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Novel: [Night Without Boundaries]
Chapter 122: [The Curtain Falls]
Author: [Chen Dong]
Translator: [Shadow Knight AK]
Editor: [Shadow Knight AK]
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Li Qingyue wasn't worried about Qin Ming's safety.
She had already thoroughly injured her former best friend and now rival, Wang Caiwei.
Wang Caiwei was severely injured.
Her black-and-gold armor was shattered and tattered, her face as pale as paper.
The normally cheerful woman was in dire straits, her eyes clouded with sorrow.
Beneath her armor, she wore the protective golden robe provided by the Beyond the Mortal Realm, now completely dimmed and stained crimson from where it had been pierced.
Once graceful and poised, she now rushed forward in her battered armor, her feet glowing with speed, yet her movements were clearly unsteady.
As she drew closer, she even stumbled slightly.
Qin Ming remained calm, holding the Immortal mist-shrouded Eight Trigrams Furnace in one hand as a weapon, while the other crackled with Heavenly Light Force, capable of incinerating the Consciousness Spiritual Light.
Though he didn't know Wang Caiwei well, he harbored no ill will toward her.
Upon reflection, he recalled their pleasant time traveling together, her thoughtful nature and radiant smile.
Their only private outing had taken place over two years ago, and the memories and details had faded with time.
Deep down, Qin Ming hoped they could maintain a peaceful distance, each staying out of the other's way.
That would be ideal.
But if she tried to seize the Near-Immortal Artifact, he would have no choice but to intervene.
Wang Caiwei stumbled, abruptly stopping nearby.
She didn't attack.
Having lost too much blood, her once radiant face was now pale, devoid of its usual smile, giving her a tragic beauty.
She stared intently at Qin Ming, then secretly transmitted a message: "Is it you? The one from Chi Xia City."
Qin Ming's expression remained calm, but his heart jolted with shock.
"She's investigated me? Knows some of my current situation? And she recognized me despite my disguise? How is that possible?!"
He was wearing full armor, a golden mask, and his features had been altered by Meng Xinghai using Secret Sect techniques.
"What are you talking about?" Qin Ming's right hand twitched slightly.
The combined power of his three extraordinary techniques and eighteen types of Heavenly Light Force resonated, merging into a terrifying unity—a scorching sun for many Outworld Disciples.
"I know you're back. Please help me this once. If I can increase my strength quickly enough, the Wang Clan won't want to marry me off. I need a Near-Immortal Artifact. I refuse to become a sacrificial pawn in a political marriage," Wang Caiwei pleaded, her face as pale as snow, her voice tinged with despair and helplessness.
She gazed at the tall, slender figure before her, completely clad in golden armor.
"I know it's you. I have a memory. I recognize your habitual movements and subtle details. The Wang Clan showed me your information long before I met you. I've studied them thoroughly."
Qin Ming shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about. The Near-Immortal Artifact already has an owner."
He braced himself for battle, his left hand gripping the Eight Trigrams Furnace, which pulsed with Auspicious Haze, while the Heavenly Light Force coalescing in his right hand blazed like a miniature sun.
"We're old friends. You're wholeheartedly helping Li Qingyue, yet you're so wary of me. I truly mean you no harm... How well do you even know her?" Wang Caiwei transmitted telepathically, her voice laced with a sigh.
Qin Ming frowned. "If you want a Near-Immortal Artifact, trade me the Heaven-Shattering Technique, Tathagata Technique, or Jade Pure Technique. Or bring me three stacks of extraordinary cultivation techniques."
"Li Qingyue aspires for Immortal Realm. Once she obtains the Eight Trigrams Furnace, she will never set foot in the mortal world again. This parting may be your last."
"In the future, she will either lead the Beyond the Mortal Realm to unprecedented glory, transforming all Blessed Lands into Heavenly Cave and ascending into the void, or she will lead all Outsiders to their deaths in the depths of the Night Mist World during the Great Pioneering Era, their path blocked and their way forward severed."
"Her ambitions differ from ours. You don't understand her. Once she obtains a Near-Immortal Artifact, she will inevitably sever all ties, destined to become a pure practitioner on the path to Immortality."
Qin Ming frowned and maintained his distance, remaining wary.
"You and I are actually more alike. We both struggle to change our destinies. Help me this once. If I perform exceptionally well, I can persuade my family to change their minds. Afterward, I will give the Near-Immortal Artifact to Li Qingyue. I swear this by the Forbidden Techniques of the Beyond the Mortal Realm!" Wang Caiwei's eyes reddened, her expression helpless and forlorn.
Qin Ming had seen enough to know that words were just words.
What truly mattered was the other party's actions.
When he couldn't judge someone's true intentions, he adhered to one principle: judge by deeds, not by heart.
He didn't approach her to establish spiritual resonance, maintaining his distance.
The Core Disciples' cultivation was superior to his; there was no need to take unnecessary risks.
"You've said so much, but I don't understand," Qin Ming thought quickly.
If she recognized him, would leaving the Luo Fu Immortal Mountain Ruins have dire consequences, or trigger terrible dangers?
Wang Caiwei sighed softly. "You think I'm always smiling, that I'm being fake? Alas, those who smile often are usually hiding their gloomy hearts. I truly want to weep, unable to control my own fate."
She took two steps forward, trying to get closer.
The Eight Trigrams Furnace in Qin Ming's hand hummed and roared under the impact of his Heavenly Light Force, ready to strike at any moment.
Wang Caiwei sighed again, then with a whoosh, she swiftly retreated, choosing to leave the Luo Fu Immortal Mountain Ruins without attacking him.
