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Novel: [Night Without Borders]
Chapter 58: [Nothing More Than That]
Author: [Chen Dong]
Translator: [Shadow Knight AK]
Editor: [Shadow Knight AK]
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The Third Awakening elder lay dead on the ground, his upper body twitching slightly for a few breaths after the fall.
Night had fallen, and icy snowflakes drifted down.
Even the bright glow of the Fire Spring could not dispel the gloom in the hearts of the Golden Rooster Ridge bandits.
The lone rider and his mount felt like a massive cavalry charge, their pressure overwhelming.
This was a seasoned expert who had undergone three Awakenings within the stronghold, yet the man riding the Purple Lightning Beast had killed him with a single strike.
The severed corpse crashed down like a weight on their hearts, the crimson blood staining the snow and chilling them to the bone.
Two Great Bandits glared coldly.
Though their hearts were heavy, they showed no fear.
Years of slaughter and trials by fire had hardened them; this alone would not break them.
More importantly, the rider had arrived on a Purple Lightning Beast, an aberrant creature whose speed surpassed even that of a Fifth-Stage Awakened human.
They had no chance of outrunning it.
If they split up to flee, they would be picked off one by one.
Given the man's audacity—storming Golden Rooster Ridge alone at night—it was clear he intended to wipe them all out.
Qin Ming rode the Purple Lightning Beast forward, its heavy hooves striking the ground with a steady, thunderous rhythm that shook the earth and struck fear into the hearts of the bandits.
Many of the bandits, though seasoned killers who had seen their share of blood, now felt an overwhelming urge to flee.
The relentless pounding of the hooves seemed to crush their increasingly fragile resolve.
Qin Ming gripped his spear in his right hand, pointing it straight ahead.
With a flick of his left hand, he sent crimson droplets of blood splattering onto the ground before raising his Phoenix-Patterned Long Sword high.
"What are you waiting for? Surround him and attack!" One of the Great Bandit roared, his icy words plunging the others into a chilling dread.
This was a clear warning: no one was allowed to flee; everyone must fight.
They knew all too well the methods of this faction. Even if two Great Bandits had already fallen, the Golden Bandits above would ruthlessly punish any who showed cowardice in battle.
At that moment, one of the Great Bandit swung his broadsword, wider than a man's palm, at Qin Ming and his mount, the sword flashing like a bolt of lightning.
Another Great Bandit charged forward with his heavy spear, its blade gleaming under the fiery glow of the Fire Spring.
He lunged forward like a rainbow streak, stirring up a gale that whipped up the accumulated snow from the ground.
Earlier, the two Great Bandits had observed Qin Ming's skills and concluded that he was likely a Fourth-Stage Awakened.
They believed they could hold their own against him, and it was far from certain who would emerge victorious from the clash.
Fearless, Qin Ming flicked his right-hand spear, shattering the swirling snow and ice.
He deflected the razor-sharp spear blade aside and thrust the spear toward the man's chest.
Simultaneously, his left-hand long sword slashed out, colliding with the other man's Greatsword in a shower of sparks.
Urging his Purple Lightning Beast forward, Qin Ming charged into the fray.
Wielding his long sword in his left hand and spear in his right, Qin Ming harnessed the Purple Lightning Beast's astonishing speed to generate terrifying momentum.
Single-handedly, he forced the two Great Bandits to stumble backward.
The faces of the surrounding bandits paled.
These were their leaders, yet they were being driven back by a single opponent.
The two Great Bandits felt their Qi surge violently, a cold dread creeping down their spines.
The enemy's power far exceeded their own.
Qin Ming didn't pause.
He steered the Purple Lightning Beast toward the wooden hut behind the two men, as the rapid clanking of chains filled the air.
With a deafening boom, a massive bolt launched from a heavy crossbow.
Qin Ming dodged one, the projectile whistling past his ear with terrifying force, the sheer power palpable.
He deflected the second bolt with a slash of his sword, altering its trajectory.
The massive arrow pierced through a nearby hut and impaled a bandit standing in the snow, leaving a trail of blood in its wake.
At the same time, Qin Ming cleaved through wooden huts and other obstacles with his long sword, charging forward.
The snow-bright sword light shattered everything in its path.
Two elderly men rushed out, each gripping a long spear, and thrust at him.
