Night without Borders

Chapter 579 Dominant Level

Cliffs, dragon's nest, shrouded in ethereal mist.

The refreshing medicinal fragrance could be smelled from miles away.

Every dragon's lair is said to produce precious medicinal herbs, as recorded in various historical documents; even abandoned nests are no exception.

Dragons are very particular about the habitats they choose.

Qin Ming gazed into the distance, the sweet fragrance carried on the wind soothing his body.

The cliff was originally a giant mountain that was abruptly cut off, resulting in a very wide section.

Even in its ruins, it remains majestic and imposing, exuding a chilling sense of oppression.

There are other people in this area spying on the dragon's nest.

The fragrance of the medicine traveled far on the wind, and any creature that passed through this area would stop to admire it; the aroma was simply too tempting.

However, those people did not dare to approach easily, and all of them had solemn expressions, because the dragon's nest has always been a dangerous place.

"That person can ride the wind and float in the night sky. Could he be a grandmaster?" Someone exclaimed in alarm as they saw Qin Ming's blurry figure.

In fact, no one who can come to this dangerous area is weak; at the very least, they need to be led by experts from the fourth realm.

A cultivator at the third realm whispered, "The night is so dark. Even from several miles away, can he see what's in the dragon's nest?"

The team leader glanced back at his nephew, thinking he was really lacking in experience, and said, "That's a grandmaster. Even with the night fog, in the eyes of a fifth-realm expert, the distant mountains are still lush and green."

Under the cover of night, everything in front of Qin Ming was clearly visible.

The nests built on the cliff are rather crude, but upon closer inspection, they are all made of spirit wood, all of which are precious varieties, and each type can be used as medicine.

Inside the nest, warm jade was laid out, its spiritual essence abundant.

A cluster of precious herbs, shrouded in five-colored divine light, grows alongside the dragon's nest, brimming with vitality.

The book "Dragon's Tale" records: Nest originates on the cliff, its exterior is plain and its interior is jade-like, containing spiritual essence that can be used in medicine.

Without a doubt, what I see before me is exactly as described in the book.

At this moment, a ferocious bird streaked across the sky, revealing eyes like silver lamps in the night, sharp as sword light, its wingspan reaching over ten zhang, exuding a terrifying aura.

It lunged at the precipice, its body shimmering with silver light and emitting a sonic boom. In the instant it was about to pass by, it snatched away the cluster of fifth-realm precious herbs.

However, as soon as it got close, it let out a mournful cry and then plunged to the edge of the cliff with a thud.

Nearby, the expressions of some people who were spying changed instantly.

"Is there a dragon, or some other creature in that nest?"

"Let's go, this is not a place we can covet."

“Selling this information would be very interesting to those big organizations.”

The group left decisively, fearing they would be implicated; for them, this area was no less than a death trap.

……

Qin Ming stared at the broken mountain, which was an abandoned dragon's nest. There were no dragons left, and it had been occupied by other species.

The giant silver bird was actually killed by an insect. A streak of crimson light flashed, piercing through the over ten-zhang-long superior bird, causing it to bleed profusely.

The giant bird was split apart and then dragged into a crevice in the broken mountain, inside which were insect nests.

"The Crimson God Worm?" Qin Ming's expression turned solemn.

This is a strange insect, ranked fifteenth in the world of night fog. It is extremely ferocious. When a swarm of insects passes through, it is like a boiling crimson cloud. It can devour dragons, rocs, and other creatures.

Qin Ming noticed that the Crimson God Insects that had just rushed out were all the size of a fist, and purple stripes had already crawled up their backs. This was a swarm of insects that even Grandmasters had to avoid.

Otherwise, once you get involved, you will be reduced to ashes.

"Even insects can use precious medicine to fish now?"

Logically speaking, there are some problems in the Savage Immortal Realm, where the primal desires of various monsters far outweigh their inherent rationality.

Qin Ming frowned, carefully considering the records related to the Crimson God Insects. What he saw before him seemed to be related to their habits.

Once they enter the breeding season, they need the flesh and blood of higher species to feed their larvae, often using medicinal herbs to lure prey.

On ordinary days, mature Red God Insects mainly feed on various minerals.

