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Novel: [Night Without Boundaries]
Chapter 109: [Refining Golden Cicada with Blazing Fire]
Author: [Chen Dong]
Translator: [Shadow Knight AK]
Editor: [Shadow Knight AK]
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The young man had hands as large as palm-leaf fans, feet over a foot long, legs thick as pillars, a waistline comparable to a bear's, a neck like a tree stump, and a head the size of a basin.
His black hair was as stiff as steel needles, framing thick eyebrows and large eyes, a wide mouth, and a square nose.
Qin Ming, wielding his Great Spear, had just sent one opponent flying when he noticed the strikingly unusual young man emerging from the snow-white bamboo forest.
"Good! Come help!" Qin Ming shouted, though he wasn't sure if the youth had been addressing him.
Still, it cost nothing to reply, and he was nearly blinded by bloodlust.
The surrounding Golden-Armored Guards immediately went on high alert, some even launching preemptive attacks against the newcomer.
The burly young man didn't hesitate.
With a sweep of his massive hand, he sent an Outer Saint flying, the man crashing through a large blue boulder.
"Hey, everyone, calm down! We all cultivate through bodily mutations, we're comrades! Why start fighting right away?" the youth urged.
Then, with another slap of his palm-leaf hand, he sent another Outer Saint, who had swung his blade at him, hurtling through the air.
"Pfft!"
The Outer Saint landed heavily in the snow-white bamboo forest, coughing up blood, his face ashen. If not for his protective Golden Armor, he would have been crushed instantly.
"Are you all insane?! I told you not to be so impulsive, yet you still charge at me?!" the burly youth roared, his voice filled with fury.
With a crack, his right foot lashed out like lightning, shattering the spear aimed at him and sending its wielder flying twenty meters away.
A large patch of snow-white bamboo splintered under the impact.
The spearman, clutching the broken shaft, coughed up a mouthful of blood that stained the pristine bamboo leaves crimson.
A mysterious pattern glowed on his chest, evidence of protective armor at work.
Without it, he would have been torn apart by the youth's devastating Heavenly Light Force.
"The Core Disciples of Beyond the Mortal Realm are settling their feud—what's it to you? Can't we just be more peaceful?" the youth demanded, his frustration palpable.
In the next instant, he moved with thunderous speed, slamming backward into another attacker.
The man's face contorted in agony as blood gushed from his seven orifices, sending him crashing into the snow-white bamboo forest, unable to rise.
The crowd's gaze shifted, their murmurs of "Don't be so violent" and "We should be peaceful" now hollow.
The youth's strikes were brutally heavy; without special protective armor, anyone struck by him would have been reduced to bloody fragments.
"Brother, thank you for the assistance," Qin Ming said, subtly asking for his name.
"Xiang Yiwu," the burly young man replied.
Qin Ming remembered him vividly due to his striking physique.
Xiang Yiwu was massive from head to toe, his frame twice as wide as an average man's, not from fat but from sheer muscular bulk.
They had exchanged words in Mount Luo Fu Immortal Town.
Qin Ming had asked him about the identity of the Former Disciple of the Tathagata, the heir to the Jade Pure Force, and whether any disciples of the Five Elements Palace were present.
Xiang Yiwu had shaken his head, claiming he didn't know.
Now, Qin Ming strongly suspected that this man was either the Former Disciple of the Tathagata or the heir to the Jade Pure Force!
"Brother, I'm not just a pushover. Everything depends on fate," Xiang Yiwu said, rubbing his hands together, a hint of embarrassment in his voice.
The two now stood side-by-side, temporarily deterring the Golden-Armored Guards.
Though the guards had surrounded them at the edge of the bamboo forest, they hadn't launched an attack. In fact, the guards had retreated to a distance, wary of approaching too closely.
Qin Ming understood that no one would offer help without a reason, especially after just a brief encounter.
He said, "State your request plainly."
