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Novel: [Night Without Borders]
Chapter 57: [Riding Alone Across Golden Rooster Ridge]
Author: [Chen Dong]
Translator: [Shadow Knight AK]
Editor: [Shadow Knight AK]
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Sensing something, Qin Ming glanced at the Great Mountain from which the Purple Lightning Beast had charged, but he didn't want to investigate further.
Speed was the most important thing at this moment.
Deep within the Great Mountain, a man in his late thirties stood on a cliff, his blue robes fluttering in the wind as he gazed into the distance.
Across the way, on a towering mountain shrouded in white mist, a High-Tier Lifeform Creature materialized within the hazy, smoke-like clouds that blanketed most of the peak.
"The new City Lord of Chi Xia City," the High-Tier Lifeform boomed, "why aren't you taking up your post? What brings you here?"
"I was passing through and thought I'd pay my respects to the Mountain Lord."
...
After galloping for several miles, the Purple Lightning Beast grew restless again. Its fur shimmered with purple mist, and its frantic pace became increasingly erratic, making it difficult to stay balanced.
At times, it would suddenly slow down, and anyone else would have lost their grip and fallen off.
Seeing the beast acting up again, Qin Ming pressed down on the Phoenix-Patterned Long sword resting against its neck.
A cluster of faintly glowing purple mane hairs snapped off, and a bloody gash appeared on its neck.
"If you won't give me a ride, I'll give you a ride to the afterlife!" Qin Ming had no intention of fully subduing the beast.
Nor did he feel any remorse.
The Purple Lightning Beast had struck him first with its hoof; an ordinary person would have had their skull crushed.
"Get back on the path, or you'll be on your way to the afterlife!" Qin Ming pressed the sword again.
This time, the Purple Lightning Beast truly panicked, its neck soaked with blood.
It fell silent and became more obedient, allowing them to travel smoothly the rest of the way.
They were now less than ten miles from Golden Rooster Ridge.
Qin Ming drifted into thought.
Even without using his Heavenly Radiance Technique, he could maintain a steady seat on the mutant creature's back and control it with ease.
Before this, he had never ridden horses or other mounts in the Black and White Mountain region.
Moreover, he was riding bareback, without even a bridle or reins.
Vaguely, images flashed through his mind: he had once ridden another mutant creature beast at full gallop outside a massive city, its appearance even more striking than this Purple Lightning Beast.
He shook his head, trying to dismiss the memories, but out of habit, he treated his long sword like a riding crop, gently tapping the Purple Lightning Beast's flank with the flat of the sword blade.
The creature startled violently, thinking it was about to be struck again.
As if riding the wind, it surged forward, accelerating like an arrow loosed from a bowstring.
A trail of violet mist streamed behind it as it tore through the thick night.
Qin Ming rode the ferocious beast through the long night, racing toward Golden Rooster Ridge!
The path ahead glowed brightly, even in the dead of night.
Golden Rooster Ridge never truly darkened, thanks to its Fire Spring, which was nearing Second-Tier level, rivaling the one in Yinteng (Silvervine) Town.
The wide road led directly up the mountain, flanked by dense forests. No mutant creatures lurked nearby; they knew the bandits here were not to be trifled with.
Yet Golden Rooster Ridge was far quieter than before.
The bandits had suffered heavy losses during their expedition to the Great Rift Valley to seize Mysterious Resources.
On that day, many mutant creatures on Black and White Mountain had gorged themselves to bursting.
Now, only about thirty bandits remained on the mountain. Those left behind to guard the stronghold had connections, making them even more ruthless.
As Old Liu put it, "You could swing your Sword at these remaining bandits without worrying about accidentally killing any good people. They could die a dozen times over and it wouldn't matter."
Qin Ming sheathed his long sword, retrieved his sturdy bow, and mounted the Purple Lightning Beast.
He charged toward the brightly lit area of Golden Rooster Ridge where the Fire Springs gurgled.
The first to spot him wasn't the bandits, but a Golden Rooster specifically bred for guard duty.
This twice-mutated creature proved remarkably vigilant, hiding in the forest and sounding a loud alarm the moment it detected an intruder: "Cluck! Cluck!"