Otherwise, such a powerful swarm of insects, constantly feeding on flesh and blood, would disrupt the ecosystem of the entire region, making it impossible for them to hunt enough prey.

However, they were still disastrous.

Because when the swarm as a whole needs to advance and evolve to a higher level, there are no rules anymore; they will devour the spiritual matter of the entire region.

Not only minerals, but also various organisms will become their supplements.

Legend has it that a top-tier insect immortal once led a massive swarm of insects to completely destroy an earth immortal dynasty, causing widespread devastation.

Therefore, many people will take action as soon as they discover such swarms, and will never allow them to grow to a point where they cannot be controlled.

"When it enters the breeding season, highly spiritual substances will appear in its mother nest." Qin Ming pondered the various records about the Crimson God Insect.

During special periods, they collect spiritual minerals, mix them with herbs, and seal them in their nests to brew the priceless "Crimson Elixir," which replenishes the life force of the insect queen.

Qin Ming's eyes shone brightly as he said, "I was originally worried that the herbs used by the insect swarm to lure prey might lack medicinal properties, but if I add the Crimson God Elixir, it will be enough for me to break through the barrier."

However, the Crimson God Worm with purple stripes on its back is extremely difficult to deal with. Normally, even a Grandmaster would be no match for it, which is a big problem.

Although Qin Ming was very confident, he was also somewhat wary of the records of his predecessors.

"Even ordinary grandmasters are no match for me, so am I not afraid of swarms of insects?"

Qin Ming began to circle around the broken mountain, and then searched further into the distant territory. He was preparing to take action, and at this time he first familiarized himself with the general environment of the entire area.

An angry roar echoed from the horizon.

Then, Qin Ming heard the sound of flapping wings. A large swarm of Crimson God Insects, like a small patch of fiery cloud with a slight purple tinge, streaked across the night sky, carrying three enormous demonic apes back.

All three prey are in the fourth realm; the Crimson God Worm preys on only high-level alien species.

In the distance, a massive demonic ape, standing fifteen zhang tall, flapped its fleshy, white-furred wings and coldly watched. It had been chasing after the mountain, but suddenly stopped when it approached the broken mountain.

"Even the strongest among the grandmasters are afraid of it and dare not provoke the lair of the Crimson God Worm."

At this moment, Qin Ming was also observing the tall ape king. Its bestial nature outweighed its divine nature. It let out a wild roar and then retreated.

"It seems that primal instincts are in control of it, and it has never thought of uniting with other local overlords to wipe out the swarm."

Qin Ming pondered; this territory indeed had significant problems.

Could it be that native species have reverted to their most primitive state, living by eating raw meat and drinking blood?

He considered the possibility that the various creatures he saw might also be outsiders who, after arriving here, gradually reverted to their ancestral state and returned to their animalistic instincts.

According to this hypothesis, normal people who come here and live here for a long time may soon turn into savages and then become veritable upright ape demons.

"It's not a problem with the herbs, it seems to be a problem with the entire area."

Based on what we know so far, there is nothing unusual about people who frequently travel between the two worlds; it's just that those who have lived in this world for a long time are going to "become outlaws."

Qin Ming tried to contact the ape king, but found that communication was completely impossible, and the two almost came to blows.

Left with no other option, he had to leave and choose to go it alone.

When Qin Ming saw a swarm of Crimson God Insects move out again and disappear into the horizon, he prepared to make his move.

"It might be quite dangerous for me to act alone, but what if four of me attacked at the same time?" Qin Ming's eyes were deep.

During his secluded cultivation at Black and White Mountain, he conserved his energy and maintained his strongest state, not only for himself but also for Taiyi, the Realm Sect, and Yijian.

By accumulating divine substances, he gradually filled his three bodies, and now they can not only fight each other easily, but also duel for a long time.

"almost."

His first strike could not fail; he had to first pluck the five-colored treasure from the dragon's nest.

Therefore, Yijian, Jingjiepai, and Taiyi all stepped forward.

Qin Ming remained hidden in the shadows, not moving for the time being.

If he has to personally participate in the opening match, it's enough to show how dangerous this insect hive is, that it's impossible to take it down, and that it's better to retreat as soon as possible.

"Move out!" Qin Ming ordered.

