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Novel: [Night Without Borders]
Chapter 95: [Slaying an Outer Sage]
Author: [Chen Dong]
Translator: [Shadow Knight AK]
Editor: [Shadow Knight AK]
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The Night Mist surged violently.
Qin Ming never imagined he would be "shot down" like a bird.
His smile vanished, his face freezing into a rigid mask.
Below, the Golden-Armored Guard grinned, baring a full set of pearly white teeth. His smile seemed to have transferred entirely to him, growing ever more radiant.
"Ha ha..." He hefted his Greatsword, stomping through the yellow sand, his entire body radiating Heavenly Light like a blazing comet, poised to shatter a Great Mountain!
Clearly, he couldn't wait to cleave the youth in two with a single strike, having already severed one of his arms without even making contact.
He leaped into the air, his golden armor clanging loudly, golden radiance erupting from him like a miniature sun, threatening to burn away the dark Night Mist. His Greatsword flashed like lightning.
"Pfft!" The black raptor exploded into bloody fragments, Heavenly Light tearing through its flesh and scattering blood-soaked feathers.
Qin Ming had already launched himself from the bird's back, spreading his bat-like cloak.
Though he was close to the ground, he still emulated Ge Qianxun's gliding technique.
At least this way, he could glide forward with astonishing speed, momentarily stunning the Outer Sage on the ground, who was forced to sprint after him once more.
"Bang!" Qin Ming crashed into the soft yellow sand, creating a deep crater and sending dust billowing into the air.
Protected by his Heavenly Light Body Protection, he emerged unscathed.
"You think you can escape again?" A Golden-Armored Guard appeared, his face cold and ruthless.
His right arm was mangled beyond repair, completely shattered by the Black Gold hammer. The pulverized bones and bloody pulp were beyond recovery.
He harbored an intense hatred for the youth before him.
Qin Ming's expression grew grave.
Facing an Outer Sage alone, his heart pounded with apprehension.
If any other awakener stood in his place, they would have already succumbed to despair.
How could anyone possibly withstand such an opponent?
The Golden-Armored Guard advanced slowly, Greatsword in his left hand, radiating overwhelming pressure.
Despite his youth—a man in his early twenties with sharply defined features and piercing eyes—his presence was terrifying.
"Boom!"
He stomped his foot with tremendous force, instantly kicking up a sandstorm.
In a flash, he closed the distance to Qin Ming and swung his Greatsword down.
Qin Ming didn't attempt a direct clash, swiftly dodging the strike.
The Golden-Armored Guard's sword cut through the air. He pivoted mid-swing, unleashing a sweeping kick aimed at the youth in the sand.
The force behind the blow could topple an elephant, tearing its abdomen open and spilling its entrails.
Qin Ming scrambled frantically, seemingly panicked.
He didn't even have time to draw his sword, blocking the youth's Heavenly Light-infused left leg with his sheathed sword.
A chilling smile curled the Golden-Armored Guard's lips.
"Just some weakling..."
No... A sudden chill ran down his spine as realization struck.
It was this very "weakling" who had killed the Black-Clad Woman and, just moments ago, permanently deprived him of his right arm.
He was indeed worthy of being an Outer Sage, the Golden-Armored Guard had already swung his leg forward, yet he managed to retract it at the last moment, sweeping his Greatsword horizontally instead.
Qin Ming's sword erupted with blinding light as its scabbard shattered.
The Jade Iron Sword clashed against the Greatsword, sparks flying and a deafening clang ringing through the air.
The Golden-Armored Guard broke out in a cold sweat, hastily retreating several steps to regain his composure.
It had been a truly dangerous moment; had he not withdrawn his leg, today would have ended in utter disaster!
Qin Ming felt immense regret.
He had been mere inches away from slicing off the man's leg with his treasured sword.
Victory and defeat truly hung by a thread.
He realized that his earlier Heavenly Flying Hammer strike had left a psychological scar on the Golden-Armored Guard, making him exceptionally cautious.
Qin Ming's chest tightened as he was forced backward by the impact.
His hands trembled around the sword, and the blood within him churned violently.
He finally understood what it meant to be overwhelmed by sheer brute force, to be crushed by overwhelming power.
The Golden-Armored Guard glanced at the notch on his Greatsword, his face darkening.
He now regarded the awakening-stage youth with utmost caution.
He had to be cautious.
After shattering one of his arms, his opponent had now set his sights on his left leg—and nearly succeeded!
Then, his gaze burned with renewed intensity.
The youth was wielding a Jade Iron Sword, and he was determined to claim it as a war trophy.
Neither spoke.
Words were meaningless now; their only desire was to kill each other.
A fierce wind howled, the Night Mist surged like a breached dam, and vast quantities of yellow sand swirled into the air.
The two clashed.
