The Edge of the World

In a single day, traversing forty thousand li across the pitch-black, boundless expanse, the two high-grade creatures carried everyone to the edge of the world. Even though everyone possessed strong physiques and had undergone Newborn transformations multiple times, some of the youths still felt unwell, their faces pale. Only after their feet firmly touched the ground did they feel grounded again. "Why aren't we heading straight into the city?" someone asked. This was an untamed wilderness under heavy darkness, thick with ancient trees whose tangled branches sprawled in every direction. In the distance, a faint glow leaked through, suggesting the presence of a city. "Now that you have arrived here, let me give you your first lesson," spoke the elder from the Six Imperials ancestral court. His name was Zhou Tao, his temples grizzled with gray and a golden gleam flowing in his eyes. He said, "When nearing the edge of the world, you cannot enter a city directly through the night sky. It will be treated as an enemy assault. Even high-grade creatures will be blown apart by specialized ballista bolts!" Only then did everyone understand what kind of place this was—the frontline domain from the previous Era of Great Pioneering! Of course, with the changing of eras and no reclamation having taken place for a very long time, it had long since lost its former glory, when people flourished and masters gathered in droves. Qin Ming was slightly dazed. Traveling forty thousand li in a single day only to arrive at such a place was completely beyond his expectations. He had assumed that the Era of Great Pioneering was still far off, never imagining he would reach this frontier ahead of time. The youths whispered and murmured among themselves as they walked toward the city through the darkness. The city was not particularly large, its walls showing their age. On the iron-hard black gold stone walls were broken sections bearing terrifying claw marks several meters long. This made many turn pale. One could easily imagine the thrilling, heart-stopping scenes from that bygone great era; the past of blood and fire seemed to rush right at them. Zhou Tao seemed to know what they were thinking and offered a faint smile. "This is nothing—just scratches left by a few little cats and mice over the past few years." "Ah, has the Great Reclamation of this era already begun?" someone could not help but ask. "Not yet," a young disciple replied, shaking his head. Then he added, "Did you think it was peaceful here day-to-day?" After their identities were verified, the group entered the city without issue, gaining a general understanding along the way. The frontline zone of the Great Reclamation spanned a vast border, and this place was merely one corner of it. Precisely because the edge of the world was so immensely long, all sorts of creatures frequently broke through, harassing border residents and making defense nearly impossible. The situation was deteriorating, with severe bloodshed occurring frequently. Thus, the upper echelons had reached their limit and wished to launch another Great Reclamation. For now, various preparations were still proceeding in an orderly fashion. "You were born in an era fraught with challenge. Once the Great Pioneering begins and we advance into the depths of the boundless night-fog world, countless opportunities will arise. Resources and fortunes beyond measure will appear, legends will be witnessed, and some will rise rapidly. It is not impossible that near-immortal figures or godlike beings will emerge." "With every Great Reclamation, newcomers soar like blazing suns across the sky, illuminating the night-fog world to stand shoulder to shoulder with the senior titans." "Perhaps among you, there will be trailblazing youths destined to become patriarchs!" Zhou Tao and the young disciples from the Six Imperials ancestral court sketched out a vague silhouette of the great era in a few simple sentences. The youths felt their hearts surge, blood boiling with excitement. Yet some remained calm, their young hearts steady, knowing that in such a brilliant era, countless people were also destined to die. This was a county town endowed with a cluster of grade-three Fire Springs, home to just over a hundred thousand people. Qin Ming and the others now knew what kind of assessment they were about to undergo—they would be sent to eliminate those monsters and demons! "After the last Great Reclamation, people migrated here. Early on, life was indeed prosperous; after all, resources were abundant and land was plentiful with few people. But now they suffer endlessly. All manner of monsters cross the border unceasingly, causing constant harassment. Incidents of bloodshed grow more frequent, and there have even been horrific massacres of entire villages and towns." The group had long understood why Zhou Tao said he did not want internal friction among them. Hunting here at the edge of the world and helping resolve the border menace was far better. "You may form teams or act alone. The more formidable the mountain monsters you slay and the more demons you kill, the higher your evaluation will be." Immediately, some began discussing teaming up, while others kept quiet, choosing to go alone. Zhou Tao spoke sternly. "I will divide the regions