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Novel: [Night Without Boundaries]
Chapter 106: [Tathagata vs. the Six Imperial Force]
Author: [Chen Dong]
Translator: [Shadow Knight AK]
Editor: [Shadow Knight AK]
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On the shores of the crimson lake, Zhou Chengru, Cui Chongxuan, and their three companions spotted Li Qingyue, Qin Ming, and their group.
The atmosphere instantly became charged with tension.
The opposing group tensed, their eyes fixed on Li Qingyue, whose pristine, graceful figure stood out against the fiery backdrop.
Their gazes were almost entirely focused on her, barely glancing at Qin Ming and the three Golden-Armored Guards.
Core Disciples of Beyond the Mortal Realm knew each other well.
Li Qingyue's meteoric rise over the past two years had instilled a formidable sense of awe.
Although she appeared ethereal and delicate, with skin like jade and an otherworldly aura, her battles were devastating.
She had crushed countless powerful disciples in her relentless ascent.
Her astonishing combat record had firmly established her unshakeable position as a Core Disciple.
Zhou Chengru's expression turned grave.
His lineage was formidable; his master held a high rank, and his grand-uncle—Cui Chonghe's master—was a renowned elder in the Night Mist World, feared even by Li Qingxu's teacher.
Cui Chongxuan, though not personally acquainted with Li Qingyue, had seen her before.
Combined with the influence of his Millennial Clan, he deeply understood the extraordinary nature of this Core Disciple.
"We can ignore the others for now. Our main target is Li Qingyue!" someone said beside Zhou Chengru.
"Li Qingyue's four Golden-Armored Guards will be easy to deal with," another agreed.
They were all practitioners of special Qi techniques, brimming with confidence.
A third voice cautioned, "We can't underestimate them. Let's crush those four with overwhelming force and quickly eliminate them."
Clearly, they underestimated Qin Ming and his group, treating them like easy prey.
Li Qingyue stepped forward gracefully.
"Zhou Chengru," she said, "since this is a competition among Core Disciples, why don't we settle it with a one-on-one duel? The winner advances, with the loser is eliminated. It's perfectly fair."
Beside the crimson lake, Zhou Chengru shook his head.
He couldn't possibly accept her challenge.
No one wanted to face Li Qingyue alone, especially with the formidable team Cui Chonghe had assembled for him.
Why would he cripple his own cultivation by attacking his opponent's strengths with his weaknesses?
He smiled faintly. "Senior Sister Li, the elders established the rules allowing four Golden-Armored Guards precisely because they are part of one's overall strength."
"Then let's begin!" Li Qingyue declared without hesitation.
Her silver armor gleamed brilliantly, illuminated by the fiery glow of the lake, accentuating her heroic bearing.
"The three of you focus on taking down one person at a time," Qin Ming whispered to the three Golden-Armored Guards beside him.
"Don't worry about anything else."
Had anyone else dared to speak to them in such a manner, the guards would have considered it a grave insult.
But this man—the former Disciple of the Tathagata, or rather, the successor of the Jade Pure Force—commanded their respect. His raw power and formidable presence justified his words.
Qin Ming called out to the opposing side, "We're fellow travelers on the Path of Awakening. Can we settle this with friendly discussion? If not, let's have a serious competition."
A light chuckle rippled through the opposing ranks.
While they deeply feared Li Qingyue, they had thoroughly studied her companions and were confident they could easily defeat them.
"To be honest, aside from you, who's a stranger, we know everything about the rest of you. Any one of us could probably crush all four of you."
Qin Ming's eyes lit up. "Alright, why don't we test that? If you can't crush us four, we'll sit down and discuss the Dao, and forget about the Core Disciples."
"What are you thinking? Let me send you home first!" An Outer Saint stepped forward, appearing instantly before them as if teleporting.
He had seen Li Qingyue about to engage Zhou Chengru and wanted to quickly eliminate her followers.
This Outer Saint was no ordinary opponent.
Channeling his Heavenly Light Force to its peak, he unleashed a tiger's roar as a shadowy black tiger materialized behind him, radiating malevolent energy.
"Careful! That's the Black Tiger Demonic Force!" the female Golden-Armored Guard behind Qin Ming shouted.
When Heavenly Light Force is infused with demonic energy, its power can increase dramatically, even doubling.
Clearly, this wasn't a "Newly Ascended Saint." He had likely been in the Outer Saint Realm for at least two years, long enough to fuse with Earthly Malevolence, Fire Essence, and other elemental essences.
Even as the woman shouted her warning, the two had already clashed.
Qin Ming didn't even draw the Overlord's Spear, choosing to engage barehanded.
He wasn't underestimating his opponent.
He seamlessly fused over a dozen Heavenly Light Techniques into a unified whole, his left fist and right palm flowing with effortless grace, yet carrying the overwhelming force of a dragon-taming tiger.