With a clang, Qin Ming staggered backward six or seven meters, nearly falling.
His hands throbbed with pain, and blood trickled from the corners of his mouth.
The golden-armored youth advanced steadily, his face icy.
Another terrifying notch appeared on his Greatsword.
What infuriated him most was his inability to cleave through his opponent with a single strike, or even force him to release the Jade Iron Sword.
Qin Ming flexed his wrist in the sand, a peculiar expression on his face.
Had this person only recently entered the Outer Sage Realm? The gap between their strengths didn't seem insurmountable.
At least he had withstood two of that person's sword strikes!
"Before you entered the Outer Sage Realm, how many awakenings did you undergo?" Qin Ming asked, pointing the Jade Iron Sword forward with both hands.
The golden-armored youth's eyes flashed with icy fury.
Did this boy think he wasn't strong enough?
This was clearly mockery.
He charged forward instantly, swinging his Greatsword repeatedly.
Qin Ming wasn't trying to mock him; he simply wanted to gauge the true gap in strength between himself and an Outer Sage.
By testing the waters himself, he had confirmed that his opponent didn't possess an overwhelming advantage in raw power.
The two clashed rapidly, Qin Ming being forced back repeatedly.
Though his steps faltered, he managed to regain his footing.
The soft flesh between his fingers was slightly damaged, oozing thin trails of blood, but he could still endure.
Most importantly, he had gained confidence.
His opponent was far from wielding the legendary ten thousand catties of force, meaning he couldn't simply crush Qin Ming with brute strength.
In an instant, Qin Ming seized the initiative, launching several preemptive strikes.
His Sword Intent surged with astonishing power, radiating an aura of unwavering confidence, like a young grandmaster.
The Golden-Armored Guard's mind reeled.
He had devoted his life to swordsmanship, achieving profound mastery, yet compared to the youth's sword technique, his own skill seemed utterly insignificant.
In the end, he resorted to brute force, forcing Qin Ming into a sword-to-sword clash.
To his fury and humiliation, his swordsmanship proved far inferior to the youth's.
What kind of monster had he encountered?
The Golden-Armored Guard possessed discerning eyes.
He recognized the aura of a true master swordsman in Qin Ming, making the title "young grandmaster" seem less like exaggeration.
In the desert, countless grains of sand swirled into the air, dancing in rhythm with Qin Ming's Jade Iron Sword.
Driven by his Sword Intent, they surged like crashing waves, transforming the desolate landscape into a raging sea.
The desert itself seemed to transform into a tempestuous ocean.
As the battle reached its climax, towering sand waves crashed against the shore, soaring skyward with terrifying force—the manifestation of a young grandmaster's full power, channeling a force akin to a domain.
The golden-armored man was forced to unleash his Heavenly Light Force to its limit, disrupting Qin Ming's unique rhythm and sending him staggering back, nearly spitting blood.
Yet the golden-armored man fared no better.
Unleashing the full power of his Heavenly Light Force caused blood to gush uncontrollably from his severed arm, making it impossible to staunch the wound.
Qin Ming stumbled backward, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, but a brilliant smile lit his face.
"You're not as strong as I thought," he taunted.
The golden-armored man felt deeply insulted by this taunt from a mere Awakener.
He erupted with Heavenly Light Force once more, not only swinging his Greatsword but also lunging for direct physical contact, aiming for a brutal collision.
"Boom!"
In the desert, the Night Mist churned, sand and stones flew wildly, and the life-or-death battle reached its peak.
Both combatants threw themselves completely into the battle, staking their lives on every clash.
Qin Ming was sent flying six or seven meters, spitting out a mouthful of blood. His hands spasmed, the soft flesh between his fingers torn.
His left hand was swollen and heavily bruised.
Simultaneously, waves of pain radiated from his right foot.
Just moments ago, in addition to clashing swords, their bodies had made contact.
In that instant, Qin Ming had believed he would die, fearing his flesh would be torn apart by the opponent's Heavenly Light.
Yet, with a desperate, all-or-nothing resolve, he had channeled the unified Heavenly Light Force throughout his body.
When he clashed head-on, he had somehow endured.
The Golden-Armored Guard was stunned.
His Heavenly Light, capable of extending half a foot outward, had failed to shred the youth's flesh and blood, blocked by the Heavenly Light Force enveloping his body.
His foot throbbed with agony.
During the collision, his own Heavenly Light had failed to gain the upper hand.
"Have you learned a fragment of the Heaven-Shattering Force, or perhaps mastered a trace of the Tathagata Force?"
His mind trembled, his eyes burning with fervent desire.
This was merely a youth in the awakening stage, yet he had withstood the full force of an Outer Sage's Heavenly Light.
It was utterly inconceivable.
However, even as hope surged, he groaned softly, hastily retracting his Heavenly Light and pressing several points on his severed arm to staunch the renewed bleeding.