Watching her retreating figure, Qin Ming said, "Whether you're acting or genuinely lamenting your fate, I wish you well."
He was no longer Cui Chonghe.
Those who had once crossed paths with him briefly had gradually become mere symbols of the past.
Qin Ming noticed that the clearing battle in the distance was nearing its end.
Jiang Shengyu, Su Jingzhu, Hu Tingwen, and the others knew this was Li Qingyue's demonstration of power.
With so many elite disciples watching, she likely wouldn't kill them outright, so they unleashed their strongest techniques in a desperate attempt to survive.
Despite their desperate attacks, none of the disciples could so much as scratch Li Qingyue.
Instead, they were all severely wounded, sent flying, and left bleeding profusely, unable to rise from the ground.
Without a doubt, this cleansing battle had shaken the hearts of all the Outworld Disciples watching. The gap between them and the Core Disciples was far greater than they had imagined.
Li Qingyue's golden armor clanked as it fell piece by piece, revealing her true form as she removed her helmet.
She now wore her earliest, battle-worn armor, stained with her own blood—a testament to the brutal and dangerous battles she had survived, having been surrounded and yet remaining undefeated.
Li Qingyue's dark hair billowed around her, framing her tall, slender figure. Her skin was as smooth as jade, her face flawless and delicate, and her entire being radiated a soft, ethereal glow, wreathed in a faint white mist.
The bloodstained, tattered armor only enhanced her otherworldly grace with a touch of martial spirit.
She advanced toward Tang Xumi and Li Qingxu, the only two still capable of fighting.
"I yield! I surrender!" Tang Xumi shouted readily, unwilling to attempt his strongest attack again.
With a thud, he collapsed onto his back, gasping for breath, his body covered in blood. He let out a few bitter, yet relieved laughs.
Li Qingxu hesitated, torn between conceding defeat or risking everything for one last desperate fight.
Li Qingyue closed the distance, leaving him no choice and allowing no further words.
She attacked immediately.
In an instant, the ground shattered, the earth trembling violently.
Divine light rained down in dazzling brilliance as massive boulders crumbled from the edges of the crater, plummeting into the abyss.
Li Qingxu unleashed his full power without restraint, yet he still fell.
Bloodied and battered, he collapsed amidst the rubble, his strength utterly exhausted.
Moreover, the treasured artifact forged by his master—the purple bamboo staff that had withstood the Heavenly Light unscathed—now lay in Li Qingyue's hands.
Holding the staff aloft, Li Qingyue gazed down at Li Qingxu and said, "Before entering the Immortal Mountain Ruins, I told you that the person you attacked years ago was a dear friend of mine. Over two years have passed, and I intend to do something for him."
With a sharp crack, Li Qingyue swung the purple bamboo staff, striking Li Qingxu's arm.
A crisp, bone-snapping sound echoed through the air.
Everyone present felt a chill run down their spines.
Li Qingyue's audacity was truly astonishing.
Even after the duel had ended, she showed no mercy, delivering a brutal blow to the closed-door disciple of that venerable elder!
The purple bamboo shadow slashed through the void and crashed down again, shattering Li Qingxu's left leg with a sickening crack.
Even the other Core Disciples were now shaken.
Then they realized that no matter how brutal the junior disciples' clashes became, the old senior wouldn't dare intervene.
Moreover, within the Beyond the Mortal Realm, there were powerful figures who could restrain that domineering, protective elder and would never allow him to run rampant.
Today, Li Qingyue had swept through all the Core Disciples with a clean, decisive, and dazzling victory.
This was bound to draw the attention of those great figures, and the wielder of the Eight Trigrams Furnace would undoubtedly receive special cultivation and protection.
Furthermore, the influential figures of various Dao Lineage had long resented Li Qingxu's master.
Li Qingyue's daring to strike his disciple likely aligned perfectly with the wishes of these factions.
"What better way to establish authority than by beating Li Qingxu? The prestige she's gained is more than enough!" Tang Xumi sighed inwardly.
He quickly retreated, fearing he might be next.
"Whether driven by reason or personal grudge, I've wanted to do this for a long time—I've wanted to beat you up!" Li Qingyue declared, striking Li Qingxu six times in total.
Three strikes shattered Li Qingxu's arms and one leg.
The remaining three, delivered with less force, merely cracked his skull.
"An old friend of mine once suffered amnesia for over two years," Li Qingyue said, withdrawing her hand and tossing the bamboo staff.
It pierced the ground before Li Qingxu like a spear, shimmering with a faint purple glow.
"Your injuries are far less severe than his were."
Li Qingxu seethed with hatred, humiliated beyond measure.
To be beaten senseless with his own Divine Bamboo before a crowd, his dignity stripped bare.
He had attempted to use a secret escape technique to flee, but Li Qingyue had forcibly interrupted him, plunging him into utter darkness.
"If no one else challenges me," Li Qingyue declared, "let the competition for the Near-Immortal Artifact end here."
Her raven hair cascaded like a waterfall, her slender figure as graceful as a willow. Her cold, elegant gaze swept across the crowd, softening into a smile as she nodded to her fellow disciples, like sunlight breaking through morning mist. Her entire being radiated ethereal purity, as if she were about to ascend to the heavens.
Qin Ming sighed.
After this parting, he might not see her again for a very long time.
He was returning to the remote Chi Xia City.
The thousand-year-old Noble Clans, Blessed Lands, and resplendent Beyond the Mortal Realm were all distant dreams.
He would have to advance step by step, one footprint at a time.
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END OF CHAPTER
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