Night without Borders

Chapter 356: Turbulent Clouds and Trouble
Under the long night, on a giant ship adorned with gold and colorful decorations on the Linghu Lake in Ruicheng, a group of geniuses were stumped by two scriptures.

Wu Yaozu frowned deeply. He stepped forward, feeling dizzy from the complex energy flow diagram of the "Fate-Changing Scripture," and asked Qin Ming for help.

In the pitch-black sky, snowflakes fell, turning into water droplets as they approached the Spirit Lake. A light drizzle fell, and the lake shimmered with golden light.

Qin Ming did not immediately begin to study the true scriptures. His gaze pierced through the raindrops, looking at the vast expanse of water, his thoughts drifting to distant lands.

"The 'wanderer' who disappeared for many years has returned, entering and leaving various ruins. I wonder what he is really looking for, it may not be the ancient scriptures."

These young prodigies also have their own mission: to communicate with the seeds of Night State and exchange true knowledge.

Currently, there is no disturbance between the two sides, and they seem to have reached some kind of "tacit understanding".

However, this is only the initial contact; what will the future hold?

Qin Ming knew that even though they were all human, in this unpredictable world of night fog filled with the law of the jungle, their relationship was as precarious as a candle flame in the wind.

In Pugong, the mountains and rivers are adorned with brocade, and the cultivation civilization is highly developed. Earth Immortals appear, and there are also Seven-Day Stackers guarding the area. If they take Yezhou as their prey, the consequences will be terrible.

Qin Ming guessed that their current wariness of Yezhou was mainly due to the fact that Yujing had temporarily stationed himself in this area.

However, the "tacit understanding" will eventually disappear one day.

After all, they had an "insider".

Those born in Yezhou who are "wanderers" can pave the way for them.

In particular, some highly respected "wanderers" have not yet returned, such as the founder of the Bo calligraphy school and Helian Chengyun's uncle.

If one day such a "sage" returns to Yezhou, who will be in charge of the ancestral temples of each road?
Faced with such a complex and unpredictable situation fraught with hidden dangers, one wonders how the founder of Yezhou will deal with it; he must be having a major headache over it.

In addition, there is a rumor that Yujing is fluctuating, and the earthen city related to it is showing signs of revival, and it is unknown what kind of monsters will emerge.

The night is dark and the road ahead is long; no one knows what the future holds for Yezhou.

When Qin Ming thought of the undercurrents of power, the scene of a group of teenagers pondering the scriptures seemed insignificant, rather bland, and even "tasteless."

He then shook his head to clear his head. He had gotten a little carried away and thought too far ahead. He was just a teenager, and he should focus on the present.

As for the sky collapsing, it's not his place to step forward and hold it up; even if he wanted to, he wouldn't be able to.

Under the same night sky, snow was falling on one side, covering the buildings in white, while a light rain was drizzling down, falling into the golden lake and wetting the shimmering silver lotus flowers.

The girl in white, Luo Yao, racked her brains, but she just couldn't figure out that page of the true scripture. She felt like her head was about to explode, and her mind was a complete mess.

She spotted the guy not far away, who was acting strangely and even seemed to be enjoying tea.

She knew that the boy from Black and White Mountain had an extraordinary level of comprehension, comparable to her sister.

"Why don't you read the scriptures? Can you understand them?" she asked softly.

"Pour the tea." Qin Ming sat cross-legged on the futon and pointed to the thin, white porcelain cup on the low tea table.

Luo Yao got up, brewed tea, and poured it, her movements fluid and graceful, all in one smooth motion. Only after she finished did she realize how she had ever listened to him. She had been far too obedient!
She realized that she had been in charge of these things when Qin Ming went to the Immortal Land last time, and it had become a kind of habit, so she reacted subconsciously at this moment.

She almost punched herself; she really had become a tea-pouring maid.

"Are you capable? Can you figure it out?" she urged.

