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Novel: [Night Without Borders]
Chapter 59: [Time Passes, Circumstances Changes]
Author: [Chen Dong]
Translator: [Shadow Knight AK]
Editor: [Shadow Knight AK]
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"Could it be... that Cui Clan member?" the maid whispered in surprise.
She knew her young mistress had lived in a renowned city for four years, where she had befriended some remarkably powerful figures.
Nearby, the two golden-armored men also reacted to the mention of the Cui Clan, their eyes gleaming as they gazed toward Golden Rooster Ridge under the night sky.
"We can't be certain it's him yet. After all, it's been over two years since we last saw him. The eyes and nose visible beneath the Purple Lightning Beast's facial armor did resemble his, and he still had that habitual way of riding strange beasts—gripping the beast's mane with one hand and using his sword like a riding whip..."
"Miss, you're truly amazing! The night is so dark, I only caught a fleeting glimpse and thought he was just a blur, yet you saw him so clearly. Is this the power of an Outsider?" the maid chattered excitedly.
She even murmured to herself, wondering if Cui Chonghe was an acquaintance, a close friend, or someone even closer to her mistress, and whether they would acknowledge each other later.
The Feather-Clad Woman, her raven hair cascading like a waterfall and her bright eyes shimmering with divine light, murmured, "If it is him, why would he be here? Time has passed, circumstances have changed. It's best not to meet him again. Let's wait in the dense forest. I only want to confirm if it's that old acquaintance."
"Not meet him again? Is there... a problem?" The maid's mouth fell open in astonishment.
One of the golden-armored men spoke up, "Miss, we should move further away. City Lord Meng has ventured deep into the Great Mountain to retrieve branches from the Black-and-White Ancient Tree for you. If negotiations fail..."
...
Behind Golden Rooster Ridge, Qin Ming rode atop the Purple Lightning Beast, gazing at a vast expanse of phoenix trees.
He spotted a massive bird's nest, within which perched a Strange Bird.
Not particularly large, perhaps just over three meters long, it lay motionless in the nest.
The nest, constructed from phoenix tree branches, rested on the ground.
The Strange Bird's body was mostly bald, with only a few patches of golden feathers remaining. Its emaciated frame gave it a distinctly aged appearance.
"You sense it," Qin Ming said, tapping the Purple Lightning Beast's head with his spear. "Is this a Fifth Mutation Ferocious Bird?"
When it came to sensing mutated creatures, mutant creatures were the most perceptive.
Qin Ming sought the Purple Lightning Beast's confirmation.
The Violet Lightning Beast, highly spiritual and fully understanding his words, reluctantly nodded.
"So this is Golden Rooster Ridge's hidden strength," Qin Ming mused, his expression shifting. "No wonder it's called that—an Old Golden Chicken with Fifth Mutation."
He noted the bird's poor condition; its feathers were nearly gone.
The four Mountain Bandits who had fled earlier stood near the Phoenix Tree Nest, their faces tense and even trembling before the Old Golden Chicken.
The surviving Great Bandit stood before the Phoenix Tree Nest and said, "Senior, though you warned us not to disturb you, this is a matter of life and death. Golden Rooster Ridge is about to be destroyed, and we had no choice but to come here for aid."
His tense posture betrayed his fear of provoking the Old Golden Chicken.
The Ferocious Bird, now in its twilight years, had completely lost control, ignoring their commands.
Even bringing "tribute" proved futile.
The Old Golden Chicken was now obsessed with emulating the legendary Phoenix Blood Birds' Nirvana, attempting this final transformation.
Success would elevate it to a Sixth Mutation creature; failure meant a gruesome death.
The Great Bandits of Golden Rooster Ridge knew its attempt was doomed. How could it possibly understand the secrets of Nirvana?
The diluted Phoenix Blood within its veins was utterly insufficient to support such a profound evolution.
The Old Golden Chicken glared fiercely at the Great Bandit, then turned its malevolent gaze toward the lone rider and his mount.
