Night without Borders

Chapter 526 Fame
Jilei Mountain, as its name suggests, is prone to thunderstorms during the rainy season. Even when it is snowing heavily, thunder occasionally rumbles across the dark sky.

Qian Cheng lingered here for many days. He was calm and composed, with a restrained demeanor, and had long lost the dullness he had shown in the Thunderfire Alchemy Hall.

"Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever. Everything has its lifespan. The once glorious Thunder Cult has long since turned to ashes."

Qian Cheng's eyes were like deep pools. In the past six months, he had traveled to various places, exploring all kinds of places related to lightning, hoping to find the complete "Tai Chu Wan Ting Zhuan".

He had already planned his future path, and this was one of the essential lessons he needed to find.

Qian Cheng looked up, and in the blink of an eye, lightning shot out, pulverizing a bird in the night sky. With a flick of his sleeve, a deafening boom echoed as the ground scorched black, and ten feet below, a silver rat was reduced to charcoal.

He frowned. Lately, some shady organizations had been observing him relentlessly, which was quite annoying. Blood Immortals and Demons were one thing, their areas of activity were limited. But Changshengju and Jingshizhai were both related to a large organization deep within the Night Mist World. Could it be that they had discovered his true origins?

……

In the night sky, Qin Ming exhaled like thunder, and a purple-gold pill within his body shone brightly, drawing in the extremely thin tribulation energy from beyond the heavens.

This was a method of refining thunder that he learned after consulting Huang Luogaisan. Since there was no thunderstorm in late autumn, he started with the very mysterious calamity energy.

In the deep sky, Qin Ming rode the wind, refining his golden elixir with fire. His body was crystal clear, and he transformed wisps of tribulation energy into thunder seals, which he then incorporated into the Primordial Heavenly Light. He only stopped after a long time.

"I wonder if Qian Cheng can complete the 'Primordial Myriad Thunder Seals'. I hope he succeeds." This was Qin Ming's heartfelt blessing.

He would like to learn from this if given the opportunity.

However, after careful evaluation, he believed that Qian Cheng was extremely dangerous and of unknown origin, and that if he had to make contact with him, he must be extremely cautious.

In recent days, Qin Ming has received several invitations to go out and exchange ideas, but he has politely declined them all, showing no intention of coming out of seclusion.

Having already stained his hands with the blood of a grandmaster in a foreign land, engaging in "literary duels" would be of little use; it would be far less effective in honing his skills than a life-or-death struggle with swords and spears.

He would rather take some wild game, go have a couple of drinks with Meng Xinghai, and then, slightly tipsy, immerse himself in the mountains and rivers to comprehend the profound teachings of esoteric Buddhism.

Qin Ming, in researching this path, naturally wouldn't confine himself to a single place to achieve godhood.

In this system, there are various ways to become a god. Some people worship unknown beings, some are disrespectful, and some sever all ties and see themselves as the only one.

Within Esoteric Buddhism, there are many theoretical texts, all of which are self-consistent.

Qin Ming had already made up his mind. He wanted to take the path that would break the shackles of mountains and rivers, free from the constraints of the environment, and without having to stay in one place for decades or even centuries.

At this moment, he had returned to his small courtyard, but his heart was still immersed in the mountains and rivers, merging with all things, resonating with and coexisting with the sea of ​​night mist above the nine heavens.

However, this road, which cuts through the terrain's stronghold, is not an easy path; the biggest problem is that it's easy to get lost.

Just like now, without realizing it, Qin Ming mistakenly thought he had transformed into the Black and White Mountain. He remained motionless for a long time, breathing with the grass and trees, gradually becoming as quiet as the mountain itself.

"If I were to truly lose my focus here, I would most likely become a mountain god in the future." Qin Ming's mind revived within his flesh and blood, and his eyes regained their clarity.

This is only the fourth realm—Tongyou—and these problems already exist. If we go to the later stages, we will need to be even more careful.

"No wonder even a peerless master like Chu Canglan from the Secret Sect didn't dare to completely sever his ties with those forbidden lands. He would simply change to a different forbidden land every now and then and re-establish himself there."