His left fist smashed forward, shattering most of the Black Tiger Demonic Force.
With a gentle flick of his right palm, the Outer Saint was struck as if by lightning.
Blood gushed from his hands as his so-called tiger claws were torn away, every nail ripped from its place.
With a sickening crack, the man's fingers shattered completely. His body trembled violently as if struck by an immense force, sending him flying backward like a ragdoll for over ten meters.
He spat out a mouthful of blood, his face ashen, and staggered to his feet.
"Impressive," Qin Ming remarked.
Having merged his Heavenly Light Force into a unified whole, he was genuinely impressed that the man could still stand after such a strike.
This opponent was undoubtedly a formidable expert.
But Qin Ming's words carried a different weight to the man's ears—were they a blatant mockery?
"Crack!"
The young Outer Saint's arms emitted a series of bone-cracking sounds.
The Heavenly Light Force Qin Ming had unleashed finally erupted completely.
He couldn't lift his arms anymore.
The fractures had spread to his shoulders, hairline cracks spiderwebbing across his shoulder blades, leaving him utterly horrified.
"I can't go on," he gasped, his face pale. "I can't fight anymore."
Meanwhile, by the lake, Li Qingyue and Zhou Chengru clashed, their Consciousness Spiritual Light colliding in a tempestuous storm.
The crimson lake churned violently, Fireglow surging skyward in fiery waves.
Cui Chongxuan and the other two exchanged a deep glance with Qin Ming before charging toward Li Qingyue, intending to assist Zhou Chengru in injuring her.
"Didn't you say you were going to crush us four? Are you going to turn the tables now? I haven't even reached the Outer Saint Realm yet! You guys are pathetic!" Qin Ming activated his Grass-Treading Technique, his feet barely touching the ground as he darted across the battlefield like a wisp of smoke, immediately intercepting one of the attackers.
His right hand glowed as he used Adhesive Force to seize the man, then hurled him dozens of meters away into the fiery red lake, sending waves crashing outward.
"Senior Brother Zhou, hold on! We'll deal with him first," Cui Chongxuan called out to Zhou Chengru, recognizing Qin Ming's formidable nature.
If they underestimated him and he launched a sneak attack from behind, things could quickly spiral out of control.
"Who exactly are you?" Cui Chongxuan demanded, confirming that Qin Ming hadn't yet reached the Outer Saint Realm.
Like himself, Qin Ming was still in the Awakening Realm—perhaps even at a lower stage—which made his strength all the more terrifying.
For someone in the Awakening Realm to challenge an Outer Saint Realm expert was unheard of, requiring extraordinary talent and mastery of the legendary Heavenly Light Force.
"Look closely," Qin Ming replied, standing alone by the lake's edge, facing the two remaining opponents. "Who do I resemble?"
"I don't care who you are!" The expert who had been thrown into the lake emerged, his body radiating Heavenly Light nearly a meter away from his body, and charged forward once more.
Qin Ming raised one hand to the sky and the other to the earth, his gaze sweeping across the four directions with a faint smile.
This sight brought the youth charging toward him like a giant elephant to an abrupt halt.
"A Former Disciple of the Tathagata?!" he exclaimed in disbelief, his face paling as the Giant Elephant Force around him faltered.
Legend had it that the Tathagata Force utterly suppressed their lineage's Technique, leaving them unable to even lift their heads.
Their ancestral founder had once served as an outer guardian of the Tathagata's Dao Lineage.
"Why haven't you retreated yet?" Qin Ming asked calmly.
"You're just a former disciple, not the true successor! Why should I retreat?" The towering youth regained his composure.
The Giant Elephant Force surged around him as he stomped the ground, shattering the earth as he charged forward.
This time, Qin Ming didn't "throw the elephant."
Having drawn all three opponents into the fray, he had ample time to calmly strike back at the youth's Giant Elephant Fist.
During this exchange, Cui Chongxuan and the other man also joined the attack.
This was no longer a fair duel.
Qin Ming's Heavenly Light Force erupted, enveloping him in a divine, luminous armor.
With his left hand, he parried Cui Chongxuan's dazzling, sun-like fist, while his right hand struck at the towering youth who sought a direct clash.
To be fair, Cui Chongxuan's Six Imperial Forces exerted immense pressure on Qin Ming.
The dazzling fist struck his left hand, causing his entire body to tremble violently.
Though his Qi surged wildly, Qin Ming stubbornly endured the blow.
Not long ago, he had fused multiple protective techniques, including the Vajra Armor, Golden Light Shield, and Golden Silkworm Technique. Even the Li Fire Technique possessed defensive properties.
His right hand continued to strike relentlessly, causing the towering youth to cough up blood repeatedly.
The Giant Elephant Force crumbled, leaving the youth's hands bloodied and his finger bones shattered.