according to your strength. Before setting off, read the dossiers carefully and act within your limits." He gave a solemn warning that it was not too late to withdraw now; otherwise, deaths were certain. Any youth who had never engaged in life-and-death combat should not take part—novices were the most vulnerable. A stack of papers was handed to each person, containing intelligence on the surrounding areas. Looking at the dates, some went back quite far while others had emerged only recently; all recorded bloody cases reported by local residents. "I won't give you the intelligence on giant beasts or even more formidable demons and monsters. Sending you to those places would only mean throwing your lives away." Zhou Tao informed them that danger came with opportunity. Certain special creatures possessed rich spiritual substance, such as silver creatures that had failed to evolve; the silver blood remaining in their bodies was of astonishing value. Naturally, this also meant they were extremely dangerous. There were other beasts whose jade horns, spirit bones, and the like could serve as medicine or prime materials for crafting spiritual artifacts—extraordinarily precious, not to be overlooked. Some youths, filled with a strong sense of justice, asked, "Elder Zhou, since the border people have suffered so much in recent years, why don't you senior experts simply sweep across? After all, our cultivation levels are still low; how much can we really solve?" Zhou Tao responded, "Who says people of our level don't do anything? Where do you think the spirit meat we eat on ordinary days comes from? If we didn't go out to secure our own food and clothing, even an elder would exhaust their wealth and end up destitute sooner or later." A young disciple explained that the primary issue was that the frontier line left from the last Great Reclamation was simply too long; the territory they were in now, including the few surrounding cities, was only one small corner. Consequently, those case files and bloody incidents had accumulated into thick stacks. The various paths and sects simply didn't have enough manpower. Most importantly, those crossing the border were small fish, slippery and elusive, while the top masters kept their eyes trained on the deeper reaches of the night-fog world. That was why the higher-ups had been eager to reclaim territory in recent years—they wanted to flip the table directly and sweep through with overwhelming force. Yet the unknown lands were boundless. Even the patriarchs of the various paths had no certainty about what lay ahead. Previous Great Reclamations had gone relatively smoothly, yielding enormous benefits. But who could say for sure about the future? If they struck into a divine realm or a demonic royal court, things would get interesting—it would undoubtedly be catastrophic. The youths studied the files. The bloody incidents and gruesome tragedies were numerous; some were so appalling that they made one's chest tighten. In a quiet room, Zhou Tao instructed several disciples to assign regions to the youths based on their strength. He warned, "Everything must be done according to the rules. No exceeding the parameters, and no crossing red lines. Understand?" The young disciples nodded in comprehension. Zhou Tao said, "The mutants will most likely become our core disciples, so they must be thoroughly tempered. I will arrange their assignments personally to put some pressure on them, lest they think the assessments of our Six Imperials ancestral court are child's play." With that, he gathered the information on the mutant youths and reviewed it carefully. "Rest here for the night. Tomorrow, you will each set off to resolve those bloodbaths. Consider it defending the realm and quelling chaos. If you think yourselves capable, you may attempt a minor reclamation; that will be fairly reflected in your evaluations!" Zhou Tao admonished them, strictly forbidding internal conflict. Anyone who dared raise a hand against a fellow participant would be disqualified, or even executed. "If someone attacks me secretly, can I fight back? Will that count as mutual internal conflict?" someone asked in a low voice. "You wouldn't fight back in that case? Has all your fighting spirit been ground away?! That's merely justifiable self-defense," Zhou Tao said, before producing sheets of scripture paper and distributing them. He added, "This is an exceptional secret art called Bright Light Force. It is ideally suited for tempering while slaying monsters, and you may consider it a gift. For those who perform exceptionally well—even though this is only an initial assessment—upon returning, you will be permitted to enter the Six Imperials Enlightenment Ground to comprehend an even more formidable technique." The next day, the youths set out! Qin Ming was a solitary traveler, teaming up with no one. The territory assigned to him was nearly a hundred li from the county town. Following the map and trail markers, he moved swiftly through the darkness. "Seventh Newborn transformation, and minor reclamation—here I come!" He truly wished to see the true face of the world that had never been reclaimed. Yet he quickly reined in his excitement, reminding himself to stay cautious and vigilant so as not to stumble carelessly during the trial. He had departed