Night Without Borders Chapter 205
Chapter 205: Refining Demonic Seeds as Resources
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
The once-proud silver-haired demon youth, whose gaze had been so cold and dismissive, now lay ruined. His body, severed in half, collapsed on either side of him.
A faint, anguished moan slipped from his soul, his mouth hanging open as if trying to scream, though no sound escaped. Only a short time ago, he had confidently sliced Su Jun Lin in two with a shining blade, never imagining he would share the same tragic fate. Now he was overcome by pain and despair.
Blood drenched his silver hair, making it damp and tangled. His split body, shattered face, and single remaining eye all showed pure terror. After a few ragged breaths, he died where he lay.
“Serves him right!” Gan Jin Cheng cried, his voice quivering.
Tears glimmered in his eyes. As one of Su Jun Lin’s closest friends, Gan Jin Cheng had felt utterly powerless watching his companion perish. Seeing this enemy fall brought a fierce rush of bittersweet relief.
With Qin Ming’s decisive strike, the silver-haired youth’s body was destroyed—and so was his soul, consumed by the blade’s blazing, sun-like power. He never stood a chance.
“So quickly… you already took him down?!” Xiao Ya Qin asked in disbelief. Not long ago, her five teams had battled ferociously against four young demons. Many from her side had been wounded or killed, and yet now, the tide had turned so sharply.
The memories of that brutal clash still haunted her. She finally understood why Xin You Dao had praised Qin Ming so highly and invited him to join their group. His unmatched skill had saved countless lives.
On the other side of the battlefield, the atmosphere was very different.
Three demon youths remained, all tall and imposing. Their faces had grown dark and grim. Their comrade had been struck down so easily.
“Fourth Brother!” they roared, their voices filled with anguish.
Just moments earlier, they had been slaughtering enemies as effortlessly as hunters felling prey. Now, one of their own had suffered a cruel end.
“You’ll pay for this with your lives!” declared a black-haired demon youth, his icy stare as sharp as a blade. His murderous gaze fixed on Qin Ming’s upright figure.
They fought in a place unlike any ordinary village. Streets paved with smooth stone and rows of gray-bricked houses hinted at a hidden world, home to no ordinary people.
“Brother, why do you always steal my fights?” Yao Zu complained, sounding wounded. He had just announced that he would join in, only to be outpaced by Qin Ming’s swift action.
Behind them, Xiao Ya Qin, Gan Jin Cheng, and the others watched speechlessly. They had struggled desperately against these demons, fighting for their lives. Yet here were Qin Ming and Yao Zu, competing over who got to battle next.
Across the way, the three demon youths kept silent, though their armor clinked ominously. Each polished piece of plate and mail glimmered like the scales of a mythical dragon.
The black-haired youth stepped forward, his heavy tread causing the ground beneath him to crack. Nearly two meters tall, he radiated a crushing aura, saturated with demonic energy. On either side, the golden-haired youth and a gray-haired youth advanced as well, the three of them looming like unyielding demon mountains.
From the rooftops, more demons leapt down to join them. Some were wounded, with bloody gashes or arrows sticking from their bodies, but not one had fallen in battle. All were hardened warriors of the Second Realm, their eyes now locked on Qin Ming and his glowing five-colored blade.
“Kill!” the black-haired youth roared. The demon fighters charged, bristling with bulging muscles and raw savagery. Their weapons—long spears, massive axes, spiked clubs—flashed menacingly.
“Bring it on!” Yao Zu shouted, hurling himself into the fray with bare fists.
Qin Ming streaked forward like lightning, his body surrounded by five-colored radiance. The ground cracked beneath his feet as he dashed in with explosive force.
“Everyone, together!” Xin You Dao commanded, keeping pace behind.
Liu Han Ya, Jiang Ruo Li, Xiao Ya Qin, and Gan Jin Cheng jumped in without hesitation. They had chosen to stay, fully aware of the bloodshed that awaited them.
Seeing his allies battered and on the brink, Qin Ming knew the black-haired youth could easily wipe them out if allowed to advance. A demon soldier lunged at him with a heavy spear, but Qin Ming batted it aside using the five-colored blade, sparks flying from the collision. Another sweeping motion forced that demon back and blocked the black-haired youth’s path.