In this late autumn, Qin Ming lived a peaceful and tranquil life, undisturbed by anyone. He studied the true scriptures, diligently comprehended the Dao and tested the methods, and sometimes wandered into other worlds, focusing on refining his Daoist practice.

However, rumors about him have always circulated, and he is quite famous.

"Qin Ming of Black and White Mountain has such a big ego. Anyone who didn't know him would think he had become a grandmaster and was aloof from the world."

Some people expressed their dissatisfaction because they had invited him to come out of retirement several times, but he refused each time.

This exchange meeting was of a very high standard, featuring top young talents from all walks of life, both in the sky and on the ground. Many people wanted to participate but were not qualified.

"I heard he's still in the third realm and hasn't been able to ignite his inner lamp. If we let him step into a higher realm, wouldn't he be arrogant?" someone said casually.

"Say less, everyone has their own ambitions."

In Yezhou, the winds of change were blowing. The outstanding young and middle-aged talents from the heavens and the earth gathered here, not only to discuss the principles but also to engage in practical exchanges.

This naturally sparked various topics and heated discussions.

"I believe that a grandmaster has already emerged among our generation. I wonder if you believe it."

"You're dreaming. A fifth-realm expert in his early twenties? Looking at the entire territory radiating from Yujing, even counting the dead, can you dig one up for me?"

This unexpectedly sparked a debate.

Some firmly believe that some members of the younger generation have already broken through to the fifth level.

Many others shook their heads, simply disbelieving it and thinking it was far too exaggerated.

"Who told you that you have to be in your twenties? Becoming a grandmaster in your thirties or forties isn't considered young, is it? After all, even a centenarian grandmaster is still considered a rising star!"

When such words were uttered, many people had to seriously consider them. If this were the case, there would most likely be very "young" grandmasters.

"Wen Dao, Xie Xiyan, and Wei Shouzhen, what are their real ages, and what realm are they at now?"

"I don't know, but I think that in the context of a great era in which intense clashes are destined to occur between supreme civilizations, there might be very young grandmasters emerging."

People listed one suspect after another, seriously discussing who among them was the true hidden master.

For example, some people have split into two bodies, and the day they merge may be the day they break through a major barrier.

"By the way, what's the situation with that Li Wanfa? How old is he? He fought Wu Qingyuan to a draw."

"This is really hard to investigate. There's a saying that the 'young people' on Xinsheng Road are like a woman's age—a secret that shouldn't be pried into."

Those from the new system were speechless upon hearing this.

Soon, some people mentioned some prominent figures on Xinsheng Road, believing that Little Buddha was enough to replace Qin Ming, since the two practiced the same method, but the former was at a higher level.

You could even say that this is a "high-quality alternative".

The only drawback of Little Buddha is that he is definitely much older than Qin Ming.

Qin Ming's absence from the exchange meeting caused dissatisfaction among some people, who showed little favoritism towards him in discussions and comparisons.

However, when these people came to this pure land outside the secular world to visit and exchange ideas, their views changed.

Cui Chonghe emerged from the shadows, and even though he is now crippled, he reappeared, attended the meeting with composure, and discussed philosophy with others, displaying a truly remarkable performance.

Qin Ming is no simple person; he was able to turn the tables on this kind of person and completely defeat him.
Moreover, some people had personally witnessed the great battle between Qin Ming and Cui Chong.

"That guy from Black and White Mountain has no weaknesses except for his relatively low cultivation level."

Cui Chonghe appeared calm, but his heart was in turmoil. He wanted to face the future with composure, but his first step in his comeback was being compared to Qin Ming.

Even the most magnanimous person would find it impossible to truly let go at this moment, let alone him, who was deeply concerned about this tragedy and had been so angry that he vomited blood repeatedly.

Li Qingxu approached and asked, "I heard that your teacher, Sun Taichu, consulted my teacher in detail about the methods of destruction and construction for your sake. Would you like me to take you to see my master?"

Cui Chong ignored him, picked up a glass of amber-colored wine, and drank it all in one gulp.

However, when he saw Li Qingxu walking towards Wang Caiwei, his calm expression crumbled. He thought that Li Bai was a real scoundrel and was deliberately trying to provoke him.