"Become my apprentice, and I'll teach you," Qin Ming said, putting down his teacup.

"Go back and tell my sister that you want to take her as your disciple!" She turned her head away and went back to studying that page of the scripture.

Qin Ming got up and went to read the "Book of Changing Fate" first.

In the past, even Li Qingyue could not obtain the original. Instead, she obtained an old version copied by people from the Pure Land, which was only one or two hundred years old.

Now he's staring at that ancient book, and he has to wait in line.

Jian Huaidao, Xie Lin, Mu Yunzhou, and others all attached great importance to it and tried to use it one after another. They each developed their own special pupil techniques, with runes appearing in their eyes and divine light shooting out when they opened and closed.

They were arrogant about their exceptional talent, but now they were overwhelmed by the fact that just the three energy cultivation route diagrams in the general outline were blocking their way.

"Truly a remarkable book!" Xie Lin exclaimed.

Although he couldn't get through, he could sense that this scripture was extraordinary, even defying the heavens. How did they come up with such a complicated route?

Moreover, judging from the subsequent chapters, this is a miraculous book that can change a creature's inherent nature and enhance its endowment, making it invaluable.

Xie Lin sat quietly, his whole body began to glow, and dense symbols, like words, seeped out from his pores, yet they seemed to be baring their teeth and claws.

Each character was tinged with blood and accompanied by black mist; some resembled evil dragons, some vengeful ghosts, some black phoenixes, and others shimmered with light patterns like blood-red unicorns.

Immediately, the descendants of the wanderer, Feng Qiwu, Lu Wei, and others all showed expressions of surprise.

Because they knew that this was the revival of the Earth Immortal bloodline, a blessing bestowed upon Xie Lin and an enhancement of his "talent," a "gift" from his ancestors.

The seeds in Yezhou were all startled, snapping out of their meditation and looking up.

Xie Lin's spiritual radiance shone brightly, and his Daoist aura became much stronger. His eyes were deep, and his consciousness shone intensely. This was because he had forcibly opened the Enlightenment Realm with his Earth Immortal bloodline.

He had some understanding, but when he forcibly activated the three secret diagrams of the general outline, he coughed up blood and was actually injured.

He was certain that he had gained something and comprehended some extraordinary things, but his path to immortality seemed incompatible with this cultivation method!

This troubled him greatly. He was so close, as if he was about to dispel the fog and see through the heavenly book, but the pure path of immortality did not support him to walk this path.

No one laughed at him, because everyone knew that his state was very mysterious, as if he had grasped some of the profound meaning of the book, but it conflicted with the way the text was written, so he failed at the last minute.

Beside him stood Jian Huaidao, whose background was even more astonishing. Golden runes emanated from his pupils, and his tangible gaze was almost glued to the pages of the book.

He was serious. Numerous characters emerged from his body, forming celestial light and turning into cloud patterns. A phantom of a true dragon appeared, a phoenix spread its wings, shining brightly, and a tiny golden roc soared into the celestial mist. A small figure sat cross-legged in the celestial light.

Those who accumulate seven days of blessings are bestowed upon their descendants, a practice indeed different from that of earth immortals. From Jian Huaidao's pores flowed densely packed characters, which, relatively speaking, appeared very sacred and lacked any sense of menacing ferocity.

However, when he forcibly activated the "Destiny-Changing Scripture," he also vomited a mouthful of blood.

He had an epiphany, as if he had grasped something, and in a daze, he saw a dazzling road. However, when he tried to travel it using his immortal magic, he fell from the clouds and could not go any further.

"It can prolong life, strengthen one's foundation, and change one's fate. It's a pity that although I am aware of this, I cannot put it into action!" He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, feeling deeply regretful.

Zhuo Qingming said, "There's no need to worry about it. Even the patriarchs of all generations could not fully comprehend the true meaning."