“Die!” snarled a three-meter-tall wolf-headed demon, its hulking body half-beast, half-human. Brandishing an iron club, it swung with terrifying force, hoping to crush Qin Ming in a single blow. The wounds from Qin Ming’s earlier arrows hadn’t slowed the creature at all.
Lightning surged around Qin Ming’s blade as he loosed a bolt of energy at the black-haired youth’s back. At the same time, the sword’s electric gleam met the wolf demon’s club. Iron shattered on impact, and an arc of lightning raced across the demon’s fur, drawing a pained roar.
Still, the wolf demon’s Second Realm physique refused to give in. Nearby, the golden-haired youth lunged, thrusting his spear with pinpoint accuracy. Meanwhile, the black-haired youth knocked aside Qin Ming’s lightning attack with a powerful sweep of his spiked club, turning around to swing with murderous force.
The battle was like a raging storm, with demons clashing against Qin Ming’s group in chaotic fury. Weapons broke, flames erupted, and flashes of dazzling light lit the battlefield. Gan Jin Cheng groaned from a wound, Xiao Ya Qin stumbled with blood streaming from her arm, and their strength began to wane.
Though they faced only the lesser demon fighters and not the three strongest youths, their own injuries were severe, pushing them to the brink. Gritting his teeth, Yao Zu broke away from his foe to help his allies, while Xin You Dao, though exhausted, joined in too.
Qin Ming held his ground, even when surrounded by enemies. Locking weapons with the black-haired youth’s club, he clenched his other fist. Empowered by radiant energy, he lashed a lightning-charged punch at the wolf-headed demon, the electricity tearing through its defenses. Its protective aura cracked, and half of its body exploded in a burst of gore.
Though the wolf demon was staggered and drenched in blood, it refused to die. Discarding its shattered club, it slashed at Qin Ming with claws as large as a fan. But as soon as those claws clashed with Qin Ming’s fist, they cracked, bit by bit, until the wolf demon’s entire arm ruptured under the sun-like power of Celestial Light Force. Flames of pure energy devoured the demon’s upper body, killing it with a final shriek.
Qin Ming’s aura soared, allowing him to leap high and momentarily slip from the melee. Once again, the two sides pulled back, all breathing heavily.
Of the three demon youths, the gray-haired one bled from a deep shoulder wound—Yao Zu’s rainbow-like power had nearly torn him in half. Yao Zu, in turn, had slain another of the demon warriors while helping his friends.
Gan Jin Cheng and Xiao Ya Qin were injured but could still stand. The demon side now counted two more corpses among its ranks. Sword lowered, Qin Ming quietly observed them and said, “Impressive.”
Gan Jin Cheng blinked. “Is that… a compliment?”
Jiang Ruo Li’s eyes sparkled with a mysterious light as she watched Qin Ming from behind. She sensed he was being sincere, though the remark also felt like an unintended provocation.
Xin You Dao understood well enough. Qin Ming’s cultivation had grown since facing Ling Yu. His power was far more terrifying than before. The five-colored blade was no longer vague or shapeless; it had taken a solid, potent form.
Across from them, only three demon youths remained standing, joined by a bull demon and an eagle demon—both strong Second Realm creatures. Though their numbers were diminished, they still posed a significant threat.
Each wore a furious scowl. They had suffered immense losses, watching their comrades die at the hands of these human fighters who refused to fall.
Yao Zu broke the tense silence. “I’m tired of this messy free-for-all. Anyone who’s wounded can step back. Why not settle this in proper duels? It’ll just come down to us eventually.”
He narrowed his gaze at the other side. “Gray-hair, you dare continue fighting me?”
Blood still trickled from the gray-haired demon’s shoulder. He pulled out a bottle filled with golden liquid and gulped it down. Instantly, the bleeding slowed, and his body regained its vigor.
Glancing at the black-haired youth, he said, “Big Brother, something’s off about today. Let me test them again and see how strong they really are. Then decide what to do.”
Turning, he sneered at Yao Zu. “Baldy, you won’t live long in this Secret Realm. Unless some elder saves you, you’ll die soon enough.”