Two Great Bandits quickly closed in from behind, forming a pincer attack.
Qin Ming had long known that Golden Rooster Ridge harbored more than just one or two Third Awakener.
He had personally witnessed four elderly men emerge alive from the Great Rift Valley during his last visit.
Sensing the Third-Stage Awakeners lurking nearby, he decided to eliminate them first to prevent them from interfering when he confronted the two Great Bandits.
Most importantly, he feared the Third-Stage Awakeners might secretly escape, as they were far faster than the other Mountain Bandits.
As for the two Great Bandits, if they attempted to flee, they would naturally become his primary targets for pursuit.
The two Great Bandits were instantly struck as if by lightning.
Their opponent's power was overwhelming, their arms spasming and trembling uncontrollably.
What terrified them most was that the enemy's great spear and long sword seemed to possess life and soul, honed to a realm beyond their comprehension.
Though engaged in slaughter, every movement carried an inexplicable spiritual resonance, creating a visual beauty that transformed even killing into an art form.
Qin Ming's long sword flashed relentlessly, each strike layering upon the last, recreating the Sword Intent that stretched between sea and sky.
The cascading layers of sword light twisted the spear from an old man's grasp.
With a gentle slash, blood seeped from the man's neck before he collapsed, his head rolling to the ground.
Another elder was engulfed by a storm of spear shadows. His spear was knocked aside, and in an instant, the enemy's spear pierced his chest, lifting him into the air.
Qin Ming shook his great spear.
The dozens of spear shadows that should have manifested erupted within the elder's body.
The Third-Stage Awakener's body instantly shattered into pieces!
The sight sent a chill down the spines of the two Great Bandits.
The other Mountain Bandits felt their hair stand on end, a cold dread washing over them from head to toe.
This ferocious warrior and his mount filled them with terror, and they desperately wanted to flee.
Who cared if the Golden Bandits would settle accounts later?
Survival was paramount.
They realized their leaders couldn't stop this man.
Someone ran!
"Stop!" one of the Great Bandits roared.
Qin Ming clashed fiercely with the two Great Bandits several times, then surged past them, riding the Purple Lightning Beast onto the mountain path.
With swift, continuous strikes of his sword, he cut down six bandits, leaving them sprawled in pools of blood.
Several Mountain Bandits behind them turned deathly pale, their escape route blocked.
Qin Ming stood astride the Purple Lightning Beast, his sword held horizontally, his gaze cold and unwavering as he pressed toward the mountain stronghold.
"Who are you? What has Golden Rooster Ridge ever done to you?" one of the Great Bandits finally demanded, still clueless about his opponent's identity.
"If this stronghold falls, the Golden Bandits won't stand idly by," another Great Bandit warned, though his voice lacked conviction.
"You Mountain Bandits were granted amnesty, yet your banditry only intensified, terrorizing the region. Do you think the City Lord will tolerate this? Even Outsiders are enraged by your atrocities! Your crimes are too numerous to list. If Golden Rooster Ridge isn't destroyed, even the heavens will condemn it!" Qin Ming declared hoarsely.
The two Great Bandits exchanged uneasy glances, a sense of foreboding creeping into their hearts.
The mention of the City Lord and Outsiders suggested that powerful forces might indeed be moving against them.
"A new official often makes a show of force," they realized. " Perhaps we'll be his first target."
Moreover, they had recently collaborated with an Outsider beast, only for it to vanish without explanation.
Qin Ming charged forward with the ferocity of a beast, scattering the remaining Mountain Bandits.
"Don't panic! Retreat to the back mountain!" One of the Great Bandit roared.
Immediately, some bandits' eyes flickered as they bolted toward the back mountain.
Qin Ming nocked another arrow, killing several more with consecutive shots.
Two Great Bandits closed in, forcing him to draw his sword once more.
This time, Qin Ming focused entirely on his sword technique.
A hazy sword light flowed around him, imbuing the Phoenix-Patterned Long sword with a life of its own.
Accompanied by the roar of wind and thunder and flashes of blinding light, the blade seemed poised to cleave the heavens in two.
The two Great Bandits trembled.
Though their life levels were similar to Qin Ming's, his mastery of the sword had reached a realm they could only look up to.
If he could yet unleash Heavenly Light through his sword, the sight would be even more terrifying.