Qin Ming's first iron arrow pierced the rooster's head with a thwack, silencing its cry instantly.
"What's going on?" Some of the bandits were already drunk.
Startled awake, an older bandit shouted, "Enemy attack!"
The men leaped to their feet and saw a lone rider and mount, wreathed in shimmering violet light like a tear in the night sky, charging toward the mountain gate.
In the past, archers would have manned the watchtowers and ramparts.
But now, Golden Rooster Ridge was half-abandoned, and the remaining bandits rarely bothered with their duties.
In this frigid season, with snowflakes still falling, most of them huddled indoors, eating, drinking, and gambling.
Qin Ming rode in on his Purple Lightning Beast.
The sturdy gate of the Golden Rooster Ridge stronghold shattered with a thunderous crash under the beast's heavy, powerful hooves.
Rider and mount charged directly into the stronghold.
"Everyone, wake up! Enemy attack!" Chaos erupted across Golden Rooster Ridge.
Even the drunken bandits sobered up instantly, realizing what was happening.
The stronghold was brightly lit by a Second-Tier Fire Spring, its flowing Fireglow making it a treasure trove far superior to the villages outside.
Qin Ming was clad in gleaming armor, his face hidden behind the helmet's visor, leaving only his eyes and the lower half of his face exposed.
To the bandits, the lone rider and his mount moved with terrifying speed, their violet-tinged movements like lightning, possessing unparalleled destructive force.
Qin Ming drew his bow and fired arrow after arrow in rapid succession.
Under the Fireglow's crimson light, the iron arrows streaked through the air like icy bolts of lightning.
"Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!"
In a single exchange, he shot down five bandits.
Some hadn't even reacted before an arrow pierced their foreheads, while two others were killed by a single arrow through the chest.
"Quick, fire back!" Someone finally regained their senses and quickly organized the remaining bandits.
He blew a whistle, commanding the tamed Golden Roosters to charge the enemy.
Qin Ming had meticulously studied the Wu Clan's secret manuals, and his reputation as a master of both spear and bow was no exaggeration.
The bow in his hands seemed to possess a soul, and his eyes were incomparably sharp.
Before the commander could finish his order, Qin Ming had already fired a special heavy arrow, shattering his skull.
The scene was vividly illuminated by the Fire Spring's glow: blood and bone fragments splattered across the other bandits, their impact utterly terrifying.
Some froze in place, their bodies rigid with fear.
Yet these were seasoned bandits, hardened by bloodshed and driven by primal ferocity.
In an instant, they roared into action, drawing their bows and firing back.
At that moment, five Golden Roosters charged forward, wings spread wide, massive beaks agape, and razor-sharp talons extended, lunging at the lone rider and his mount.
Forced up the mountain, the Purple Lightning Beast had already been seething with pent-up rage.
Now, attacked by these inferior Golden Roosters, its fury erupted.
It roared, its horse-like head belying the tiger-leopard body beneath.
The beast reared up on its hind legs, its massive hooves crashing down with earth-shattering force.
With two sickening thuds, two Golden Roosters fell dead.
One's skull was crushed under the Purple Lightning Beast's hoof, while the other's body was pierced through.
The beast then swung its head violently, its jaws lined with razor-sharp teeth clamping down on a third rooster's neck, decapitating it in a swift, brutal motion.
Throughout the chaos, whether the Purple Lightning Beast stood upright or leaped forward, Qin Ming remained firmly planted on its back, as steady as if he were standing on flat ground.
He continuously drew his bow and fired arrows, single-handedly suppressing the bandits' volleys.
The Two Great Bandits had silently emerged, but they hesitated to attack immediately.
They knew that anyone daring to charge in alone must be formidable, and Qin Ming's stance radiated formidable power.
In truth, they had underestimated him.
They judged his strength by the force of his arrows, but the hard bow itself had limitations, far from reaching Qin Ming's true potential.
The next moment, they realized their mistake.
One of the Great Bandits personally drew his bow and fired an arrow at Qin Ming.
With a casual flick of his iron arrow, Qin Ming deflected the arrow with tremendous force, sending sparks flying.