Yao Zu froze for an instant, reaching up to pat his short hair. Then his anger flared. “Baldy?! How dare you insult me!” Enraged, he lunged at the gray-haired demon.
Their battle reignited. The gray-haired demon wielded a huge axe, each swing echoing like thunder. He was a descendant of a high-ranking aberration and had roamed the Second Realm for over two years. His strength was formidable. But Yao Zu’s fists, wreathed in rainbow-like thunderbolts, were equally powerful. He matched each blow, even managing to redirect force with skillful movements.
“So this is your so-called ‘renowned’ demon power?” Yao Zu taunted. Suddenly, the rainbow glimmer around his hands flared brighter, each strike releasing arcs of rune-etched brilliance.
The giant axe, battered under his unrelenting assault, shattered at last, sending fragments flying. The gray-haired demon stumbled backward, wounded and caught off guard.
Without delay, the black-haired youth crushed a blood-red crystal. A streak of crimson light soared skyward, lingering above them like a signal. Simultaneously, he and the golden-haired youth charged at Yao Zu with spear and club.
Qin Ming, anticipating trouble, dashed in to block the golden-haired youth. His five-colored blade clashed against the spear in a dazzling spray of sparks. At the same time, another massive wolf demon swung a club and roared, “Die!” as it aimed for Qin Ming’s skull.
Wind and lightning surged around Qin Ming, who launched a bolt of electricity at the black-haired youth’s back. His electrified blade crashed against the wolf demon’s club, shattering it. Lightning arced across the demon’s fur, drawing a furious howl.
Still the wolf demon stayed on its feet, refusing to collapse under the blow. The golden-haired youth took advantage of the moment, thrusting his spear in a streak of deadly light.
With astonishing speed, the black-haired youth blocked the lightning and spun, swinging his club at Qin Ming. The resulting explosion of force rattled the battlefield as warriors shifted and struck like flickering flames. Flames crackled, lightning flashed, and bright energies clashed. Gan Jin Cheng hissed in pain; Xiao Ya Qin stumbled back, her clothes soaked with blood.
Though they did not face the three leading demons head-on, Gan Jin Cheng and Xiao Ya Qin were already pushed to their limits.
The black-haired youth smirked. “Don’t kid yourselves. Live or die, it’s all the same to me.”
Even so, a hint of dread crept across his features, as if he sensed the balance in this realm tipping beyond his control.
“Fine. Let’s see who actually falls first!” he yelled.
Qin Ming and Yao Zu didn’t respond with words. Both poured their energy into the fight. Yao Zu’s rainbow-like power, flickering like a drawn blade, slashed the gray-haired demon’s arm, shaving off a wide strip of flesh and exposing the bone beneath.
At the same time, Qin Ming rose with unstoppable force. His fists glowed like miniature suns, and his five-colored blade burst with lethal brilliance. Even against two of the demon youths, he managed to hold them back.
“Go help the third!” the black-haired demon shouted at the golden-haired youth, slamming his club against Qin Ming’s blade while hoping to free up his comrade. But in a flash, the entire scene erupted once more. Qin Ming, Yao Zu, and the demons tore into each other in a flurry of weapons and light.
Xin You Dao watched, shaken to his core. This was a clash between genuine masters, and he realized he needed to advance to the Second Realm as quickly as possible.
Likewise, Liu Han Ya, Gan Jin Cheng, and the others watched with awe. The four demon youths had effortlessly annihilated several teams before, yet now Qin Ming and Yao Zu were taking on three of them together. The stark difference was almost too great to believe.
Qin Ming could tell how dangerous the black-haired demon was. Only those nearing the level of a true Demonic Seed could wield such power. The youth’s spiked club emitted a strong, dark glow, hammering with crushing force. Still, Qin Ming, who had fought Outer Saints, held firm. He even stopped the golden-haired demon from breaking away.
On the other side, Yao Zu’s rainbow-infused attack tore into his opponent’s arm, yanking it from the socket with a splatter of blood. The demon howled in fury as he staggered back, grievously wounded.
Seeing this, the black-haired youth swung his club to drive Qin Ming away so he could help his comrades. Meanwhile, the golden-haired demon tried to slip past Qin Ming.
