, ink, and paper were treasures, including inkstones of the fifth realm that could be used as weapons.

The only drawback is that there isn't much Day Gold in the storage bracelet; those people probably lent it to other companions to support them in bidding.

For example, Xu Jingyue, besides the help from her sect and family, was also heavily in debt, having borrowed a large amount of money from the God-like Society and people around her.

"Really good." Qin Ming looked at the two finger-sized pieces of pitch-black, strange gold, which seemed like an abyss, ready to devour one's mind.

"Lin Shuyue has a trick up his sleeve. The 'Myriad Apertures Illumination Technique' he gave me is missing a few key paragraphs. In addition, his book can lead directly to the early stage of the sixth realm."

Back in Kaiyuan City, the incomplete version provided by Shenzi Lin Shuyue could only be cultivated up to the Grandmaster level at most.

"What a wonderful scripture!" Qin Ming exclaimed after reading it. It was indeed a peerless scripture that even the former president of the Godlike Society had been striving to find and complete.

Putting aside other effects, the mere act of refining and nourishing the physical body was very tempting to Qin Ming, as it might help him alleviate the True Form Tribulation of the Fifth Realm.

Legend has it that if the complete "Secret of All Apertures" were to be made into the world, all the gods would be envious.

"That's outrageous! There's even a secret refining method?" After studying it, Qin Ming discovered that Lin Shuyue's collection included three jars of medicinal mud that could be used in conjunction with the Resonance of Ten Thousand Apertures to increase the speed of cultivation.

"This medicinal mud..." Qin Ming smelled it and quickly identified the scents of six or seven precious medicinal herbs. Putting aside everything else, the value of the medicinal mud itself was terrifyingly expensive.

He immediately took off his clothes, applied a thin layer of medicinal mud as thin as a cicada's wing to his body, sat cross-legged in the room, and began to practice the "Myriad Apertures Illumination Technique".

That night, a thread traveled through his body, connecting all his orifices. In the end, the glowing thread formed a mysterious pattern.

In the latter half of the night, all the orifices resonated and vibrated, and Qin Ming felt completely comfortable, as if bathed in divine light, as if soaking in a pool of precious medicine, cleansing his body and spirit.

"No wonder Lin Shuyue was only cracked and didn't explode after I chased him around with the Heavenly Light Hammer like I was playing whack-a-mole. This divine skill is amazing!"

Qin Ming was amazed and decided to study it thoroughly.

Of course, Lin Shuyue survived mainly because he ran fast; if Qin Ming had hit him repeatedly, he would have been blown to pieces.

The grandmaster's collection contained nothing ordinary; from precious medicines to martial arts techniques to weapons, it had everything.

Unfortunately, Qin Ming couldn't use many of them. However, he felt that next time he participated in an auction, he might not need to fight for them. By utilizing the resources he had, he should be able to participate in the bidding for rare items.

"Speaking of which, the White Tiger Grandmaster was also a priceless auction item I obtained from the God-like Society. Unfortunately, I can't bring her here right now; it's too dangerous."

Late at night, Qin Ming, beaming with joy, tallied up his various spoils. The sheer variety was dazzling; there was everything imaginable, including sachets and loan agreements.

"The Golden Ape Demon, the Old Treant, Qian Ye, and others have all borrowed large amounts of daylight gold from Xu Jingyue. If I have the chance in the future, can I use the contract to collect the debt from her?"

Qin Ming felt that if they met in a certain situation, and it was inconvenient to kill her, then he had to make her pay back her debt.

Although some creditors have died, the contracts still exist.

In this late autumn, Qin Ming had a very leisurely time. He spent his days practicing martial arts on Black and White Mountain, guiding Wen Rui in his cultivation, or going to Meng Xinghai for tea.

He didn't go out and cause any more trouble, mainly because he didn't dare to enter that other world again in the short term.

As the days went by, Qin Ming finally enjoyed a rare period of peace.

Meng Xinghai asked him, "Those outstanding talents in the sky have traveled through the Northern Wilderness, the Western Sea, and Taixu, and are about to enter Yezhou. Little Qin, aren't you going to go and take a look?"

"We'll see," Qin Ming replied.

He and Lao Meng each had a recliner, and while inhaling the unique calming incense, they were both practicing the method of communicating with the spirits in the fourth realm of esoteric Buddhism.

"You've progressed so quickly on this esoteric Buddhist path?" Meng Xinghai thought it was outrageous.

"Not bad," Qin Ming said lazily. His divine wisdom was profound, and he could see into the vast wilderness. At this moment, his mind was already focused on the outside world, as if he had merged with the distant mountains and rivers.

The two chatted casually, discussing various aspects of esoteric Buddhism.

Meng Xinghai said, "It's really interesting. Your reputation here in Yezhou is far less than it is in the other world. You killed a Grandmaster and triggered the legendary Fifth Wonder Insect. Most importantly, you are so young. You must already be a prominent figure there."