This display of precision and judgment sent a chill through the Great Bandits' hearts.
Simultaneously, Qin Ming turned his bow toward them and fired.
"Thwack!"
The two Great Bandits dodged, but a young man beside them took the arrow through the head, collapsing backward without even a scream.
A Great Bandit roared, clearly close to the fallen man, his murderous intent surging.
Qin Ming continued his relentless barrage of arrows.
In mere moments, Golden Rooster Ridge had lost over a dozen men.
Originally numbering around thirty, nearly half their forces had already been annihilated.
Qin Ming spurred the Purple Lightning Beast forward, charging toward the nearest wooden huts.
He sheathed his bow and drew his razor-sharp spear.
The sight of a lone rider charging with such ferocity sent shivers down the spines of many bandits.
It felt like a thousand-man cavalry charge.
The mount was brutally efficient, instantly trampling several twice-mutated Golden Roosters.
The armored figure atop the Strange Beast, a veritable god of death, claimed a life with each arrow.
Many trembled at his gaze.
Reaching the first hut, Qin Ming thrust his spear forward, the force of the blow shattering the structure into splinters.
The two men inside panicked, slashing wildly with their swords.
But as mere first-stage Awakeners, they stood no chance against such a formidable enemy.
Two crimson blossoms bloomed as Qin Ming's spear struck with lightning speed, piercing them both before he charged toward the two remaining Great Bandits.
The Purple Lightning Beast reared up on its hind legs, its massive hooves crashing down on a nearby hut, reducing it to rubble.
Qin Ming sensed a gust of wind behind him and whirled around, thrusting his spear.
It was an elderly bandit he recognized from the Great Rift Valley.
A survivor of that ordeal, he was naturally a Third Awakener.
Now, he rode a Golden Rooster far larger than its kin, a mount clearly mutated three times.
Swooping down from higher ground, he launched a surprise attack.
"Golden Rooster Ridge has some tricks up its sleeve, mass-producing these mutant creatures," Qin Ming mused, unfazed.
His spear blurred into dozens of phantom images.
In mid-air, the elder slashed repeatedly with his sword, his arm numbed by the force.
He realized with horror that the gap between them was far greater than he'd imagined. His ambush had failed, and he was likely to die here.
At his level, instinct had sharpened into premonition.
In truth, death came even faster than he'd anticipated.
As Qin Ming's spear trembled, it not only parried the elder's blade but also pierced the Third-Mutation Golden Rooster with over a dozen bloody holes, killing it instantly.
"Ah...!" The elder roared, slashing wildly as he tried to escape mid-air.
But his opponent below was far stronger.
Amidst the dense forest of spear shadows, he couldn't distinguish reality from illusion.
With a thud, a spear pierced his chest.
Qin Ming impaled the old man, then flung his corpse off the spear like a discarded scarecrow, sending it flying over ten meters to crash into a wooden hut.
The occupants recoiled in terror.
This was one of the most skilled fighters in their mountain stronghold, second only to the two Great Bandits, yet he had been slain so effortlessly.
At Qin Ming's signal, the Purple Lightning Beast slowed its pace, its heavy hooves thudding ominously as it ignored the other bandits and pressed straight toward the two Great Bandits.
The two Great Bandits wore grim expressions.
One drew a broadsword, while the other gripped a long spear, and they advanced in unison.
Just then, another old man emerged silently from the shadows to Qin Ming's side, launching a surprise attack from behind in an attempt to coordinate with the two Great Bandits.
Qin Ming gripped his spear in one hand, its tip unwavering as it pointed at the two Great Bandits.
With his left hand, he swiftly drew the Phoenix-Patterned Long Sword from his back.
Like a blinding flash of lightning, the sword slashed through the air, sending the old man's sword flying over twenty meters.
The force behind Qin Ming's strike was overwhelming, meeting no resistance whatsoever.
After shattering the sword, the sword continued its arc through the night, slicing diagonally through the old man's shoulder with a wet thud.
The Third Awakener died with wide, unseeing eyes—another Awakener had perished!
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END OF CHAPTER
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