Night without Borders

Chapter 531 The Beginning of the First Glimpse of Dawn

The vast, boundless abyss resembled the desolate universe, where the stars had all died out. All around was an endless expanse of darkness and deathly silence, where even time seemed to stand still.

Qin Ming ventured deeper and deeper, reaching the bottom of an abyss where it was pitch black. Suddenly, thousands of luminous threads appeared, swaying incessantly.

The threads were as fine as cow's hair, silvery and crystalline, like crushed starlight condensed into lines, dazzling in the absolute darkness. They were densely packed, each one long, dancing erratically.

The silk threads, each over ten meters long, all pointed to the same source, where a fluffy, glowing bird's nest emanated a weathered and weary sound.

"Finally... I've been waiting for you..."

Qin Ming, clad in five-colored liquid armor, with a yellow canopy above his head and a gleaming longsword in hand, stood ready as he approached the source of the sound.

That should be a human head; the silvery-white threads, several meters long, were his flowing hair, isolated within a curtain of light.

Clang!
Amidst the flying sparks, the silver threads struck the light screen with metallic clanging and a surge of Daoist energy, unable to penetrate the seemingly soft layer of light.

Qin Ming's feet were enveloped in crystalline liquid gold, and his entire body glowed. He stood holding his sword and asked, "Who are you, and why are you calling me?"

All the hair receded like the tide, revealing the truth there.

The so-called head is very blurry and not a tangible object; it is more like a ball of light, with each strand of hair like starlight, because it is not a real object.

It was a vaguely human-shaped silhouette, encased in a tattered suit of armor.

At the bottom of the dark abyss, a tattered suit of armor is the only physical object.

Is that humanoid light a spirit of the artifact, or is a person's consciousness imprisoned here?

This strange gold armor, riddled with cracks and large holes, is severely damaged in areas such as the left leg, abdomen, right arm, and head.

Only half of the entire suit of armor remains.

In this abyss, compared to other fragments of treasures, this is considered a relatively intact suit of armor.

It was rather dull, but it had nine colors and incorporated a wide variety of exotic metals, so it must have been an unparalleled suit of armor back then.

To forge this special weapon, a considerable amount of celestial blood is required.

Most importantly, the tattered armor was firmly locked by chains made of a strange metal, the other end of which disappeared into the void.

No matter how you look at it, this armor has a demonic quality; otherwise, why would it be locked up?
"You've come to see me now, so you can take me away, right?" The faint figure looked up from within the armor, his eyes filled with eagerness, longing, and anxiety.

Qin Ming realized that the person he was looking for was not him.

“We’re not familiar with each other, we’re even strangers, aren’t we? We weren’t even born in the same era, I don’t know anything about you.” The five-colored battle suit on Qin Ming’s body spoke.

"Take me away!" Inside the tattered armor that was locked up, the hazy figure was very anxious, with burning eyes staring ahead.

The five-colored treasure fragment realized that the other party was not asking it for help.

Qin Ming knew who he was talking to—that tattered cloth!

"Why won't you pay attention to me? Why won't you revive? I've been with you for so long." The figure in the nine-colored golden armor seemed very agitated.

He struggled violently, but all his efforts were in vain; he couldn't break free.

After a long time, Yijinbu spoke: "You are dead."

The figure trapped inside the armor shook its head violently, saying, "No, I am your owner. You can free me, and I can reappear in the world!"

The five-colored treasure fragment said, "Who is he talking to? Another one has gone mad."

The yellow parasol spun, and auspicious purple mist dripped down from the tassels. It said, "Whether he's crazy or not, I don't know, but there's definitely another monster talking."

Unfortunately, it can't hear it either.

Clearly, only Qin Ming and that hazy figure could hear Old Bu's voice.

"You have a way to help me reappear in the world, don't you?" the figure in the tattered armor asked.

Yi Jin preached: "The connection begins with the first glimpse of dawn and ends with the dust of the heart; the past can never be revisited."

The figure in the tattered armor froze, then said, "I was once your owner, just one step away from reaching the next level. How could you abandon me?"

Qin Ming was deeply shocked. Up until now, he was only the "temporary owner" of Old Bu, while this "former" had already shed the word "temporary".