Xiang Yiwu nodded. "Brother, you're straightforward, so I'll be direct too. I saw you fight Cui Chongxuan from afar, and I've been deeply drawn to and yearning for your unique force technique."
Qin Ming's pupils constricted slightly.
This burly young man's appetite was truly immense.
"Don't misunderstand," Xiang Yiwu said, waving his hand. "I'm not trying to kick you when you're down or take advantage of your situation. I can offer you a technique of equal level in exchange. To be honest, I desperately need the Li Fire Sutra."
Qin Ming was surprised.
This burly young man possessed remarkable insight, having recognized the Li Fire Force even after Qin Ming had already fused it into his own Technique.
Seeing Qin Ming didn't deny it, Xiang Yiwu grew visibly excited.
"You really have the Li Fire Scripture? Don't worry, I won't let you get the short end of the stick."
Qin Ming asked, "You must have mastered the Tathagata Force or the Jade Pure Force, right? With such legendary techniques, why would you still need the Li Fire Scripture?"
Xiang Yiwu admitted frankly, "I practice the Golden Cicada Technique. Currently, I need a miraculous Fire Dao art to assist me. My sect elders have deduced that refining the Golden Cicada with Li Fire is the best approach at this stage. It allows for rebirth from the shell, a leap into the heavens, and the auspicious effects of Nirvana through fire."
Qin Ming's gaze shifted.
This man's technique was clearly extraordinary, and as he'd admitted, he only needed the Li Fire Scripture for now, implying he would later seek to fuse other extraordinary techniques.
"My acquaintances call me Jin Chanzi (Golden Cicada Master)," Xiang Yiwu said with a faint smile.
"Which Core Disciple are you helping?" Qin Ming asked.
"An Elite Disciple. He deceived me, giving me only ordinary Fire Dao scriptures," Xiang Yiwu replied, his voice tinged with resentment.
"Then forget about him. How about we cooperate?"
Qin Ming was deeply worried about Li Qingyue, who was currently surrounded by the Five Core Disciples.
Moreover, the way this group had intercepted him made it clear they intended to kill both him and Li Qingyue.
Xiang Yiwu nodded. "I've already sent that Elite Disciple away."
Qin Ming was startled. "You killed him?"
Xiang Yiwu shook his head. "I merely drove him off."
Qin Ming realized this man likely had significant backing and practiced a special cultivation technique, making him a formidable opponent in the second major realm.
"Help me rescue someone, and I'll give you the Li Fire Scripture!"
"You want me to provoke the Five Core Disciples? That's too dangerous," Xiang Yiwu refused.
"Just create an opening to help her break through!" Qin Ming insisted, hinting that he possessed more than just one Extraordinary Technique.
Xiang Yiwu said, "I only need the Li Fire Scripture. Let me take a look. If I see an opportunity, I'll strike. If not, don't blame me."
He swiftly departed, vanishing into the bamboo forest.
Qin Ming suspected that the Golden Cicada Technique Xiang Yiwu practiced might be a fragment of the Tathagata Force or Jade Pure Force, currently undergoing expansion.
The Jade Pure Force, Heaven-Shattering Force, and Tathagata Force had never stagnated; they were reportedly continuously refined and enhanced.
The contents of the True Transmission Sheet were not immutable.
"If Xiang Yiwu truly is a successor of such an ancient Dao Lineage, he should have no fear of Outsider disciples in the first two major realms."
Qin Ming's own situation was precarious.
The Golden-Armored Guards advanced from afar, tightening their encirclement.
"Gentlemen, why this hostility? Let's sit down and talk..."
Qin Ming soon fell silent.
Lacking any deterrent force, the guards, seeing his Heavenly Light unable to project outward, moved to capture him.
Most critically, there was an organizer among them, and a handful were suicidal fanatics.
He needed to eliminate this small group to break the crisis.
"Since some of you seek death, I'll grant your wish!" Qin Ming roared, his anger flaring.
The battle erupted anew!
...