Most terrifyingly, an inexplicable force spread along his arms, shattering his bones, then his shoulder blades, before expanding toward his chest.
"It's really... the Tathagata Force!" the towering youth exclaimed in horror.
The Giant Elephant Fist proved utterly useless, inherently countered by this power.
His chest burned with agony, and worse, his internal organs were hemorrhaging.
He was sent flying backward, crashing into the crimson lake.
Clearly, Qin Ming had finally gotten serious.
Facing Cui Chongxuan's Six Imperial Forces, he needed to eliminate all distractions first.
"Get him out of here and find someone to heal him immediately, or his internal organs will suffer severe damage!" Cui Chongxuan shouted.
The young man who had mastered the Black Tiger Demonic Force, his arms broken by Qin Ming earlier, endured the pain to enter the lake and rescue his companion.
The two of them quickly disappeared.
Cui Chonghe, obsessed with the legendary artifact, had gathered only top-tier experts.
Otherwise, Qin Ming's terrifying Heavenly Light Force would have shattered them instantly.
During Cui Chongxuan's clash with Qin Ming, another person tried to strike him from behind.
Li Qingyue's three Golden-Armored Guards attempted to intercept, but even they couldn't stop the attacker, demonstrating his extraordinary strength.
Qin Ming didn't dodge.
He activated his mutated Golden Silkworm Technique for defense, bracing his back against the full force of the palm strike.
"You..." The attacker was stunned.
His strike hadn't even budged Qin Ming.
More critically, golden silk threads woven across Qin Ming's skin had sliced his palm, drawing blood.
When he tried to strike with his other hand, the golden threads surged in reverse, transforming into countless needle-like filaments that pierced his palm, leaving it drenched in blood.
Cui Chongxuan's Six Imperial Forces indeed posed a significant challenge to Qin Ming, otherwise he wouldn't have resorted to directly confronting those two palm strikes.
After severely injuring the master of the Giant Elephant Force, Qin Ming freed one hand and moved his feet with lightning speed, aiming to eliminate the person behind him.
"That's not the Tathagata Force!" Cui Chongxuan, hailing from a Millennial Clan with close ties to Outsiders, possessed extensive knowledge of secret techniques and his own judgment.
Qin Ming's left palm swept out again, blocking Cui Chongxuan's Six Imperial Forces.
His right fist, as white and flawless as jade, struck the youth who had landed two palm strikes on him.
"Try my Jade Pure Force!"
"Ah..."
The youth screamed in agony.
The terrifying Heavenly Light Force had shattered the bones in his hands into countless fragments, leaving his flesh mangled and bloody.
Simultaneously, his arm bones and shoulder blades cracked with explosive force, followed by the snapping of his collarbone and a gushing of blood from his neck.
He was sent flying backward over ten meters, his internal organs severely damaged. Blood foamed from his mouth as he struggled to his feet.
"I can't hold on any longer! I'll die if I don't get treatment soon!"
Without hesitation, he turned and fled.
...
Outside the ruins of Mount Luo Fu Immortal Mountain, a tall youth with the Giant Elephant Force was being treated for his injuries.
He told the crowd, "The person I encountered might not be a Former Disciple of the Tathagata, but a true successor of the Tathagata lineage. He completely suppressed my Giant Elephant Force, rendering it utterly useless."
Soon, a dissenting voice emerged.
The youth Qin Ming had severely injured earlier stumbled out, gasping, "No, he's likely a successor of the Jade Pure Force!"
Everyone now knew: the mysterious youth was battling Cui Chongxuan, capable of contending against the legendary Six Imperial Forces!
The crowd was stunned by the fierce struggle unfolding within.
Clearly, anyone capable of opposing the Six Imperial Forces must possess the equally legendary Heavenly Light Force!
"Has anyone been following this youth? Did you bet on him to win at the gambling dens? This is an unprecedented rise and explosion of power—we could make a fortune!"
Many messenger birds spread their wings and soared into the night sky, carrying the news far and wide.
The Cui Clan members wore grim expressions.
The young prodigy they had hired had been repeatedly crushed by the same opponent and swiftly eliminated.
...
On the crimson shores of the great lake, Li Qingyue wounded Zhou Chengru.
Meanwhile, Qin Ming clashed repeatedly with Cui Chongxuan, gradually adapting to the terrifying Six Imperial Forces.
"I never imagined that someone in the Awakening Realm could actually shake my Six Imperial Forces!" Cui Chongxuan exclaimed in shock, his golden armor clanging as he radiated heroic energy, once again channeling the Six Imperial Forces throughout his body.
"If one aligns with the harmony of heaven and earth, mastering the transformation of the six energies to roam endlessly... your cultivation is flawed!" Qin Ming said.
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END OF CHAPTER
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