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Novel: [Night Without Borders]
Chapter 83: [Lending a Helping Hand in the Snow]
Author: [Chen Dong]
Translator: [Shadow Knight AK]
Editor: [Shadow Knight AK]
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Qin Ming moved with the speed of lightning, his feet shattering the forest floor as he charged forward like a tempest.
He swung his heavy Black Gold Hammer, unleashing a terrifying sonic boom.
The forest seemed to explode as every tree branch within his reach instantly shattered.
Ge Qianxun's pupils contracted.
With no escape, he gripped his pair of massive iron whips and braced himself for a full-force collision with the young man.
Sparks flew through the mountain forest as towering trees crashed to the ground.
Their initial clash left the ground littered with broken branches—it was a confrontation of raw power.
Ge Qianxun staggered backward, his hands trembling slightly as he gripped the iron whips.
The force of the hammer strike had sent his blood surging violently, leaving him gasping for air.
Although he had stolen and studied the Sun Family Hammer Technique, he had never actually wielded hammer-type weapons.
A look of astonishment crossed his face.
How could this youth possess such monstrous strength at such a young age?
It defied all reason.
He was a seasoned expert who had undergone seven awakenings, his hidden identity that of the Golden Bandit.
Ge Qianxun realized his opponent remained calm and composed.
The young man swung the terrifyingly fast and powerful hammer as if it were effortless, and he was already launching another attack.
Qin Ming remained utterly calm.
With nearly five thousand catties of strength coursing through his body, the Black Gold Hammer, which seemed impossibly heavy to others, felt remarkably light in his hands.
A thunderous roar echoed through the forest as Qin Ming swung the Black Gold Hammer.
White shockwaves erupted with each strike, shattering trees in his path.
This time, though Ge Qianxun parried with his twin whips, he was sent flying backward, crashing through several trees with a series of splintering cracks.
His face flushed crimson, a result of his surging blood. Though the hammer hadn't struck him directly, the force of the impact left him shaken and disoriented.
His arms tingled with numbness, forcing him to shake them slightly to restore circulation.
Dai Shifeng and his loyal followers watched in horror.
Just how powerful was this youth?
Just two blows, and he had sent the former hall master flying.
"I knew this job would be troublesome," Ge Qianxun growled, his face darkening. "But I never imagined the problem wouldn't be your mysterious identity, but your sheer strength. And to make matters worse, the client only gave a small advance payment!"
"Sevenfold Awakening is nothing special, Ge Qianxun," Qin Ming said, advancing. "Repay the Sun Family's blood debt!"
Behind him, Dai Shifeng, a Sixfold Awakening Cultivator, sighed, while his followers felt a mix of emotions.
Ge Qianxun's ferocity ignited.
"This old man has cultivated restraint for years," he snarled. "But it seems you all mistake my restraint for weakness. I'll show you what true power looks like!"
His body suddenly swelled, rapidly growing larger by a full size. Muscles bulged, revealing years of training in some King of technique, instantly transforming him into a powerful, muscular figure.
Even the wrinkles on his face were smoothed out by the expanding flesh, making him appear a decade younger.
"Back then, when I first underwent awakening, I was a prodigy capable of lifting over 600 catties. If someone hadn't shattered my protective technique, damaged my foundation, I would have long since achieved Heavenly Light Emission and ascended to the next great realm."
A deep resentment burned within him.
After his foundation was damaged, he had consumed spiritual substances over twenty times and resorted to forbidden medicine to reach his current level, but he remained permanently cut off from the next great realm.
Ge Qianxun's voice turned icy. "Don't act so arrogant before this old man, you so-called genius! You might just get yourself killed!"
He lunged forward, his twin whips slashing through the dense forest like streaks of rainbow light, their strikes echoing like thunderclaps.
However, the greater the force he exerted, the more severe the backlash when his whips were blocked by the iron hammer.
He felt as if his fingers were about to shatter from the impact.