They strongly suspected that, based solely on his comprehension of sword techniques, this man might rival even some Golden Bandits.
"Pfft!"
The sword pierced one bandit's shoulder, sending blood spurting.
Qin Ming was slightly surprised.
The instinctive reflexes of a Fourth-Stage Awakener were indeed formidable.
His strike had been aimed to sever the bandit's shoulder diagonally, killing him instantly.
Instead, the bandit had anticipated the attack, managing only to graze his shoulder without even hitting the bone.
The Great Bandit, driven to desperation, abandoned his broadsword.
With a sharp crack, his keen spiritual sense seized a fleeting opportunity, and he clamped his hands around Qin Ming's sweeping long sword.
Though wisps of Heavenly Light shimmered from the bandit's hands, protecting him, his palms were still injured, crimson blood dripping from the wounds.
With a snap, he shattered Qin Ming's long sword.
"So this is a Fourth-Stage Awakened?" he thought. "They're indeed far stronger than those elders. Their Heavenly Light reserves have increased dramatically. In a way, they're even more dangerous in hand-to-hand combat."
The other Great Bandit launched a ferocious attack, attempting to suppress Qin Ming and prevent him from reaching his spear.
The two bandits realized that this mysterious man's sword and spear techniques had reached a realm beyond their comprehension, possessing the power to transform the mundane into the extraordinary.
If he continued to develop at this rate, he would truly ascend, his prowess soaring to near-divine heights, his techniques approaching the Dao itself.
Undeterred, Qin Ming decided to test his Heavenly Light Technique.
He hurled the shattered long sword, piercing a distant Mountain Bandit with a thud.
Then, he faced his enemies unarmed.
The two Great Bandits launched swift and ferocious attacks, converging on Qin Ming from both sides.
Qin Ming's left hand met the first bandit's palm in a solid clash, their Heavenly Light Forces erupting in a blinding flash.
In an instant, the bandit clutched his hand and was sent flying backward, his face pale. Blood streamed from his right hand, a large chunk of flesh torn away.
Worse still, a terrifying penetrating force ravaged his palm, turning the flesh into a bloody pulp and shattering three finger bones.
Qin Ming leaped off the Purple Lightning Beast, meeting the second bandit mid-air as he swooped down like a hawk.
The two collided repeatedly in rapid succession.
This bandit fared even worse.
His hands were completely mangled, and he screamed as he crashed six or seven meters away.
His hands hung limp like chicken claws, unable to straighten, most of the flesh torn away, and every finger bone broken.
"He's fused multiple Heavenly Light Forces!"
"Why are you targeting us?" A bone-chilling dread washed over the bandits.
A Fourth-Stage Awakener who could already fuse multiple Heavenly Light Forces was no ordinary expert—he must have powerful backing.
They didn't realize Qin Ming was only a Third-Stage Awakener.
"Am I too strong, or did I overestimate you all?" Qin Ming rasped, glancing down at his hands. "These Fourth-Stage Awakened Great Bandits are nothing special."
He had already remounted the Purple Lightning Beast.
The Strange Beast, which had been about to bolt, now ground its teeth in frustration.
In truth, it had a chance to flee, but Qin Ming's overwhelming presence had intimidated it, fearing it would end up like the bandits—dead.
Qin Ming patted its head. "You made the right choice. See this spear? It's for you. Try running, and I'll throw it with all my power. I guarantee it will pin you to the mountain path."
The two remaining Great Bandits retreated, their confidence and strength to fight Qin Ming completely shattered.
They turned and fled, using the buildings as cover to try and shake off their pursuer as they charged toward the rear of the mountain.
Qin Ming spurred the Purple Lightning Beast into pursuit, impaling one bandit with his spear mid-chase.
With a violent shake, the corpse was torn to pieces.
As he reached the rear of the mountain, he saw what lay there and murmured to himself, "No wonder they call this Golden Rooster Ridge."
...
In the thick of night, at the foot of Golden Rooster Ridge, several figures stood motionless in the dense forest beside the road, a woman among them deep in thought.
"Miss, should we wait any longer?" a maid whispered beside her.
In the dim forest, the woman's slender figure was barely visible.
"Hmm, let's wait a bit longer," she replied.
"That figure riding the Purple Lightning Beast looks familiar..."
"Who does it resemble?"
"Cui Chonghe."
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END OF CHAPTER
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