The few remaining golden feathers on its body bristled violently.
Anyone who dared interrupt its "Nirvana" would be torn to shreds. With only a sliver of hope remaining, this intrusion ignited its primal rage.
"Are you laying eggs in your nest?" Qin Ming asked, his voice hoarse.
He quickly whispered to the Purple Lightning Beast, "If I can't beat it, can you outrun it?"
In the Phoenix Tree Nest, the Old Golden Chicken erupted in fury, its body covered in goosebumps. It stood up abruptly and let out a resounding crow.
"You're as good as dead now," one of the surviving Mountain Bandits declared, clearly trying to curry favor with the Old Golden Chicken. "Senior is a Male Phoenix! How dare you insult him like that?"
But this flattery landed like a slap on the chicken's leg. The Ferocious Bird in the Phoenix Tree Nest was now in a volatile mood, taking its anger out on everyone.
It charged forward, striking a Golden Rooster's One-Legged Stance. Its other powerful leg lashed out sideways, sending four Mountain Bandits flying with a series of thuds.
This wasn't a mere side kick.
The chicken's razor-sharp talons pierced through the bandits, leaving them bloodied and mangled.
One bandit's abdomen was ripped open, his intestines spilling out. Another clutched his chest, a gaping hole torn through his sternum. They collapsed to the ground, their screams of agony echoing through the air.
One bandit died instantly.
Even the remaining Great Bandit's face paled as he scrambled backward, but it was too late.
The Old Golden Chicken executed a Phoenix's Single Wing Spread, its bare, fleshy wing glowing brightly.
Though the wing didn't strike him directly, it sliced through his armor, leaving a massive, bloody gash across his chest.
The Old Golden Chicken was all about brutality.
Anyone who disturbed its peaceful retirement or interrupted its Nirvana process would face its wrath.
Moving with lightning speed, the Old Golden Chicken struck the Great Bandit again, sending him flying seven or eight meters.
Its claw pierced through his thigh, leaving a bloody mess and snapping a bone.
The Great Bandit had been severely wounded by Qin Ming earlier, which was why he fell so quickly.
Qin Ming's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Could this Old Golden Chicken be a martial arts master?" Its attacks were precise and methodical, as if it had mastered human combat techniques.
The Great Bandit seethed with rage, but he lay on the ground, daring not to speak.
Unless the Golden Bandits themselves arrived, the Old Golden Chicken would heed no one.
In the next instant, the Old Golden Chicken strode forward on its long legs, its claws tearing through the snow-covered rocks.
With a violent gust of wind, it whipped up a blizzard of snowflakes and lunged at Qin Ming with ferocious speed, nearly teleporting to close the distance.
The Purple Lightning Beast tensed, nearly bolting in panic.
Qin Ming thrust his spear forward, its shadow splitting into dozens of phantom strikes that swirled like a coiling dragon, its claws bared to tear apart the approaching Ferocious Bird.
With a metallic clang, the Old Golden Chicken's massive golden beak snapped around the spearhead, then twisted violently, snapping the tip off with a sharp crack.
Simultaneously, its bare, fleshy wing descended like a human executing a palm strike, cleaving down toward Qin Ming and his mount.
Without hesitation, the Purple Lightning Beast charged upward, using Qin Ming as a meat shield to protect itself.
It deeply feared the Old Golden Chicken and desperately wanted to avoid being struck.
Qin Ming had originally intended to block the Old Golden Chicken's fleshy wing himself, to gauge its true strength.
But the Purple Lightning Beast's cowardly move infuriated him.
He slapped the beast's back, eliciting a series of pained cries as it staggered weakly.
With his other hand, he braced himself against the descending wing.
Heavenly Light flowed from both Qin Ming's palm and the Old Golden Chicken's wing.
The moment they collided, a thunderous boom erupted, as if two colossal beasts had crashed together.
The Purple Lightning Beast couldn't withstand the force. It slammed into a massive ancient tree, then stumbled back, its body trembling violently.