Meanwhile, the outside world was buzzing with speculation that Li Qingyue might claim the near-immortal treasure.
The Night Gazette published glowing reviews, praising her and even building hype around her chances.
Meng Xinghai's heart sank.
He knew how these things worked: the more hype, the greater the risk.
Li Qingyue might be "taken care of."
"Someone wants Qingyue out of the running and a big payout on the betting pools?"
Earlier, Meng Xinghai had been intoxicated by Qin Ming's victories, like a man drunk on fine wine.
Now, he sensed danger looming over both of them.
...
Qin Ming was injured.
The Golden-Armored Guards of the Five Core Disciples truly contained formidable experts.
Their Heavenly Light blazed with astonishing intensity, burning like raging flames and radiating like the scorching sun.
The force of the attack sent his Qi surging violently, blood spilling from his mouth as his opponent suppressed him with a higher realm.
"Tan Yu!" Qin Ming recognized the attacker.
Back in Mount Luo Fu Immortal Town, people had spoken of this man, a native of Luo Yue (Fallen Moon) City.
Rumor had it that he had already mastered over ten types of Heavenly Light Force during his Awakening stage.
"The Outer Saints who are talked about really are dangerous!" Qin Ming wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
Now, Tan Yu wasn't the only one attacking; others had joined the attack.
Qin Ming's Great Spear was knocked from his hand and clattered to the ground.
Tan Yu felt absurd.
He was stronger than ordinary Outer Saints, yet when he tried to crush an Awakener with his higher realm, his palm was pierced, drawing blood.
Qin Ming took a deep breath.
He didn't retrieve his Great Spear or draw his sword. Instead, the many Heavenly Light Force Techniques he had mastered flashed through his Sea of Heart.
Though skilled in sword, spears, arrows, hammers, and Great Spears, Qin Ming truly excelled in Heavenly Light Force Techniques.
His combat skills rivaled those of the legendary figure who had left behind the secret manuals.
Qin Ming channeled his Wind Force, his feet barely touching the ground as he glided across the grass, striking at Tan Yu.
In the instant he closed the distance, his movements shifted from ethereal as the wind to explosive as thunder.
He unleashed a hammer-like strike, the bamboo forest echoing with terrifying sounds of wind and thunder.
Tan Yu sneered, intending to overwhelm Qin Ming with his superior cultivation—a demonstration of brute force triumphing over skill.
Moreover, another expert, no weaker than Tan Yu himself, joined the attack, while the others moved in unison, determined to eliminate this strange Awakener quickly.
Qin Ming instantly altered his trajectory, narrowly avoiding Tan Yu's fist—a strike as blinding as a miniature sun.
He channeled Entangling Silk Force into his palm, touching Tan Yu's arm and yanking sharply, throwing his opponent off balance.
Of course, Qin Ming wasn't unscathed. The intensity of Tan Yu's Heavenly Light barrier battered him relentlessly as he broke through.
With a thud, Qin Ming seized the moment of Tan Yu's stagger, executing a high sweeping kick with whip-like force, aiming for his opponent's head.
Tan Yu twisted to protect his skull, but the blow struck his shoulder with the force of an iron whip, further destabilizing his stance.
As the others closed in, golden threads shimmered across Qin Ming's body—the Golden Silkworm Force in action.
He withstood their combined attack, his fists and feet meeting their attacks head-on, never wavering in his relentless pursuit of Tan Yu.
He skillfully evaded a terrifying palm strike from Tan Yu's equal, a dangerous opponent whose Heavenly Light surged with overwhelming power.
Qin Ming's Entangling Silk Force and Adhesive Force remained locked onto Tan Yu, trapping him in a suffocating mire.
The immense strength Tan Yu possessed was rendered useless, unable to unleash its full potential.
Moments later, Tan Yu groaned as a large chunk of flesh was torn from his palm by the Adhesive Force.
Even more shockingly, the protective visor on his helmet suddenly flipped open.