In an instant, a sword, wielding nine-colored sword energy, pierced through the night, drawing out a terrifying cone-shaped white wave of energy. The sword light was extremely dazzling, and it was the first to strike.

With a series of popping sounds, the Crimson God Worms lurking in the cracks of the broken mountain exploded one after another under the radiant light of the sword.

The Realm Sect and Taiyi followed closely behind and also arrived at Broken Mountain.

The overwhelming attack of the three masters was naturally oppressive, no less so than three Qin Mings falling at once.

With a single, unparalleled sword strike, her silver hair fluttered, and her slender fingers swept across the ground, the sword light materializing and, with a clang, splitting open the earth to successfully dig up the precious medicine shrouded in five-colored divine light, then flicking her wrist to deliver it.

"Indeed, it is a precious medicine containing all five elements."

In the distance, Qin Ming slowly ascended into the air, calmly guiding the flow of the medicine. He smelled the sweet and refreshing aroma of the herbs and his face lit up with joy. He had finally obtained this priceless elixir.

However, he knew that the battle had only just begun, and he had already breached the insect nest.

In particular, he also wanted to eliminate the pests early, break through the insect swarm, and was eyeing the Crimson God Elixir, so the upcoming battle was inevitable.

With a hum, the void trembled, the cliff exploded, and blood-red magma gushed out. The swarm of insects was huge. Even though one group had left to hunt, the number of Crimson God Insects guarding the base was still terrifying.

With one sword at the forefront, the swarm of insects instantly engulfed her.

All the Crimson God Insects were the size of a fist, resembling both bees and ants, with transparent, knife-like wings and a single horn on their heads, making them quite ferocious. Because they fed on various minerals, their bodies were forged from a mixture of mithril, making them incredibly hard and terrifying. Especially at this size, a swarm capable of taking even a Grandmaster by surprise, each individual insect, after evolving, was comparable to a high-quality flying sword; otherwise, how could their fearsome reputation have resounded throughout the Night Mist World?

With a single strike, the sword light shredded swarms of Crimson God Insects, even though the latter's hardness was comparable to that of a high-grade flying sword.

However, things soon changed.

The swarm glowed as a whole, with fine textures intertwined among them, as if they had merged into one. The swarm released special substances, forming a mysterious insect array.

This scene startled Qin Ming, who was watching from afar.

The sword light was still incredibly sharp, and each strike could cleave the Crimson God Worms in two. A thrust could pierce through a string of them, but it couldn't kill them over a wide area.

The swarm of insects is enormous; hacking at them like this would be extremely dangerous, as a single sword strike could be swallowed up by them.

"Walk."

The sword transformed into a streak of light, piercing the air and disappearing into the distance, taking with it a large swarm of insects.

Qin Ming believed that hit-and-run tactics were sufficient and there was no need for a deadly confrontation.

Surprisingly, the Crimson God Insects at the Realm Sect were somewhat afraid and did not swarm towards him. Even Taiyi, who was standing next to him, was not overwhelmed by the swarm.

Qin Ming understood. The physical body of the Realm Sect came from the Strange Insect Alliance. Its original body must have been an extraordinary insectoid powerhouse. Although it had solidified into a human, it must still possess some special aura that could intimidate the Crimson God Insect.

The Realm Master grinned. Although he was handsome and had changed his original appearance, he still carried a hint of evil, which was the indelible charm of the Zerg after they transformed.

He and Taiyi charged toward the insect nest inside the Broken Mountain.

There was no other reason than that Qin Ming had been in seclusion for several months and was bursting with confidence. If all four of his own were to come out at once, they should have a dominant combat power in the same field, right?
He couldn't believe that this swarm of insects was so powerful that they couldn't be defeated.

The Realm Sect and Taiyi took the initiative to attack the insect hive and shattered the Broken Mountain.

Meanwhile, his main body remained firmly in the rear, ready to launch a sudden attack at any moment, to deliver a fatal blow and hunt down the insect queen.

"He shouldn't be a Grandmaster, right?"

"Roar!"

A deafening roar echoed across the sky as the ape king arrived. It stood fifteen zhang tall, its ferocity overwhelming, every hair on its body gleaming and standing on end, its eyes like golden lamps.