“You won’t escape!” Qin Ming declared. He channeled Adhesive Force into his fists, gripping the demon’s spear and the black-haired youth’s club, reeling them back in. Seizing the opportunity, Yao Zu’s rainbow glow flashed in an arc, cleaving his foe diagonally. The demon’s eyes went wide as his body slumped lifelessly.
No longer pinned down, Qin Ming let his own power surge. With a mighty blow, he shattered the golden-haired demon’s spear. His five-colored blade pierced the demon’s chest, and Yao Zu, coming alongside, swiftly beheaded him. The demon’s body dropped in a spreading pool of blood.
The black-haired youth roared like a wounded beast. Despite his rage, he couldn’t reverse his failing position. He lashed out in desperation but was steadily forced back.
Qin Ming surveyed the chaos: crimson-stained earth, sprawled human and demon corpses. There was no mercy to be found in a fight like this. Whether or not the black-haired demon accepted his fate was irrelevant. He had to die.
“Run—now!” the black-haired youth roared to the remaining bull demon and eagle demon.
“Not so fast!” Yao Zu shouted, charging after them. Qin Ming joined the chase, five-colored blade in hand, lightning crackling around his fists.
The black-haired youth fought Qin Ming for nearly a hundred exchanges, their attacks echoing with deafening force. The demon’s spiked club was finally split in two, his defenses crumbling under Qin Ming’s relentless strikes. With a final punch, Qin Ming sent him tumbling backward, bones snapping in his chest.
Meanwhile, the eagle demon took to the sky, hoping to escape. But Qin Ming drew his bow and fired a swift volley of arrows. Each arrow struck with unstoppable force, tearing the demon’s body apart. The last throw—a spear hurled with frightening power—impaled the eagle demon, sending it crashing lifelessly from the sky.
Yao Zu finished off the bull demon at almost the same moment.
Suddenly, the black-haired youth’s body twisted and changed, revealing his true form: a tiger’s head on a bird’s body, dragon-like claws, and bat wings. Unleashing a primal roar, he shot into the sky in a streak of black light, desperate to flee.
The others had died in human form, but this demon chose to reveal his fearsome aberration form, hoping to outrun his pursuers.
Qin Ming grabbed another spear and hurled it. Two spears pierced the black-furred beast, causing him to waver and nearly crash. Although he managed to stay airborne, his flight was erratic.
“He’s getting away!” Yao Zu growled, frustrated they hadn’t already finished him. Gan Jin Cheng, Jiang Ruo Li, and Liu Han Ya all looked grave. Allowing a demon of such power to escape did not bode well.
Qin Ming, however, stayed calm. He raised his silver bow and let fly a series of jade-iron arrows charged with Celestial Light Force. They streaked like falling stars. Blood sprayed across the night sky as one arrow ripped through the demon’s frantic defenses, lodging deep into his flesh. The Celestial Light Force within the arrow threatened to tear him apart.
Again and again, Qin Ming fired five more arrows, each radiating fierce brilliance. The demon let out a final, tormented cry before collapsing from the sky in a rain of blood.
He crashed hard onto the ground, his body reverting to something close to human form, save for the bat-like wings still attached. Wheezing in pain, he swallowed a vial of golden liquid. His wounds healed rapidly, and his power surged as he tried to leap skyward once more.
But Qin Ming was ready, bounding across rooftops to close the gap. Springing into the air, he caught up as the black-haired demon spread his wings. Channeling all his five-colored radiance into his blade, Qin Ming swung a single, decisive strike. The slash tore through the demon’s wings and torso at once, spraying blood across the night. The demon’s body split in two, falling to the ground with a dull thud.
Qin Ming landed gracefully, the earth seeming to lift and cradle his descent.
“Unbelievable… to end up like this,” the black-haired youth spat bitterly. “But if you think killing me will let you survive, you’re very wrong.”
From where Qin Ming stood, energy from the ground coursed upward, as if responding to him. He stooped to reclaim a few of his jade-iron arrows. The demon was a lost cause—his life was slipping away with his body cut in half.
Qin Ming’s fists shimmered with a sun-like glow, prepared to wipe out the demon’s soul if it lingered.