One of his iron whips flew from his hand, while the other was bent into a twisted wreck.
"Is that all the strength you have? Barely over 2,000 catties after seven awakenings? After all your boasting, I expected at least 2,250 catties."
Qin Ming spoke casually, then swung his great hammer again.
"I'll show you the true essence of the Sun Family's Hammer Technique!"
The Hammer Technique incorporated Whip Force.
Qin Ming's arm moved like a whip, channeling his full power into each strike.
The Hammer Force was even more devastating, as if shaking the mountains themselves!
Qin Ming moved with ghostly speed, his Black Gold Hammer unleashing thunderous booms with every swing.
Nearby branches exploded at the mere proximity of his strikes.
With a deafening crash, Ge Qianxun was sent flying, his twisted iron whip clattering to the ground.
Heavenly Light swirled around his right hand.
He was certain that without the Heavenly Light protecting him, his entire arm would have been shattered by the raw force of the blow.
How many times had this youth undergone awakening?
In terms of sheer power, he was utterly outmatched.
"At my level, weapons are mere hindrances!" Ge Qianxun roared. "Let me show you the Heavenly Light Technique of the Golden Bandit—I'll blast you to pieces!"
With a whoosh, he vanished into the forest, seemingly attempting to flee.
"Same old tricks won't work!" Qin Ming said coldly, instantly blocking his path.
Although he had only undergone Fourfold Awakening, his physical attributes—strength, speed, and more—had improved far more dramatically than his opponent's.
This time, Ge Qianxun wasn't trying to escape; he was seeking advantageous terrain.
His face icy, he channeled the Heavenly Light Technique Force he had cultivated for decades, unleashing a tremendous surge of power as he struck forward.
Wherever his palms and fingers passed, the tangled branches blocking his path instantly disintegrated into dust.
Qin Ming blocked the strikes with his great hammer, then glanced down to see faint palm prints etched into the metal.
"Not bad," Qin Ming said. "Let me show you the true power of the Heavenly Light Force in the Sun Family Hammer Technique!"
He stopped swinging the hammer and instead pressed forward with a lightning-fast, one-handed strike.
He channeled the Sun Family's Whip Force, Hammer Force, and the mysterious composite "Explosive Force" he had acquired in the Thunder Fire Alchemy Hall—the precursor to Thunder Force.
The three forces converged, erupting in a devastating blast.
Ge Qianxun sneered.
After his Fivefold Awakening, his physical body had become incomparably resilient.
His Sixfold Awakening had granted him a unique ability to temporarily amplify his Heavenly Light Force to an extraordinary degree.
Unfortunately, his Seventh Awakening had been fueled by forbidden medicine, leaving him somewhat weakened.
For a moment, the Heavenly Light radiating from Ge Qianxun's hands blazed with blinding intensity.
Qin Ming's single hand clashed with Ge Qianxun's dual strikes, unleashing two thunderous explosions that lit the forest with blinding Heavenly Light Emission.
A violent gale swept through the area, tearing withered branches from the ground and shattering them mid-air.
Ge Qianxun could hardly believe it.
His hands were a bloody mess, bleeding profusely, utterly unable to withstand Qin Ming's Heavenly Light Force.
He fell silent, becoming even more dangerous.
Ge Qianxun prepared to fight to the death, knowing that if he failed to block this attack, he would surely die here.
His bones cracked and popped incessantly.
This time, instead of swelling, his body shrank, except for his right hand, which seemed to enlarge.
The bleeding stopped, and it began to emit a dazzling light.
He channeled all his vital energy, merging several types of Heavenly Light Force into his right hand, concentrating his entire power into a single, devastating strike aimed at Qin Ming.
Having merged all his Heavenly Light Force into a unified whole, Qin Ming had yet to test its effect on a living person.
Now, eager to try out his technique, he casually held his great hammer in his right hand, raised his left hand, and with a gentle forward motion, unleashed a brilliant, palm-sized burst of light.