Mu Yunzhou, who had mastered the Chaos Force, stepped forward. He had integrated multiple powerful Heavenly Light Force techniques, and his body was like a small sun, completely illuminating the entire ship and making the night sky and the lake surface bright.

Everyone was awestruck; this person's Heavenly Light Force was indeed terrifying, living up to the rumors, and was suspected to be even more powerful than the Heaven Shaker and the Golden Body Nirvana Realm Master.

With a soft "poof," even someone as stunning as him coughed up blood, unable to follow the roadmap outlined in the "Scripture of Changing Fate."

The descendants of "The Wanderer" also tried to understand it, but in the end they couldn't help but sigh that this strange book had stumped them all.

Qin Ming stepped forward and gently stroked the page, cherishing it greatly. He valued the Destiny Changing Manual highly, as it was indeed of great use to him.

The water-breathing phenomena, magnetic storms, evil caves, and thunder and fire accompanied by purple clouds mentioned in this extraordinary book are both extremely deadly and extremely beneficial to health, with danger and opportunity coexisting.

Most importantly, the Destiny-Changing Scripture can help him correct the calligraphy on the silk scroll and fine-tune the practice route to make it best suited to himself.

Qin Ming almost threw the book down, because this was not the original. The old folks were very wary; it was still an artificially aged product, though it was quite old, dating back five hundred years.

The more the people from Pugong wanted to see the original, the less the old man from Pure Land wanted to show it, which shows that the two sides were far from being as "in sync" as imagined.

Although Qin Ming already knew the scriptures inside and out, he had to pretend to be an expert, flipping through the books and trying to understand the teachings.

"Cui Er, what kind of look is that?" Wu Yaozu said displeased.

Everyone was taken aback. Who was Cui Er? Following his gaze, they realized that Xiao Wu was pointing at someone—Cui Chonghe.

In fact, the person in question was initially caught off guard. Who would dare to address him like that? He was clear-headed and detached, destined to pave the way for the path of immortality.

It wasn't until all eyes were on him that Cui Chonghe flew into a rage!
"Calm down, bloody battles are not allowed here!" someone kindly reminded.

Cui Chonghe did not believe that Qin Ming could grasp the true meaning of this extraordinary book, so he showed disdain when he saw Qin Ming "perfunctorily" flipping through the text.

He believed that the other party knew they couldn't master the material, which is why they flipped through it so carelessly, not even putting in the effort to pretend.

"Watch your words!" Cui Chonghe coldly warned Xiao Wu. Then, he nodded frankly and said, "I do think he can't comprehend this scripture."

“Come on, let’s bet!” Wu Yaozu said, his words as simple as just two words.

Cui Chonghe was already angry because he was called Cui Er. Now that he saw that the other party still wanted to "gamble incompetently", he immediately agreed. What could Qin Ming, who was pretending to flip through a book, possibly understand?
With a bang, Wu Yaozu slammed a book down and pressed it with his palm, revealing only the words "Demon Scripture".

Tang Xumi's lips twitched slightly, but he didn't say anything.

Wu Yaozu said, "Not long ago, you and Xie Lin exchanged scriptures. Use them as a wager."

"You want it even if it's not a cultivation technique?" Cui Chonghe asked coldly.

“Yes!” Wu Yaozu nodded, believing that anything Cui Er had his eye on must be of high quality.

At the same time, he made it clear in advance that as long as Qin Ming comprehends more of the scriptures than Cui Chonghe, he will win this game.

He naturally dared not let Qin Ming master this skill in public, otherwise he would surely provoke some old guys.

Years ago, Qingtian was so angry after reading the Destiny-Changing Scripture that he wanted to tear the book up. Liu Yu, after reading it, told everyone in the know to shut up and not to talk about his enlightenment of the scripture, which shows how difficult it was.

As for the founders of the Immortal Path, they remained silent after reading it, presumably because they hadn't fully understood it.