"Damn it, you stupid monkey, are you kidding me?" Qin Ming stopped and remained hidden in the shadows.

Earlier, he tried to contact the ape king, but found that he could not communicate with him. Now this big monkey has come on his own. Is he trying to take advantage of the situation?
Was he tricked by an old ape?

Isn't it said that the monsters here are more savage than divine?

Fortunately, Qin Ming noticed that the ape king went straight into the fray, stomping on another section of the broken mountain, showing no intention of holding back.

Driven by primal instincts, it saw its foe invaded and its lair breached, and its wildness could not be suppressed, so it charged in.

Qin Ming nodded. That's more like it. If the big monkey were hiding in the back, he really wouldn't be able to resist the urge to kill it first.

"Is the Ape King that powerful?" Qin Ming asked solemnly.

The giant monkey, its silver fur standing on end, crashed into the mountain. Boulders and collapsing cliffs would explode upon touching its fur, as if it possessed an indestructible body.

"Moo!"

In the distance, a bull demon, twenty feet long, charged in, shaking the earth and crushing all the trees, like a behemoth charging forward.

Then, it stood upright, transforming into a half-bull, half-human state, like a ferocious bull demon king, and charged into the broken mountain.

It seems that the local overlords, the Bitter Red Insects, have been waiting for this opportunity for a long time. Today, a powerful figure has launched an attack and breached their nest, so they couldn't hold back any longer and joined the fray.

"Very good, the more chaotic the better." Qin Ming himself lay dormant in the darkness, no longer in a hurry to get involved, becoming increasingly calm and composed.

The towering broken mountain was collapsing, and the cries of monkeys and the bellowing of cattle shook the mountains and rivers.

It's easy to imagine how fierce the battle was.

A moment later, Taiyi emerged and led a large swarm of insects away.

Qin Ming lured away another batch of Crimson God Insects. Otherwise, the dense swarms of insects in the nest would have been very troublesome. It would have been better to take them away to fight and devour them.

Half an hour later, Qin Ming's expression turned solemn. The battle was fierce. The queen insect was terrifying. Even though she had only recently laid eggs and was still in a weak state, she still possessed dominant power.

"Yes, it's done. Very good."

The Realm Master was covered in blood and had many wounds. The Crimson God Insects, which were like high-quality flying swords, had repeatedly overwhelmed him. Even though he exuded the aura of a powerful insect race, it was useless when the insect queen roared and the swarm went berserk.

He emerged, carrying a large piece of insect nest, radiating astonishing spiritual energy, as brilliant as golden clouds, within which lay the mature Crimson God Essence.

Even the crazed swarm of insects restrained themselves, fearing that he might shatter the Crimson God Essence with a swing of his sword, so the swarm began to attack selectively.

The realm sect rotated the waxy substance, which resembled a large honeycomb, and some of the crimson divine essence within it seeped out, releasing a rich fragrance and filling the sky with golden light.

Even someone as strong as him was covered in blood, which shows how fierce the fighting inside the Broken Mountain was.

Moreover, he was unable to take all of the Crimson God Essence; he only had a portion in his hands. Otherwise, the Insect Queen would surely have gone mad.

"This way!" Qin Ming resonated in the darkness, preparing to meet up with the Realm Sect.

"Fellow Daoist, this way please." Just then, a voice came from afar, and several figures rushed over.

"Fellow Daoist, you single-handedly shattered the insect hive?" They were astonished. The leader, a Grandmaster, had an extremely solemn expression.

At this moment, the silver ape king roared, and the twenty-zhang-tall black bull demon king growled as they charged out of the broken mountain, both covered in blood, and were quickly covered by the swarm of insects.

Soon, another terrifying crimson-purple divine light surged up, like intertwined divine chains, locking towards the Ape King and the Bull Demon King. The Insect Queen was erupting; she was furious.

"I see." The nearby people breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that the young man with the strange aura had taken advantage of the chaos and could not possibly break through the swarm of insects on his own.

A middle-aged man spoke up: "Fellow Daoist, you've got that spiritual herb shrouded in five-colored divine light, haven't you? We're willing to pay a premium to buy it."