Furthermore, even within the relationship of "ownership," there is the "view from upstairs."

Qin Ming observed calmly, seeing that Yi Jinbu was ruthless and had clearly given up on his "ex".

The blurry figure turned to stare at Qin Ming and solemnly said, "Young man, how about we make a deal? Lend me a hundred years of life in the mortal realm, and I will grant you a lifetime of overlooking the mortal world!"

As he spoke, many of his silver-white hairs danced on his head, turning into starlight, and finally coalesced into a piece of paper covered with words, struggling to pierce through the light curtain and reveal a corner.

"We'll sign a fair contract!" he gasped, on the verge of fading away.

Qin Ming immediately stepped back and shook his head firmly. He had been very sensitive to all kinds of contracts lately and there was no need for him to get involved in uncertain areas. Who knew if there was any danger?

A thunderclap struck, and the aura of calamity appeared. With a deafening roar, the corner of the paper that had been exposed from the light screen exploded and vanished into thin air.

The figure within the tattered armor sighed, remained silent for a long time, and then said, "If it were someone else, what would they choose? Could anyone have handled the past better?"

Then, Qin Ming discovered that things had changed; the scenery he saw was completely different.

He forgot the abyss; now he stood amidst blood and fire, his heart torn apart. He saw Li Qingyue gracefully descending, bathed in divine light, her white robes untouched by worldly dust. But then… with a whoosh, she was slashed down by a dazzling immortal sword.

A poignant flash of blood, tattered white robes, and a body falling from the night sky, its life extinguished, plummeting into the abyss.

Then, Qin Ming saw his grandfather, dressed in tattered clothes, walking on the ground, when he was shot by an arrow and blown to pieces, with blood, flesh and bone fragments flying everywhere.

At this moment, unaware of the cause and effect, he stood there, feeling as if he had truly experienced all of this. Instantly, his eyes widened in fury, and his blood seemed to burn.

He drew his sword, his hair flying wildly, his eyes bloodshot, and charged out...

Qin Ming was overwhelmed with emotion, his whole body trembling, unaware of what he had just experienced.

Beside him, a fragment of the five-colored treasure sighed, "Another one gone mad!"

"How is it?" Yi Jinbu asked, but only Qin Ming, who was gradually coming to his senses, and the blurry figure could hear him.

The figure within the nine-colored armor said, "I really want to keep the appointment myself again!"

Yi Jin preached: "He is more radical than you and a bit more capable in combat. If it were in that era, he might have been able to fight his way through."

"The past can never be relived." The blurry figure gradually faded away and finally fell silent.

The armor shook more and more violently, tightening all the strange gold chains that bound it, making a clanging sound, and the Daoist flames shot out incessantly.

Qin Ming shook his head vigorously, wanting to curse. What had he gone through? He only remembered the scene of Li Qingyue being beheaded and his grandfather being shot to death; he had no recollection of what happened after that.

He said in a deep voice, "You've gone too far!"

Then he asked, "Who are you?"

"I am a memory of the past. Take me as a warning, or you will become me. Goodbye." The entire nine-colored armor extinguished and disappeared into the darkness.

In the end, Qin Ming left the bottom of the abyss with a heavy heart. The "ex-boyfriend" he saw seemed to be in a terrible state. What had he gone through? Even now, he still couldn't let it go.

……

Outside the abyss, where a group of old masters stood, Xie Muze's body trembled slightly, his eyes like ice blades. He never expected that his niece would be in such a miserable state.

The other grandmasters were also shocked. The Xie family's proud daughter was cut off diagonally at the shoulder and then horizontally at the waist, breaking into four large pieces. A large amount of blood mist rose up as she fled in panic.

"Jingxian, who hurt you?" Xie Muze's voice was deep. Not long ago, he was still self-assured and indifferent, comparing his niece to the bright moon hanging high in the sky.

As a result, in the blink of an eye, Xie Jingxian, whom Xingchen Mountain was focusing on cultivating and who possessed the dual Grandmaster level, escaped in such a tragic way.

Xie Muze felt his face was burning with embarrassment. He had boasted for once and was basking in everyone's praise with a touch of pride, only to be slapped in the face by reality.