early and moved very quickly. Before the shallow night had fully arrived, he had already neared his destination: Luo Family Village. Smoke curled upward as villagers began preparing breakfast. The area was relatively bright; a village of a few hundred people actually had a grade-two Fire Spring. It was indeed a vast, sparsely populated land rich in resources. Outside the village, vast tracts of fire fields teemed with life. Irrigated by the glowing-red Fire Spring, the crops grew exceptionally well. Further in the distance lay dense forests. In this region governed by several cities, tall mountains were rarely seen; it was a broad plain covered either in fire fields or thick woodlands. The tranquil morning was soon disturbed by the sound of weeping. Some villagers grew tense and terrified, bolting their doors shut. A woman wept, "My lord, you... you have come again. We have already lost one child. We beg you, please spare them! If you must, take one of us instead!" Qin Ming immediately dashed over without making a sound. Through an open courtyard gate, he saw a green wolf walking upright, fully two meters tall. It wore a scholar's robe and bared a bloody maw, actually speaking in human tongue: "Breakfast must be nourishing. I found your child quite delicious, so I came back today." Before it knelt a husband and wife, pleading to die in place of their children. Behind them crouched two children under the age of ten, their eyes wide with sheer terror. Just yesterday, they had lost their elder brother, and today it was their turn. "Beast!" Qin Ming had never imagined that one of these bloody cases would be so heinous and tragic. What did this green wolf take this place for? It treated a village family's children as its breakfast, and this was already its second visit! Although other violent incidents were also terrible, none fueled his fury quite like what was happening before his eyes. Fire practically shot from his eyes. In the past, he had always remained composed, but now fury flared within him, wholly unbearable. Qin Ming stormed into the courtyard, fixing a chilling gaze on the strange giant green wolf, his killing intent stark and undisguised. "Hm?" The giant green wolf was vigilant, backing away instantly. If it could kill this intruder, it naturally would; if not, it was already preparing a route to flee. It grinned, revealing snowy-white fangs. "Brother, I know you have an assignment. How about we each take a step back? I'll leave right now. I belong to the Silver Wolf King's retinue." "Who are you calling brother?!" Qin Ming struck. Heavenly light force flowed across his skin as his left fist and right palm erupted with piercing radiance simultaneously. The green wolf was fast, yet it was still cut off and forced to retaliate. Its massive claws swiped through the air with a whistling rush, and its enormous head lunged forward, snapping to tear into him. The upright wolf shrieked in agony as its left paw blasted apart. Immediately after, its other upper limb was torn clean off by Qin Ming, spraying blood. Then, with a resounding bang, half of its head exploded. "A sixth-tier mutated creature," Qin Ming assessed, the rage in his heart subsiding slightly. Behind him, the family was stunned senseless before being overcome with joy, knowing their two children would not be eaten. The family expressed endless gratitude, wanting to kowtow to Qin Ming, but he hastily stopped them. Qin Ming noticed that after their joy, a shadow of worry returned to their faces. Soon, the village chief of Luo Family Village arrived, both excited and anxious. While someone slaying the vicious green wolf was a great blessing, there was a place called Wolf Ridge in the dense forest, home to at least six more vicious wolves. Qin Ming inquired about the details, then set off immediately toward Wolf Ridge. In the dense forests of the great plain, whenever a mountain ridge appeared, it was almost always claimed as a lair by some creatures. In less than an hour, Qin Ming located his destination and ascended the ridge. "Who goes there?" "Friend, we are of the Silver Wolf King's retinue. What business do you have? We can sit down and talk," a white wolf and a gray wolf spoke in succession. To his surprise, both understood human speech. These wolf demons were vigilant, sensing trouble. A youth daring to appear here alone was likely not someone to be trifled with. "Have you eaten people in those villages and towns?" Qin Ming asked. "A misunderstanding! We only taste blood on occasion, very restrained..." the gray wolf began. Clang! Qin Ming could listen no longer. Decisively unsheathing his blade, he unleashed a dazzling brilliance. A single slash swept through, severing a massive wolf head. "You dare strike at the Silver Wolf King's subordinates?!" The remaining wolves acted fierce while trembling within, but after a moment's hesitation, they pounced together. Instantly, saber light blazed and blood splattered across Wolf Ridge. The vicious wolves were either beheaded or split cleanly in half. Carrying several wolf fangs, Qin Ming walked back down the mountain. "A human bladesman, hunting in our territory?" In the dense woods ahead, a half-human-tall weasel carrying a saber barred his path. Purple light flowed in its eyes, and faint arcs of lightning crackled around its body.