He added, "We are not forcing anyone, but my young master has reached the most critical stage in practicing the true scripture and needs the Five Elements Medicine to help him."

The Realm Sect rushed outwards, ignoring them.

The group immediately stepped forward, speaking earnestly and appearing very sincere, insisting on obtaining the medicine.

The middle-aged man added, "My son is Wei Shouzhen."

At this moment, he had already used the snow-white conch shell to send a message to the distance, explaining the situation there.

"Get out of the way!" How could Qin Ming possibly sell medicine? He risked his life to attack the insect nest, and only by using Yi Jian, Jingjie Pai, and Taiyi together could he succeed with great difficulty.

Among the crowd, the elder at the head laughed and said, "Fellow Daoist, if you would do us a favor, we will definitely give you the highest price to satisfy you. We can offer double the day gold."

A group of people spoke sincerely, but they could not change the fact that they were blocking the road.

The leader was a grandmaster, and it was mentioned euphemistically that he came from the Huang family.

There were people from Wei Shouzhen's faction here, as well as a master from the Huang family of Tian Shang Jiu Shan Tou. It wasn't surprising that they were walking together, since it was almost certain that the Huang family would take Wei Shouzhen as their son-in-law.

Buzz!

Behind them, in the Broken Mountain, more and more Crimson God Insects flew in and rushed towards the Realm Sect.

"Those who block my path, whether you are members of the saints or members of the Huang family, will be killed without mercy!"

When these people heard the strange young man speak so forcefully, their expressions changed immediately. They revealed their identities, but he showed them no respect whatsoever.

"Fellow Daoist, we are willing to pay three times the price for that Five Elements Treasure Medicine." The group bowed deeply, adopting a humble attitude.

Among them were only two grandmasters, who had rushed over to scout ahead after receiving the news, not expecting that someone had already taken action.

They were wary and didn't want to turn hostile on the spot, so they contacted experts in the distance, hoping to stall for time as much as possible.

"die!"

With the Realm Sect making their move and the Crimson God Insects flapping their wings behind them, they dared to delay this group. Even if the arrogant Huang family members blocked their path, they would still be dealt a fatal blow.

"Fellow Daoist, we have no ill intentions, we truly only wish to request the medicine..."

In this group, the two grandmasters bowed again, thinking that after revealing their identities and greeting them with smiles, even if the other party turned hostile, they wouldn't be too aggressive.

However, the Realm Sect charged straight at them, treating them as if they were nothing.

Clang!
Some of them changed color, and in their extreme tension, drew their swords at each other.

In the darkness, Qin Ming's true form emerged and attacked the Realm Sect members without holding back. With a series of soft thuds, the group was crushed to pieces.

"Smiling as they block the way, they can't hide their malice. Since they don't know when to advance or retreat, then they should all die."

Qin Ming led the Realm Sect away at breakneck speed.

Behind them, the swarm of insects was in an uproar. The Ape King and the Bull Demon King were in a miserable state, while the Insect Queen went berserk and broke out of the Broken Mountain.

Qin Ming resonated with the power of the sword and summoned Taiyi, preparing to find a quiet place to refine medicine.

"What? They won't even give face to our Huang family? The scouts have all been killed?" In the distance, a grandmaster was furious, his face ashen.

They were on the phone the whole time, and at the last moment, they learned what had happened near the insect hive—that person had made a move.

"Has Shouzhen's pure Yang consciousness arrived? Quickly notify him. Also, immediately send a message to all the grandmasters from my Huang family who have entered this realm."

"Yes, in the name of my Huang family, I summon the experts here and ask for the assistance of my fellow practitioners."

“The saints should be hearing the truth not far away.”

"Zhou Tiandao, Lu Zheng, Yan Zhuohua and others should also be nearby. They must be accompanied by a Grandmaster. Please ask them for help."

……

After Qin Ming resonated with the spirit, Taiyi, the Realm Sect, and Yijian reunited. They used the Primordial Escape Light to tear through the night and arrived at a quiet canyon. They immediately began refining medicine and were about to perform a triple purification.

Qin Ming had a deep understanding of this art, and he initially had the three of them practice the Five Internal Organs Thunder and Fire Internal Refinement Technique.

(End of this chapter)