“Ha, so be it,” the demon sneered, coughing wetly. “I’m dying, but you won’t last either. That ‘gift’… it’s all yours now. Let others hunt you down.”
A black light burst from within his shredded form. As if freed by the youth’s impending death, it shot toward Qin Ming with alarming speed.
“Huh?” Qin Ming slashed with his five-colored blade, slicing the black light apart. Yet it swiftly reformed and came after him again. Again and again, Qin Ming shattered it with Celestial Light Force, but it would only knit itself together anew. Finally, it sank into Qin Ming’s flesh, disappearing into his body.
“What is that?!” Yao Zu yelled, irritated that his rainbow aura couldn’t stop the black light either.
Xin You Dao’s face was grim. “I feared something like this. The competition among demons for the Demonic Seed is more twisted than I imagined. Rumor has it that anyone with the potential to become a Demonic Seed holds a kind of ‘gift’—a fragment of demonic essence. When one such demon is killed, the fragment transfers to the killer.”
He explained that these so-called gifts were remnants of past Demonic Seeds—bits of power often referred to as ‘fragmented demonic seeds.’
Liu Han Ya, who knew more of the local lore, added, “Those fragments allow the demons who hold them to sense each other. They’ll find us no matter what. There’s no hiding.”
It was a chilling realization. The black-haired demon’s crimson flare had already summoned allies, and now the demonic seed’s aura would draw even mightier foes.
“Can you suppress it?” Xin You Dao asked with urgency.
Qin Ming frowned. “Not right away.” He was already trying to refine it with Celestial Light Force, but the process was painfully slow. Worse, the seed was devouring his flesh in retaliation.
“This is bad,” Jiang Ruo Li said. “Anyone battling for Demonic Seed status is as dangerous as a Near-Immortal Seed on the Path of Awakening. Let’s get out of here. More demons will arrive any minute.”
They quickly gathered what medicines and provisions they could from the fallen, healing as best they could. Searching the village, they saw that the demons had already emptied its glowing grain storage—a special local resource said to strengthen demon bloodlines. It would take years for such grain to replenish.
They moved swiftly into the dense forest. Then, Qin Ming let out a low gasp as a crack formed in his skin, blood oozing out.
“Is that the demonic seed’s power?!” Yao Zu cried, alarmed.
Qin Ming’s expression darkened. The pain was brutal as he refined the seed. Though his Celestial Light Force could slowly wear it down, it felt as though the seed might devour him first, dissolving his blood and flesh from within.
“You should all go,” Qin Ming said. “Those demons will be coming for me next. There’s no reason for you to risk yourselves.”
But Xin You Dao shook his head. “We’re recovering. We can still help you hold them off.”
“Exactly!” Jiang Ruo Li agreed. “We can’t just abandon you after everything you’ve done for us. If we run away now, what does that make us?”
The others nodded firmly, equally resolved. After all, they’d already had chances to flee and never took them. Bonds of teamwork and friendship meant more to them than safety.
Blood trickled from the cracks in Qin Ming’s skin, the sight making everyone’s heart clench in fear. Even Yao Zu, fists balled at his sides, could only watch, helpless.
Just then, Qin Ming felt something stir deep within him. The Dragon-Snake Sutra he practiced flared to life, humming with extraordinary force.
Sensing this change, Qin Ming smiled through the pain. “Let them come,” he said. “This isn’t a curse… it’s a chance.”
The Dragon-Snake Sutra spoke of transformation from serpent to dragon through trials of life and death, requiring a breaking of body and blood to be reborn at a higher level of existence.
Refining this demonic seed lit the sutra’s power, allowing it to devour the seed’s energy and transform it into nourishment.
“My Dragon-Snake Force is growing,” Qin Ming whispered. He suspected the sutra was of demonic origin yet fully compatible with human cultivation. Now, by subduing this demonic seed, he could even feed its power into his own, accelerating his cultivation.
It was such a dramatic boost that Qin Ming thought he might soon break through to the Ninth Awakening, an essential milestone, without outside aid.
Steadying himself despite the pain, Qin Ming prepared for whatever demons might come. The once-deadly demonic seed fragment had turned into a precious resource—a stepping stone for his ultimate transformation.