In the Pure Land, a renowned prodigy from the Eastern Land Immortal Palace suffered a crushing defeat in a sparring match against Helian Zhaoyu, who was at the same cultivation level, immediately drawing attention. "He's a descendant of Helian Chengyun? No wonder," someone exclaimed.

Helian Chengyun did not change his life form, broke through the great barrier, became the Seven-Day Assembler, and was revered as a true immortal. Now, his fame is known to all.

People discovered that his descendant, Helian Zhaoyu, actually followed the path of esoteric Buddhism, and was honing himself through the method of "ten thousand forgings," condensing his cultivation, as if doing subtraction. Among those of the same level, he was truly exceptionally powerful.

Many people stepped forward to spar with him personally.

"Indeed remarkable. There are actually multiple deities standing in the inner realm. Is this an attempt to fuse them together and forge a top-tier deity in the future?"

Many people were astonished, and most importantly, several prodigies had been defeated by him in their matches.

Subsequently, everyone learned that Helian Zhaoyu had suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Qin Ming years ago, which immediately sparked a flurry of whispers.

Previously, those extraordinary talents from the heavens and beyond Yezhou had a lot of complaints about Qin Ming not giving them face. Now, upon hearing this news, their expressions froze slightly.

Doesn't this mean that many of the people who went to spar with Qin Ming have indirectly lost to him? They were quite embarrassed.

Su Mohua pouted and said, "I told you, my master Qin Mingyuan is far more capable than some of you arrogant guys!"

Someone laughed and said, "Little Su, you really don't give people any face."

In the distance, Zhou Tiandao, Feng Zhige, Lu Jingli, and others also heard the discussion and came over.

Pei Shuyan, a top-tier immortal from the Pure Land, spoke up: "It seems that fellow Daoists from the Northern Wilderness, the Eastern Land, and the Heavenly Realm do not know much about Qin Ming. In a battle between cultivators of the same realm, he is truly not afraid of anyone."

When these things were mentioned, the gods and immortals of Yezhou all nodded in agreement.

Zhuo Qingming recalled for a moment and said, "Back then, when we were fighting a great battle against the demons of the Western Region, Qin Ming killed more than a dozen Heavenly Demons by himself, which really shocked his peers in the demon camp."

"Damn it!" Clearly, some top young powerhouses from the demon camp have also arrived, and now they are all in the same large camp as Yujing, temporarily halting the fighting.

Now, their faces were all black. The group from Yezhou were practically spitting in their faces, and then slapping them in the face with the soles of their muddy shoes.

Su Mohua smiled and said, "My master is just that strong. When he first debuted as a young man, he was already dominating the Divine Desolation Plains."

Someone advised, "Little Su, stop bragging and be more reserved. Didn't you see that the demon's face was as black as the bottom of a pot? Besides, he's just a master you took a liking to on a whim, so don't take him seriously. Moreover, he's on the path of new life, and in a few years, maybe your cultivation level will surpass his and you'll be able to catch up."

Su Mohua chuckled and said, "Once a teacher, always a teacher... also a brother, what's wrong? I'm just stating the facts about his achievements."

When Feng Zhige and Yan Zhuohua arrived, they both nodded. They had witnessed Qin Ming's skills firsthand in Tucheng and both acknowledged his extraordinary combat prowess.

Lu Zheng and Lu Jingli, the brother and sister, showed surprise. The main character hadn't even arrived yet, but some people were already praising him so highly. It seemed they had underestimated the young people of Black and White Mountain.

Of course, not everyone favors Qin Ming.

Someone chuckled and said, "He's so strong. If we were to fight someone of the same realm, could he compare to Wen Dao, who occupies the third Great Dao Flower? Could he compare to Wei Shouzhen, who also comes from the ground? Why don't we arrange for him to challenge those two?"

……

In late autumn, frost covers the ground, the wind carries a chill, and red and yellow leaves fall.

After Qin Ming finished practicing his martial arts in the mountains, he carried the game towards the village and immediately saw Bai Meng standing at the village entrance, talking to Wen Rui.

"Brother Ming!"

"Why are you here?" Qin Ming asked in surprise.