With a sickening pop, Ge Qianxun's hand exploded, followed by his entire right arm, which tore apart all the way to his shoulder.
If he hadn't acted decisively, severing his shoulder with his other hand at the critical moment, half his body might have been ripped apart.
Ge Qianxun was terrified.
What combination of Heavenly Light Force had his opponent mastered?
Could it be a technique from those mysterious great sects?
It was utterly terrifying!
Qin Ming strode forward with a calm expression, delivering a swift blow that shattered Ge Qianxun's left arm.
"Now it's symmetrical," he said.
"You..." Ge Qianxun staggered back, his face as pale as paper, his body drenched in blood from his severe injuries.
Qin Ming left a residual image in his wake as he gently brushed Ge Qianxun's chest with his Yellow Mud Palm.
The force sent Ge Qianxun vomiting blood, flying backward to crash into a towering tree before collapsing to the ground.
The so-called Soft Force could also be fierce.
Qin Ming didn't kill him, knowing this Golden Bandit belonged to Meng Xinghai.
Qin Ming crouched down and rummaged through Ge Qianxun's robes, retrieving the bundle he carried.
He weighed it in his hand—the Day Gold inside seemed substantial.
More importantly, the bundle contained a Secret Manual!
"It seems to resonate with intense emotional energy!" Qin Ming exclaimed with delight.
To him, this was far more valuable than the Day Gold.
He left the forest and headed toward the riverbank.
Dai Shifeng and his henchmen stood frozen in place, only exhaling in relief after a long moment.
The youth was terrifying—had he really shattered Old Ge with such a simple strike?
"Qin Ming!" The Dirty-Clothed Youth emerged from the mud, his face twisted with fury, his composure of detached indifference and arrogance shattered.
Qin Ming regarded him calmly.
"You said we have no ties anymore. I spared you from being shot down in mid-air solely out of respect for your cousin, Wang Caiwei. Push your luck any further, and you won't have a future."
The Dirty-Clothed Youth's face was covered in mud, but at these words, his body seemed to tremble, his fists clenching tightly.
Qin Ming sighed.
He hadn't expected Ning Siqi to appear.
Once one of his closest friends, they had now reached this point.
It was impossible for him not to feel a pang of emotion.
Years ago, they had been inseparable. Yet recently, Ning Siqi had uttered such heartless, face-tearing words.
If it had been anyone else, Qin Ming could have accepted it.
But for Ning Siqi to appear and treat him with such contempt and mockery...
"Do you harbor feelings for your cousin?" Qin Ming asked. "Is that why you've secretly resented me ever since we swore brotherhood?"
This question shattered Ning Siqi's composure.
Overwhelmed with grief and fury, he cried out, "Today, you shot me down into the mud and humiliated me like this. I'm destined to become the laughingstock of our circle. Come, let's fight to the death!"
"You're too dirty," Qin Ming said flatly. "Go wash yourself in the river."
"After all, only old friends truly understand each other."
This phrase shattered Ning Siqi's composure.
A man who prided himself on his Wei-Jin refinement and aloof elegance, he trembled violently, let out a primal roar, and actually plunged into the river.
Ning Siqi, who favored white robes, now stood drenched and mud, disgusted even by his own appearance.
His hair hung disheveled as he stalked ashore, teeth clenched.
"Qin Ming," he snarled, "you've gone too far!"
Qin Ming regarded him calmly. "I'm puzzled. As the employer, why would you expose yourself by personally overseeing this operation? It's not your style."
Ning Siqi gritted his teeth. "Yes, I was foolish. I regret coming here, enduring your humiliation. This will become a laughingstock!"
"Then let's fight," Ning Siqi declared. "Show me how far you've progressed on your Path of Awakening."
He paused. "Has Meng Xinghai shown himself yet?"
Qin Ming stared at him in silence.
"Meng Xinghai's people took care of Ge Qianxun, didn't they?" Ning Siqi had heard the massive sonic boom from the dense forest moments earlier.