“I don’t know him. He suddenly intervened, and we had a serious conflict over the fragments of the revived treasure…” Xie Jingxian was still trembling with anger at the thought of him calling her an old hag. That opponent was too hateful.

Xie Muze looked surprised and said, "What? We've really encountered a revived treasure, that active substance..."

Xie Jingxian felt a tightness in her chest and said, "I offered up the active metal, but it was intercepted in the end, and I was unable to take out that special weapon fragment."

"A self-proclaimed grandmaster, really... has a death wish!" Xie Muze's face was icy cold, but that was all he could say. Could he possibly take action?
The list of successful candidates in the imperial examinations set strict rules, and he dared not overstep them.

Xie Jingxian made a mistake and suffered a serious injury, causing a huge uproar.

……

Qin Ming emerged from the abyss, dressed in five-colored robes, immediately attracting countless gazes from the outside.

This kind of thing couldn't be hidden no matter how hard you tried, after all, many people in the abyss were watching at the time.

Moreover, news had already spread that the fragments of the Five-Colored Treasure had fallen into his hands.

Now, many people are watching, their hearts are restless, and they can't take their eyes off the scene.

"Someone else has struck gold and obtained a fragment of a priceless treasure. It's making everyone jealous!"

An uproar erupted outside the abyss, causing a huge sensation.

Xie Muze stared at the figure, looking at the gleaming five-colored battle armor on his body. He felt as if his old face had swelled up. Thinking of the words he had once said, "Chayu and Shanjun," he wanted to swallow them all back.

In particular, a group of old guys nearby were watching him, and some of them didn't give him any face at all, grinning on the spot, while others couldn't help but laugh.

Xie Muze felt his face burning, no less than if he had been slapped several times in public, making him unable to stay any longer.

"The active substances containing rich Daoist essence have all been given away. I was originally interested in that special weapon fragment..." Xie Jingxian said, her voice filled with resentment.

At that time, the five-colored treasure fragments did indeed give her great hope in order to enjoy the "delicious food".

That's why she's feeling incredibly distressed right now, realizing she was only half a step away from success, only to lose a legendary treasure. Clearly, the active substance she gave away was incredibly valuable; otherwise, it wouldn't have caused the two grandmasters of the Xie family to feel such heartache, their faces turning pale, and their desire to snatch Qin Ming away immediately.

"I think this young man surnamed Qin is not bad, not as bad as Lao Xie said."

"Well, I'm planning to make contact with him later. Old Xie, you won't be so petty as to be upset, will you?"

Several senior masters spoke up one after another, their eyes burning with fervor as they stared at the figure emerging from the abyss.

Clearly, Qin Ming's status has risen after obtaining the fragments of the treasure, making him even more attractive to various parties.

Xie Muze was filled with resentment and anger, realizing that this boy and the five-colored treasure on his body were destined to be "out of his reach".

……

"Sister Huang, where is your Supreme Dojo? How did you end up in this predicament?" asked the fragment of the Five-Colored Treasure.

Huang Luo, with her umbrella, replied, "Call me 'aunt' or 'mother' if you like."

"Little girl!"

Two priceless treasures from different civilizations started fighting.

Bai Meng exclaimed in amazement: "Brother Ming, you are truly amazing! You actually obtained a five-colored treasure. In terms of the variety of mixed metals, it is currently second to none."

Qin Ming said, "The amount of mixed metals does not represent the grade or strength of a treasure; the two are unrelated."

Some acquaintances, such as Pei Shuyan and Zhuo Qingming, also came to see this special weapon.

"Qin Ming, you have truly surprised us and broadened our horizons." Princess Yao Ruoxian of the Great Yu Dynasty glanced at him with her beautiful eyes and earnestly asked how to make the fragments of the supreme treasure revive on their own.

She and Qin Ming were very close, so she didn't stand on ceremony and asked very directly.

Qin Ming did have a way; he resonated with the "laws" of more than one special weapon, but he dared not spread them easily.

If someone around him were to obtain fragments of a supreme treasure, trouble would surely follow. Not only would the Golden List not allow it, but even those old monsters of the seventh realm would keenly cast their gazes upon him and lock onto him.

If we really investigate and dig deeper, he will be in big trouble.

Qin Ming pondered that arranging one for Yu Gengsheng or Meng Xinghai to test the waters would be enough.