Qin Ming didn't like Cui Chonghe, so he decided to "test his skills" here and show some ability to suppress Cui Chonghe's arrogance.

In the end, Cui Chong was shocked, his expression changed drastically, and he felt it was unbelievable that the other party could understand part of the meaning of the scriptures despite being so "perfunctory".
In fact, it wasn't just him; Luo Yao, Helian Zhaoyu, Wei Cheng, and others all felt like they'd been hit over the head. How could someone so casually comprehend the scriptures and still achieve such extraordinary results? Was there no justice in the world?

Of course, some people know that Qin Ming may have come across this extraordinary book in the past, but the fact that he was able to glean more insights from it is still quite a blow to those who are proud and arrogant.

Cui Chonghe, expressionless, took out a very thin booklet, carefully examined it, memorized its contents, tossed it to Xiao Wu, turned and left to study another page of the true scripture from Pugong's side.

Jian Huaidao, Xie Lin, Mu Yunzhou and the others also showed surprise. Someone had so casually comprehended the scriptures, yet gained more than they had!
The descendants of "Wanderer," Feng Qiwu, Lu Wei, and others, were truly stunned. No one knew better than them just how extraordinary the bloodline of the Earth Immortal and the Seven-Day Stacker was, after all, they had received a "gift" from their ancestors.

Their feelings were complicated. Were the young people from their ancestral land really this "terrifying"? Their comprehension was even higher than that of the descendants of the Earth Immortals.

Wu Yaozu handed over the booklet, and Qin Ming took it, glanced at it, and then stuffed it into his pocket.

Breaking news: Cui Er has suffered a setback!

In Ruicheng, someone received firsthand information from Linghu Lake and was quite surprised.

The news spread quickly.

Who is Cui Er?

"Cui Chonghe!"

"what?!"

The incident caused an uproar and subsequently sparked heated discussions.

Qin Ming went to the other side and stared at the glowing "one page of true scripture". It was actually made of exotic metal, which showed its preciousness.

He noticed that from Pei Shuyan to Zhuo Qingming, and then to Helian Zhaoyu and Wei Cheng, their eyebrows were furrowed more and more tightly, as if their thoughts were in turmoil.

Cheng Sheng and Zhao Qingcheng, both members of the esoteric sect, each had a divine halo surrounding their bodies, trapped in a realm of absolute clarity, yet they were still unable to break through the fog of the scriptures.

Some even forcibly circulated their inner energy cultivation techniques here, resulting in their faces turning pale and nearly vomiting blood.

Helian Yaoqing felt that she was the "rightful heir" of the Helian family and had the highest talent among her clansmen, but now she was sighing. She could still gain some insights from the familiar Destiny-Changing Scripture, but when she tried to comprehend a page of scripture from the Kingdom of Pugong, she had a splitting headache.

Cui Chonghe prided himself on his exceptional talent and superior comprehension compared to many other immortal beings, but right now he was filled with restlessness and had nowhere to relieve it.

He was deep in thought, his temples throbbing, and his whole body was surrounded by a brilliant celestial glow. He pushed himself into a state of enlightenment, trying to comprehend the meaning of the scriptures. Unfortunately, as time passed, he made no progress.

He took out a precious medicine and consumed it on the spot, making his mind increasingly clear and empty, as if he were merging with heaven and earth, carrying a rich Daoist aura.

At this moment, his body seemed to radiate a shower of divine light, exceptionally sacred and transcendent, as if he were about to detach himself from the mortal world.

However, to his great disappointment, even with streaks of crimson blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, he still couldn't grasp the true meaning of that page of scripture.

"Why don't you give it a try?" Helian Yaoqing called to Qin Ming. She was dressed in white, and today she had unusually returned to her daughter's attire, making her exceptionally beautiful and possessing a beauty that could topple kingdoms.

"Okay!" Qin Ming nodded.

He just finished comprehending the "Scripture of Changing Destiny" and showed extraordinary talent, which naturally attracted everyone's attention.