"Scared now? So you do know how close Old Meng and I are," Qin Ming remarked.
"I saw you capture Zhao Jingshuo with my own eyes. How could I not know?" Ning Siqi lunged forward, striking first.
As he closed in, Ning Siqi said, "I bought a book. I'm going to rub mud..."
Qin Ming slapped him flying, sending him crashing back into the mud pit.
"You've become this strong?" Ning Siqi was shocked.
The information he had received indicated that Qin Ming had disappeared for two years and only recently, within the past two or three months, had begun walking the Path of Awakening.
"I crushed Ge Qianxun with three hammer blows and two palm strikes," Qin Ming said.
"Looks like I'll have to use my true strength!"
Ning Siqi's bones cracked as he rinsed himself in the river again.
As he charged forward once more, he attacked while speaking: "I've prepared a secret manual for you, far superior to the Awakening Techniques you've been practicing in that remote region."
Qin Ming had sensed something was off earlier.
Hearing these words, his expression flickered, but he continued his attack.
"The taunts and insults I hurled at you earlier were the exact words your old friends used to say. If I hadn't come today, someone who once hated you with a burning passion would have personally come to kill you," Ning Siqi said quickly.
Qin Ming remained silent, twice more slamming him into the mud pit, driving Ning Siqi's anger to a boiling point.
"I thought you were targeting me because you had feelings for your cousin!"
"Get lost!" Ning Siqi spat out two word.
"I came here personally, willing to tarnish my reputation to expose this matter before they could, and this is the humiliation I receive in return!"
Ning Siqi's anger blazed fiercely.
"What kind of exposure is this? What's the point?" Qin Ming asked, striking out as he watched him.
"The point is to make it public," Ning Siqi retorted. "I've already sent a reliable messenger to Beyond the Mortal Realm with an anonymous letter for Cui Hao. I hope he receives it safely."
"If he emerges from seclusion and reads the letter, learning that members of the Noble Clans have humiliated and even tried to kill you, his familial bond with you will surely ignite his fury."
"He'll defy the Cui Family elders' objections, rush out to warn all parties involved, and might even slaughter some scions of the Noble Clans! When you see him, clarify immediately that I tarnished my reputation for your sake. Don't let him actually kill me."
"Siqi!" Qin Ming exclaimed, uttering only those two syllables.
"Practicing techniques haphazardly in remote regions won't be much helpful," Ning Siqi warned. "The combinations of Heavenly Light Force are intricate. If you recklessly fuse it with low-level techniques, you'll face serious consequences later."
He revealed that he had prepared an exceptionally powerful cultivation manual, with a complete system that would allow Qin Ming to cultivate to profound depths.
"An Advanced Intent Qi Cultivation Technique?" Qin Ming asked.
"It's far more precious than that—a relatively rare Secret Manual. It contains combinations for the Heavenly Light Force, so you won't have to practice it in isolation. It's a fused, extraordinary technique." He quickly revealed the location of the hidden book.
Ning Siqi added, "I didn't prepare any spiritual substance for you. You'll have to hunt it yourself, which will also serve as excellent training."
"Alright, I admit I'm a bit strapped for money right now and couldn't afford the higher spiritual substances. After secretly bidding on that rare Secret Manual for you, I didn't have much Day Gold left."
"Siqi, I don't know how to thank you," Qin Ming said, a warmth spreading through his heart.
After such dramatic ups and downs, he now had few friends left.
Having an old acquaintance like this stirred a mix of emotions within him, his eyes even beginning to sting.
Ning Siqi cautioned, "Don't be fooled by other old friends. There are only two or three genuine ones left like me. Many are deeply scheming and despicable."
When he learned that Qin Ming had achieved such power after only four awakenings, he was utterly astonished.
"Even though you're no longer the near-immortal prodigy Cui Chonghe, your current talent still holds immense potential!"
He grew sentimental, saying, "At first, I thought you'd be struggling here, without even a proper Awakening Techniques."
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END OF CHAPTER
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