Qin Ming said, "It's probably already on the 'menu' of some big organizations, which is far less comfortable and relaxing than staying low-key here."

……

A group of outstanding individuals from the heavens, also referred to by some as a "tourist group," caused quite a stir in various places. They visited the ancestral temples of major religions on earth, entered the Taoist temples of earth immortals, and enthusiastically exchanged scriptures and discussed profound teachings.

At the same time, they are also actively exploring and searching for special weapon fragments.

These were seen as indicators of the various heavenly realms' efforts to strengthen themselves and actively prepare for war.

Now, some news can no longer be kept secret. The Golden List is recovering and may be about to engage in a major external war.

This caused widespread panic, both in the heavens and on the ground, and no one could remain calm.

"The last stop—Night State. After that, we'll return to the heavens. I never imagined that a true dragon was lurking on the ground. It's truly astonishing."

“I feel that some people are no less capable than Wen Dao, Xie Xiyan, and Wei Shouzhen, who passed the preliminary selection of the Jade Capital Supreme Inheritance.”

"Don't forget, Wei Shouzhen also came from the ground. Xie Xiyan is questionable, but Yun Jianyue, Wu Qingyuan, and Wendao were originally core saints."

A group of geniuses made a discovery on the ground and were deeply moved. They unexpectedly encountered an extremely powerful figure.

"Do you think it's true that Tang Yushang has a sealing ring in her body? She's hiding her true strength; she's actually very powerful, after all, she's very likely a descendant of the Lord of Yujing."

"It's hard to say. Some people speculate that it might be some kind of innate limitation that's difficult to overcome."

"Based on our recent exchanges and discussions, that unknown person is still the best; he's really too wild."

A massive spaceship emerged from the mist gate and entered Night State, and they were all discussing it enthusiastically along the way.

"I wonder if there are hidden unicorns in the fields of this land, or unknown young prodigies, such as that Jiang Ran. It is said that this woman is very terrifying."

"Rumor has it that she and Li Qingyue have gone on a long journey."

The group commented on various matters in Yezhou, mentioning those famous immortal and divine species.

In fact, it wasn't just them who arrived; behind them was a large ship carrying some top geniuses from places like the Northern Wilderness and Taixu.

Bai Meng looked at this familiar land, which he had visited more than once, and muttered to himself, "Brother Ming, I told you I would treat you to a meal at Taixu, but why didn't you come? I saw you've come."

He then saw Tang Yushang looking at him and immediately shut his mouth.

At this moment, on the large ship ahead, some people also mentioned Qin Ming, such as Little Celestial Venerable Lu Zheng, his sister Lu Jingli, as well as Zhou Tiandao, Yan Zhuohua and others.

The main reason is that the Chaos Force is truly remarkable. Not long ago, Li Wanfa, the sage's closed-door disciple, sparred with Wu Qingyuan, who had obtained the highest inheritance of the Jade Capital, and was not at a disadvantage.

"Qin Ming has also mastered the Chaos Force. How is he doing now? Jing Li, have you kept an eye on him? Have you invited him to participate in the exchange?"

Lu Jingli responded, "He received the invitation a long time ago, but he has been staying in Black and White Mountain and has no intention of coming out."

"Interesting. Can someone who lies dormant in a remote place, working behind closed doors, rise up quickly? I've heard that he hasn't even reached the fourth realm yet, and he still has a long way to go."

Someone informed me that Qin Ming was from Xinsheng Road, which is already considered very fast.

Zhou Tiandao spoke up: "Well, I've heard a rumor that a truly extraordinary wild Qilin has probably appeared in Yezhou."

"It is said that the strongholds of gray organizations such as Blood Immortal and Longevity Abode were once struck down by a thunderous and ingenious technique." Yan Zhuohua, a classical beauty who seemed to have stepped out of a traditional Chinese ink painting, spoke up. She had also heard the secret.

Who did this?

"Rumor has it that there is a young man named Qian Cheng who can refine lightning for his own use. His methods are divine, and he is suspected to be a dormant true dragon."

However, the masters of organizations such as Blood Immortal and Longevity Abode couldn't figure out where they had offended Qian Cheng, whose background was so mysterious, and why they had been struck so hard by his unique technique, Primordial Myriad Thunder Seal. They shouldn't have had any interaction with each other.

Suddenly, the golden conch shells on Zhou Tiandao and Yan Zhuohua glowed, as if someone was sending them a message from afar.

In fact, it wasn't just them; the expressions of many people, including Feng Zhige and Lu Jingli, changed as well. Even young powerhouses on the ground, such as Tang Yushang and Xiao Jinye, received secret reports through special channels.

"Today, the golden list soars to the sky, a full recovery is underway, and foreign war is not far off!" This latest news sent a shockwave through everyone's hearts.

(End of this chapter)