Qin Ming coughed up blood, staggered to his feet, and laughed.
"The Outer Sage's Heavenly Light Force isn't as formidable as I imagined. I can withstand it!"
His fighting spirit soared, radiating unwavering confidence.
"Are you mocking me?" the golden-armored youth hissed, his sword-wielding hand trembling.
How dare a mere Awakener face him with such arrogance?
Qin Ming retorted, "Am I wrong? It seems that breaking into the Outer Sage Realm with just seven awakenings and the aid of Great Medicine doesn't enhance physical prowess or Heavenly Light amplification as much as I expected. Hmm, I've already killed seven or eight Golden Thieves with seven awakenings."
In Qin Ming's eyes, the golden-armored man was merely a slightly stronger version of the aged Golden Thieves, having consumed an extra dose of Great Medicine to barely manifest his Heavenly Light.
"Outer Sage, come! Let's fight to the death!" he roared.
The golden-armored youth felt insulted, as if Qin Ming were taking advantage of him by calling him "Outer Sage" like an elder addressing a junior.
By this point, he no longer regarded the youth as a mere awakening-stage opponent, or even as human.
This creature wielded the mysterious and terrifying Heavenly Light Force, capable of withstanding an Outer Sage's attacks, and possessed the faint aura of a sword dao grandmaster—a true monster.
"Kill!"
The two clashed in a life-or-death struggle, their fates hanging in the balance.
Qin Ming completely ignored his bleeding hand, focusing solely on wielding his sword with unparalleled skill and terrifying Sword Intent.
He also frequently clashed physically with his opponent, relying on the Heavenly Light Force for brutal close-quarters combat.
"That's Earth Vein Essence Qi?" the Golden-Armored Guard thought in alarm.
The youth's palm carried Earth Vein Essence Qi—a technique supposedly exclusive to Outer Sages!
Having only recently entered the Outer Sage Realm, he hadn't even attempted to master it yet!
Qin Ming unleashed a relentless barrage of Yellow Mud Palm strikes, each blow causing the Golden-Armored Guard excruciating pain, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
Undoubtedly, Qin Ming's combat power peaked when he fused all his Heavenly Light Force into a single, explosive burst.
However, this technique drained his energy far too quickly.
By choosing the Yellow Mud Palm, he conserved energy, especially after absorbing the strange stone condensed from Earth Vein Essence Qi.
This palm technique's power had become terrifying.
Whenever the Golden-Armored Guard attempted a desperate all-out attack, Qin Ming would switch to his fused Heavenly Light Force, unleashing its full power to meet the attack head-on.
He could predict when his opponent would go all-out because blood would gush from the Golden-Armored Guard's severed arm whenever he pushed himself to the limit.
The Golden-Armored Guard had never felt so humiliated.
To be forced into such a desperate struggle against a mere Awakener was a deeply unsettling experience.
In theory, as an Outer Sage, he could have shattered his opponent with a single sword strike, instantly tearing the youth's flesh and blood apart with his Heavenly Light Force.
But now, his Greatsword couldn't even scratch the youth, and his palm strikes couldn't penetrate the boy's strange Heavenly Light Force.
He felt utterly helpless, while his own body was already riddled with wounds.
At this point, the Golden-Armored Guard's face turned deathly pale.
After repeated all-out clashes, he had lost an immeasurable amount of vital essence from his severed arm.
He realized the situation was dire.
The youth, who had stubbornly endured until now, seemed to be gradually gaining the upper hand.
"He might actually have mastered a fragmented version of the Tathagata Force or Heaven-Shattering Force, dragging me into this drawn-out battle. I've lost too much blood and can't hold on much longer."
With a clang, the Greatsword in the Golden-Armored Guard's hand snapped in two. If not for the Heavenly Light surging through it, the Jade Iron Sword would have shattered it long ago.
"This..." The Golden-Armored Guard felt a sudden urge to retreat.
As an Outer Sage, he was actually panicking, his courage faltering.
"Kill!" Qin Ming, despite coughing up blood, charged forward with his sword, his Heavenly Light Force surging around him, maintaining an indomitable fighting spirit.
"Pfft!"
Moments later, the Golden-Armored Guard's left arm was severed!
"Aaaah..." He let out a bloodcurdling scream, utterly unable to believe that he, an Outer Sage, would ultimately be the one to fall.
Qin Ming was also nearing his limit.
Even though his opponent had only taken one more dose of Great Medicine than the Golden Thieves, he was ultimately a master of a different caliber.
With a final swing of his sword, he severed the Golden-Armored Guard's head with a thud.
Then, he collapsed backward onto the yellow sand, his body wracked with agony.
Despite the excruciating pain, Qin Ming laughed.
He had actually succeeded in slaying an Outer Sage!
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END OF CHAPTER
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