Even Cui Chonghe quickly wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and turned his gaze over indifferently.

Qin Ming took the seemingly thin but heavy strange metal scripture into his hands and examined it carefully. It was indeed full of information, with dense text that was impossible for someone with low cultivation level to read.

The page is snow-white and crystal clear, with a metallic texture that exudes a sense of age and vicissitude. Numerous fine characters shine brightly, like stars adorning the page.

Qin Ming cautiously agreed, then nearly threw the book down.

This is not an antique at all. It has been less than fifty years since it was reproduced. The aging technique used is superb, and it is definitely not the original.

However, the meaning of the text is correct, and there is no forgery.

The Pugong side also kept a backup plan, fearing that the original text contained secrets they had not yet discovered, so they did not send it over.

Qin Ming was deeply engrossed in it, pondering it for a long time and firmly memorizing its meaning. He was certain that he needed to thoroughly understand the "Scripture of Changing Fate" before he could study this page of true scripture.

Otherwise, no matter how gifted you are, or how wise and virtuous you are, you will not be able to fully comprehend the meaning of this scripture.

Someone in Pungung has made a name for himself in this craft, and the person who created this page of scripture muttered to himself when making it.

In fact, those who have gained even a little are all extraordinary figures who have "practiced" this scripture with unfathomable cultivation.

"How is it?" Helian Yaoqing asked.

Qin Ming replied solemnly, "It's very difficult. It would be good enough if you could understand even a single word or phrase."

Upon hearing this, Cui Chonghe's eyes flickered with emotion; he hadn't even grasped a single clue.

Jian Huaidao, Xie Lin, and the others were deeply shocked. They knew how difficult this true scripture was, and that without paving the way with profound skills and then "practicing hard," it would be difficult to gain anything.

……

As evening fell, the fire gradually faded, and the exchange meeting came to an end.

Qin Ming didn't do anything too outrageous, but it still shocked some people.

Only Qin Ming knew that it wasn't that those people's comprehension was far inferior to his, but rather that they had missed some things in their practice. The Fate-Changing Scripture and that page of the Strange Golden Book required the fusion of heavenly light, consciousness, and divine wisdom.

Otherwise, even a sage would find it extremely difficult to master the technique completely.

Various rumors circulated that day.

In the Cui family, some people couldn't help but slam their fists on the table, especially Cui's father and mother, whose faces were all gloomy. The true dragon of the clan was actually being called Cui Er.

Moreover, this nickname has spread outside, and it's estimated that it will be very difficult to wash it off.

"It's that person close to that unfilial son, named Wu Yaozu, who smeared my son Zhenlong." Mother Cui was furious. With a snap, her delicate hand fell, and the lightning-struck wood coffee table shattered.

Cui Chonghe also harbored a burning anger with nowhere to vent it. He wanted to challenge Wu Yaozu and teach him the meaning of the saying "trouble comes from the mouth."

However, Xiao Wu ignored him.

Furthermore, at the last moment, Cui Chonghe keenly realized that there was a big "problem" in Wu Yaozu's body, which was far from being as simple as it seemed on the surface.

In the end, he left with a cold expression, leaving a score for the abandoned pawn and "Blackie"!

Amidst the clamor in the outside world, with keywords such as Qin Ming, Cui Er, descendant of the Earth Immortal, and exchange meeting being hotly discussed, one of the main figures has vanished without a trace.

Qin Ming went into seclusion again. In this complex and unpredictable situation, he couldn't see the truth. The only thing he could do was to cultivate diligently, improve himself, and accumulate strength.

Two months later, with most of winter over, when he came out of the mountains to get some fresh air and stepped back into inhabited territory, he was shocked by the news he heard.

In just over sixty days, the outside world has changed dramatically, and a momentous event that could shake up the landscape of Yezhou and rewrite the course of history has suddenly arrived.

(End of this chapter)