Qin Ming leaped off its back, warning, "See this broken spear? I'm keeping it for you. Try to run, and I'll guarantee it finds its mark."
He glanced at the Old Golden Chicken.
A bloody gash marred its wing, seeping crimson fluid.
Now Qin Ming knew he could fight the Old Golden Chicken.
Generally speaking, excluding rare mutated creatures, a normal creature undergoing its Fifth Mutation possessed roughly the same strength as a human undergoing their Fifth Awakening.
The Old Golden Chicken possessed a strength of over three thousand catties, comparable to Qin Ming's own.
The Great Bandit lying on the ground and the three Mountain Bandits gasping for breath were astonished.
This seemingly young and mysterious man could actually contend with the Old Golden Chicken!
After its blood-soaked, featherless wing was pierced, the Old Golden Chicken erupted in fury. It spread its massive legs, raised its fleshy wings like twin blades, and lunged at Qin Ming with murderous intent.
"So it really has been trained!" Qin Ming confirmed.
The Great Bandit on the ground knew well that the Old Golden Chicken had been taught by a Golden Bandit, inheriting formidable techniques and possessing exceptional combat skills.
In an instant, the Old Golden Chicken unleashed a series of wing strikes, generating a blinding Heavenly Light that shattered the air with thunderous booms.
Qin Ming remained calm, channeling his Heavenly Light Force to meet the blade-like wings head-on.
Both Two-Legged Beasts, both wielding their upper limbs, the Old Golden Chicken flawlessly executed the combat techniques taught by the Golden Bandit, displaying remarkable skill.
Yet it remained an mutant creature. The Heavenly Light erupted from its racial traits couldn't withstand Qin Ming's fused Heavenly Light Force.
With a thud, Qin Ming's Nail Force pierced the Old Golden Chicken's wing, leaving a bloody hole that instantly drenched the area in crimson.
Next, Qin Ming unleashed his fused Intercepting Force, his palm slicing through the air like a sword.
He severed a portion of the massive claw that the Old Golden Chicken had lunged at him with in a surprise attack.
The Old Golden Chicken crowed, its head bobbing wildly in a "Golden Chicken's Chaotic Nod," a practical combat technique.
Its golden beak darted toward Qin Ming's forehead.
Had this strike landed on an ordinary person, their skull would have shattered, their head exploding.
Qin Ming was protected by his Heavenly Light Force, but he had no desire to have his head pecked by an Old Golden Chicken.
His right palm flashed out like lightning, his fingers glowing as the fused Light Force and Nail Force erupted.
With a clang, five finger-sized holes appeared in the Old Golden Chicken's beak.
Then, using his Adhesive Force, Qin Ming snapped off half of the Old Golden Chicken's beak with a crunch.
At this point, the remaining Mountain Bandits on the ground despaired.
Even the Fifth Mutation Old Golden Chicken was no match for this mysterious powerhouse.
Their annihilation was inevitable.
The Great Bandit sighed.
The Old Golden Chicken was, after all, just a "mortal breed," lacking the Heavenly Light eruption techniques of more powerful races.
Even with its accumulated Heavenly Light, it stood no chance against this man.
In the end, the Old Golden Chicken didn't fight to the death.
Instead, it leaped back into its Phoenix Tree Nest, its entire body erupting in a blinding golden light as it let out a resonant Golden Rooster's crow.
Unwilling to give up, it attempted one final gamble. Its blood boiled as it underwent its sixth Mutation, hoping to elevate its life essence.
But in the end, its last golden feathers burned to ash, its body cracked apart, and blood gushed forth.
It failed utterly, dying within its Phoenix Tree Nest.
Qin Ming hadn't expected such resolve.
"Neither man nor beast," he mused, "yet even a Golden Chicken can be so fiercely determined."
However, when he passed by the Phoenix Tree Nest later, any sympathy he might have felt vanished.
The large iron dish where the Old Golden Chicken stored its food contained a human arm, only partially devoured.
To acknowledge its fierce spirit, Qin Ming had initially considered personally "stomach-burying" the creature.