After a long discussion, a group of acquaintances decided to try again tomorrow, since the list of successful applicants didn't say they could only enter once.

"Hey, my sister got one too!" Bai Meng noticed Tang Yushang walk out. She had obtained a broken chain, as lustrous as mutton fat jade. When it was transformed into armor, it looked like a star net woven across her body.

Bai Meng knew that Tang Yushang herself possessed a "jade mirror," which would most likely be given to him for protection during a major battle.

Tang Yushang was tall and slender, her black dress unable to conceal her curvaceous figure. She walked gracefully with her long legs, and as she passed Qin Ming, she raised her snow-white chin and said, "The five days will be here soon."

Qin Ming turned his head to look at her and said, "Do you really want to spar?"

"Don't tell me you're scared?" Tang Yushang glanced sideways, her eyebrows slightly raised, quite arrogant indeed. Clearly, she was still holding a grudge and wanted to beat Qin Ming up.

"Just don't regret it later." Qin Ming was prepared to grant her wish.

Yao Ruoxian laughed and said, "When does it start? I'll come and watch!"

"Let's watch together!" A group of acquaintances, always eager for a good show.

"Let's have a closed-door sparring session." Tang Yushang, fearing she might accidentally cause a disaster, cautiously declined their offer.

……

That evening, Pei Shuyan and Bai Meng received so many gifts that their hands were sore, because even more people wanted to meet and talk to Qin Ming through them, and these were all powerful figures.

Qin Ming had seen the list and found that they were all from incredibly prestigious dojos, such as Lei Ze Palace, Zi Xiao Cave, and Piao Miao Peak.

He had already made contact with people from Tian Shen Ling and Xing Chen Shan. If he refused these powerful forces of similar caliber, he would naturally offend people.

In the end, he gladly accepted the invitation. Surely not every large organization is like Xie Muze of Xingchen Mountain, who is like a dog, turning his back on people so easily.

Sure enough, he met with several companies, and the meetings were all quite pleasant; the other parties were very polite.

Actually, the main reason is that he obtained a special weapon, which made everyone envious. Regardless of his past, even some old monsters from the Earth Immortal realm want to get their hands on and study the fragments of the treasure.

Master Zhou Lin of Zixiao Cave spoke up: "Brother Qin, if there are no unforeseen circumstances, after the great war, these treasures will definitely be taken back to the abyss, because they are all more or less insane."

He continued, "Have you considered renting it out for a while?"

Qin Ming immediately shook his head and refused, saying, "The great battle is getting closer and closer, almost suffocating. I'm counting on it to save my life and survive on the battlefield."

Are you kidding me? There's no room for negotiation on this.

These people wanted to win him over, but what they really coveted was this treasure.

Zhou Lin said, "This...it was indeed my oversight, and I apologize for the offense. How about this, for now, could we take a look at it?"

Qin Ming said, "The fragments of the treasure have a spirit, and I'm worried they might be angry."

The five-colored treasure secretly transmitted its voice: "You're right, what do these people take me for?"

Qin Ming secretly communicated with it, saying, "I reckon some old monsters want to study you. They have too many good things in their possession, like active substances..."

The five-colored treasure fragment immediately changed its tune, saying, "Is that so? Why not let them broaden their horizons!"

Zhou Lin said, "Brother Qin, we certainly won't leave empty-handed."

Qin Ming nodded and said, "Well, I'll try to persuade it. From what I understand, it likes active substances that contain rich Daoist energy."

“Yes…!” Zhou Lin nodded immediately.

Qin Ming handed over a piece of paper and said, "In addition, I would also like to study these six kinds of herbs."

In the other world, he obtained the "Myriad Apertures Illumination Technique" and three jars of medicinal mud from the divine child Lin Shuyue. After being analyzed by Huang Luo Gai San, he knew that the ingredients of the medicinal mud were all extremely rare and precious medicines.

Therefore, Qin Ming also took the opportunity to ask for those rare and precious medicines.

The five-colored treasure fragments are glowing. I'm wondering, whose weapon is this that's interested in herbs? This is just a middleman making a profit.

Zhou Lin was speechless, but after thinking about it, he nodded in agreement, since he needed someone's help.