Aside from his big nose and big ears, Bai Meng was still quite handsome. He smiled broadly and said, "Haven't I seen you in a long time? You haven't been out of the mountains, so I made a special trip to meet you. How about it, aren't you touched?"

Qin Ming approached, carrying the game, and said with a smile, "I'm so touched that I'd like to have a little spar with you."

Bai Meng immediately waved his hand and said, "No, I don't want to get hit!"

"Come on, I'll treat you to some wild game and fine wine," Qin Ming invited him into the village.

Wenrui had already taken the yellow sheep from his master and taken it away to clean it up.

"Brother Ming, you don't know, even before you've left the mountain, your reputation has already soared. Those defeated opponents of yours have indirectly made you famous, and it can be considered that they fought for you..." Bai Meng rattled off a string of words, leaving Qin Ming slightly lost in thought.

When talking about the past, he naturally thought of some people. He wondered how Xiao Wu and Xiang Yiwu were doing. Would they come back this time with the unusual changes in the list of successful candidates?
Qin Ming was somewhat worried, as there was still no news of the two people, and he didn't know where they were.

Bai Meng was also somewhat moved, saying, "I miss them too. Thinking back to those days, it feels like we were just talking about drinking and laughing together. Where have those two gone? I hope they can show up in time for the war."

Soon, his eyes widened, and he said, "Brother Ming, this wine of yours... is it a Grandmaster-level offering? This is definitely a rare and precious wine. Moreover, it seems that this wine jar also has an exotic feel to it. I'm not used to not hearing you make a big fuss for so long. Did you go to another world to hunt Grandmasters?"

Qin Ming said, "Don't talk nonsense! I don't even dare to go to your Taixu, how could I dare to go to another region alone and cause trouble?"

“What’s wrong with our Taixu? There are no man-eating monsters here. I was all set to treat you to a lavish meal last time, but you didn’t come with the tour group.”

Qin Ming glanced at him and said, "Isn't your sister considered extremely unlucky? If I went there, I'd be skinned alive. Besides, were you threatened and intimidated by your sister last time, which is why you wrote to me, trying to trick me into going?"

Bai Meng wiped his sweat and said, "Brother Ming, don't say that. My sister is a very nice person."

Qin Ming nodded in approval: "She's alright, but too fierce and holds grudges. It's been so long, and she's still trying to get back at me!"

Bai Meng retorted, "Brother Ming, you can't say that. If you don't hold grudges, how come you haven't forgotten these things? It's only human nature."

Qin Ming looked at him and said, "Xiao Bai, you're being very wrong. Your sister isn't here, so why are you speaking up for her? You weren't like this before."

Bai Meng broke out in a sweat and said, "Brother Ming, don't wrong me. I will always stand firmly on my sister's side!"

Qin Ming said, "Last time, you even took the initiative to tell me about your sister..."

"No, I didn't say that!" Bai Meng exclaimed anxiously.

Qin Ming said, "Why are you in such a hurry? Although Da Tang is petty, holds grudges, and is extremely fierce, she's not here after all. What are you afraid of?"

"Brother Ming, don't say anything more, let's drink!"

Qin Ming noticed something amiss and said, "Damn, Bai Meng, you're really not being fair. Who are you secretly communicating with using that conch shell?"

"I forgot to turn it off." Bai Meng said sheepishly, clearly he had been threatened. Bringing the conch shell into the village, Tang Yushang obviously wanted to know how her old rival was talking about her behind her back.

Qin Ming took the conch shell from Bai Meng and greeted him warmly, saying, "Great Tang, long time no see, how are you?"

"I heard everything you just said about me!" Tang Yushang gritted her teeth, her voice carrying clearly.

Qin Ming: “…”

"Go ahead and try leaving Black and White Mountain if you dare!" Tang Yushang threatened bluntly.

"Come here if you dare," Qin Ming said with a smile, not intimidated at all.

In fact, he couldn't laugh that day. After the list of successful candidates continued to fluctuate, he actually began to recruit famous old monsters and young geniuses from all over the world.

Undoubtedly, Qin Ming is on the roster and has been asked to report for duty as soon as possible.

Therefore, his smile froze, and he was forced to come out of seclusion.

(End of this chapter)