With a thunderous crash, a fist slammed into his exposed face, Heavenly Light surging into the wound, leaving half his face a bloody mess.
Qin Ming himself was deathly pale, blood dripping from his hands.
Surrounded by enemies, he had focused solely on Tan Yu, paying a heavy price for his single-minded assault.
His golden armor was now fractured in places.
The protective runes had been activated once already, marking this as a life-or-death battle.
Half an hour later, Qin Ming drew his Jade Iron Sword.
The sword pierced through Tan Yu's armor, whose protective runes had also been activated and were now fading.
"You..." Tan Yu gasped in horror, but he was powerless to resist.
The sword had pierced his heart, bringing swift death.
Qin Ming staggered back, turning to survey the battlefield.
After the prolonged clash, the rune patterns on many of the enemy's armor had been activated and extinguished.
With a roar, he charged forward.
In the end, he decapitated the expert who had matched Tan Yu's strength.
With their two strongest warriors dead, the remaining combatants lost all organization and suicidal fervor.
They turned and fled, abandoning the fight.
Qin Ming's eyes burned crimson as he dragged his battered, bloodied body after them, hacking down those who had surrounded him earlier.
When the battlefield fell silent, littered with corpses and scattered survivors, Qin Ming collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.
His armor was shattered, soaked in blood.
Another fatal blow would surely kill him.
The golden armor of the fallen enemies had also activated their rune patterns.
"The battle in the distance hasn't ended yet?" Qin Ming peered into the depths of the bamboo forest.
"Brother, we have to go!" Xiang Yiwu sprinted toward him, shouting, "They've gone berserk! The Core Disciples nearly suffered casualties!"
"Where's Li Qingyue?" Qin Ming asked urgently.
Xiang Yiwu quickly replied, "She's severely injured. She used a Secret Technique that nearly sent two Core Disciples away, leaving the others deeply wary of her."
"I'm asking where she is and how she's doing! Did you intervene?" Qin Ming pressed anxiously.
"I didn't have a chance to get involved. They were already in a frenzy, using Forbidden Techniques of the Outer Realm. Six streams of iridescent light merged into a single vortex—a suicidal clash of Consciousness Spiritual Light. If I had charged in physically, their combined spiritual energy would have annihilated me," Xiang Yiwu said, his voice tinged with shame.
He quickly added, "Don't worry, Li Qingyue escaped. She actually managed to break through their encirclement. The remaining disciples were wary of her and, assuming she was too severely injured to compete for the near-immortal treasure, didn't pursue her."
Qin Ming immediately rose and raced in the direction Xiang Yiwu had indicated.
He speculated that Li Qingyue might have fled toward the area brimming with vital energy.
Earlier, when they had passed through it, she had mentioned that her ancestral master had made some arrangements there a thousand years ago.
...
As expected, Qin Ming found traces of Li Qingyue's blood in the area teeming with life force. He softly called out her name.
"I'm here," Li Qingyue replied weakly. Her powerful spiritual sense had detected Qin Ming's approach.
"Qingyue, what happened to you?" Qin Ming rushed over and steadied her arm.
"It's bad. If another Core Disciple shows up, we're both dead," Li Qingyue said, leaning against a massive tree, her voice barely audible. Her silver armor was shattered, and blood stained her robes.
"Former Disciple of the Tathagata, stay away from here. Come back in half a day," Li Qingyue called out to Xiang Yiwu, who stood at a distance.
"Don't misunderstand. I'll leave immediately and return in half a day to exchange extraordinary technique with Brother Li," Xiang Yiwu replied, retreating without hesitation.
Li Qingyue's face was pale, her delicate features tinged with a sickly beauty.
She secretly transmitted a message: "Search this area carefully. There might be a special 'Mountain-River Spiritual Nest' that my ancestral master discovered and arranged. If it still exists, it could help us heal our injuries and even advance our cultivation."
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END OF CHAPTER
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