However, not long after he left with that piece of paper, his expression turned grim. It turned out that those were all rare and precious medicines, meant for grandmasters.

He felt that this kid was really not one to suffer a loss. He hadn't even reached the fourth realm yet, but he was already asking for the precious medicine that Grandmasters used to nourish their bodies and strengthen their spirits.

Zhou Lin said, "It's difficult to gather all of them. In a short period of time, we can only come up with two types."

"Alright then." Qin Ming reluctantly agreed, and made a request: if there were only two kinds of rare medicine, then more would need to be sent.

He's not in a hurry; there's always another supplier. He can sell the same item to multiple buyers, taking his time.

In just one night, Qin Ming gathered six kinds of major medicines, and in considerable quantities!
Afterwards, the five-colored treasure fragment reflected and said, "I feel like something's not right. Did I lose my integrity, or are you just too shameless?"

Qin Ming said, "You've just recovered and don't understand the ways of the world. Actually, this is... a win-win situation!"

"Young lady, I think he's lying to me, don't you think?"

Huang Luo, with his umbrella, said, "Give me half of your active substance, and I will tell you the true meaning of this world."

……

In the evening, Qin Ming returned to the camp on the edge of the wild forest and saw the extraordinary people and young leaders of the New Life Path. Although they did not look old, the vicissitudes in their eyes were much greater than those of real young people.

He felt deeply that the road to a new life was truly difficult.

That night, he sat quietly for a long time, sorting out all his knowledge, and for the first time felt the urge to try to forge a path.

Much later, he sighed, saying that reshaping a system is too difficult. At present, he is only integrating the paths of his predecessors. He is not yet at the top of the pyramid. How easy is it to "create something new"?
However, the main road is hard to change, and he felt he could figure out some shortcuts and some health tips.

For example, he had thoroughly studied the "Scripture of Preserving Life," "Scripture of Changing Fate," "Scripture of the Divine Cicada," "Scripture of Black and White," and "Scripture of Refining the Body and Uniting with the Dao." These all had the effect of changing one's physique, enhancing one's innate qualities, and promoting transformation and longevity.

In addition, the "Secret of All Apertures" that he recently obtained also has remarkable effects in this field.

Qin Ming sat silently for the entire night. He used the silk calligraphy to blend various scriptures, temporarily removing those domineering, burdensome, or even harmful parts of the scriptures. He disregarded offensive power and focused solely on health preservation methods, carefully integrating them into a single text.

Clearly, this is a weakened version of the "Traditional Classics for Nourishing Life" method. If some parts are not removed, it would be too domineering, and ordinary people would inevitably explode if they practiced it to the end.

Moreover, this is only the first edition.

Early in the morning, Qin Ming went to find the extraordinary individuals and young sect leaders on the New Life Path, handed them the "First Chapter of Nourishing Life" to read, and asked them to give it a try.

"Wonderful! This can...nourish the body. Brother Qin, how did you come up with this?"

"It integrates with the calligraphy of silk, and then removes the overly domineering and harmful parts. It does not pursue offensive power, but only focuses on the more gentle health preservation field." In fact, Qin Ming did not go into details. This involves the "Destiny Changing Scripture" and other things. Only he has mastered it. Even some of the ancestors gave up and threw the book away back then.

Now, by testing the method himself, he has identified the parts that ordinary people can practice, which naturally has extraordinary effects.

Qin Ming said, "This is only the first chapter. We will study it together and improve it gradually."

"Truly... remarkable. I look forward to the day when you become a grandmaster and patriarch, paving a new path for my new system!"

A group of people were invigorated and excited. They looked at the young man as if they saw hope for the future of Xinsheng Road.

……

"Qin Ming, you can't escape now, the time has come!" Tang Yushang arrived at the door as promised, she really had been keeping an eye on the time.

Today, she wore a red dress, just like when we first met at the Great Thunder Temple. Her figure was slender and graceful, her long black hair flowed like a waterfall, and her beautiful face was flawless, stunningly beautiful.

She clenched her pale fist, her slender fingers gleaming, and even her fair chin was raised, as if she were about to give Qin Ming a good beating. Tang Yushang was radiant and full of confidence, saying, "Are you ready?"

(End of this chapter)