After all, this was a Fifth Mutation creature—the most advanced prey he'd ever consumed.
Now, he simply waved the Purple Lightning Beast over.
"Eat this," he said. "Consider it a reward. Though the Old Golden Chicken wasn't a spiritual creature, consuming it will still benefit you."
The Purple Lightning Beast raised its head proudly, its face contorted with disdain and contempt.
It refused to eat.
"Suit yourself!" Qin Ming turned away, gripping his battered spear.
Amidst the Mountain Bandits' desperate roars, he systematically eliminated them one by one.
"Who are you? Sent by the new City Lord? Or a mountain guardian recruited by the Outsiders?" the Great Bandit roared with his last breath.
Qin Ming ignored him, treating him like mere weeds.
With a swift strike of his spear, he severed the bandit's head before swiftly clearing the battlefield.
He was deeply dissatisfied.
The stronghold's warehouse contained a vast stockpile of armor, weapons, bows, and arrows—clearly intended for recruiting new members.
This meant Golden Rooster Ridge had spent a fortune, yet these spoils were beyond his reach.
"My Day Gold!" Qin Ming sighed.
After thoroughly searching the area and arranging the remains of the dead, he gathered forty-seven Day Gold coins and a quantity of Night Silver.
This was undoubtedly a substantial sum, far exceeding the wealth he had seized from Wang Nianzhu, Huang Jingde, and their men.
Yet considering this was Golden Rooster Ridge, the stronghold of a Great Bandit, it seemed rather meager.
Fortunately, he found three books here.
One of them contained the crystallized essence of a predecessor's life's work, and he sensed a powerful emotional resonance within it.
Qin Ming grinned instantly.
This Secret Manual was far more valuable than Day Gold!
While he was searching the mountain for loot, two Mountain Bandits returning from a night of carousing in a nearby town turned pale with fear.
They faintly heard the Great Bandit's desperate roars.
Sobering up instantly, they plunged into the dense forest and found a wooden hut.
This post was normally manned to monitor activity on the mountain paths, but due to severe manpower shortages, it had been vacant for days.
However, someone still came daily to feed the raptors kept here. If Golden Rooster Ridge were attacked, these birds could be released to summon reinforcements.
"Sending word to the Golden Bandit' lords would be too late—distant water can't quench immediate thirst. We should request aid from the Three-Eyed Sect instead!"
Soon after, in Qing Song (Green Pine) Town twenty miles away, the Three-Eyed Sect's High-Ranking Figure wore grave expressions.
Someone had launched a night raid on Golden Rooster Ridge, and the people were pleading for help.
"Something big has happened! Prepare yourselves immediately!"
They sprang into action.
Qin Ming lingered on the mountain for a long time, searching every nook and cranny.
Finding nothing of value, he finally rode the Purple Lightning Beast down the mountain.
"Take me to Qing Song (Green Pine) Town!" he said.
Since he'd already made his move today, he figured he might as well wipe out the Three-Eyed Sect, another significant threat to the region.
The truth was, he hadn't found it particularly challenging to single-handedly flatten Golden Rooster Ridge.
"I promise to let you return to the mountains tonight. Hurry! Take the small path—speed is of the essence!" Qin Ming had done his homework, studying the terrain before his arrival.
However, when he stormed into Qing Song (Green Pine) Town, the Three-Eyed Sect's stronghold was eerily silent, completely abandoned.
Every member had already evacuated.
Deep within the distant forest, sect members murmured, "I thought we were going to reinforce Golden Rooster Ridge. I never imagined the High-Ranking Figure would order us to flee!"
Disappointed, Qin Ming left Qing Song (Green Pine) Town via the main road.
At the town's exit, he spotted four figures approaching in the distance: two men clad in golden armor and two women, one of whom wore a feather-clad robe, clearly an Outsider.
"Young Miss!" a maid called out.
"It seems it really is him," the Feather-Clad Woman murmured softly.
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END OF CHAPTER
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