World's Edge

In a single day, they traversed 40,000 miles, crossing an endless, dark land, and two Higher Aberrant beings carried them to the World's Edge.

Even though everyone was physically strong and had experienced multiple New Life, some young people still felt unwell, their faces were pale, and they only felt at ease after their feet touched the ground.

"Why don't we just go straight into the city?" someone asked.

This is a wilderness, the night is deep, and many old trees grow there, their tangled branches stretching everywhere. A faint light shines through in the distance; it must be a city. "Now that you're here, I'll teach you a lesson," said the elder of the Six Royals Ancestral Court.

His name was Zhou Tao, his temples were gray, and his pupils shimmered with golden light. He said, "This World's Edge. You can't enter the city directly from the night sky. It will be considered an enemy attack. Even Higher Aberrant will be shot to pieces by special crossbows!" After that, everyone knew what kind of place this was. It was the forefront of the last Great Opening period! Of course, with the changing times, it had not been developed for a long time, and the bustling scene of its former popularity and the gathering of experts was long gone.

Qin Ming was somewhat lost in thought. Traveling 40,000 li in a single day and arriving in such a place was beyond his expectations. He thought the Great Pioneering Era was still far off, but he never imagined that he would arrive in such a place ahead of schedule.

The crowd whispered and discussed as they walked toward the city in the night.

It wasn't very large, and the city walls looked old. On the Black Gold Stone, which were as hard as iron, there were some damaged areas with terrible claw marks, several meters long.

This changed the expressions of many people. One can imagine that in that bygone era, all sorts of thrilling scenes and the past of blood and fire seemed to rush towards them.

Zhou Tao seemed to know what they were thinking and smiled faintly:

"These are just minor incidents, left behind by Little Cat and mice in recent years." "Ah, has the Great Wilderness Expansion of this era begun?" someone couldn't help but ask.

"Not yet." A young disciple shook his head.

Then he added, "Do you think this place is peaceful on ordinary days?" After their identities were verified, the group entered the city smoothly and gained a general understanding of the situation along the way.

The frontier of the Great Wilderness Expansion had a long boundary, and this place was just a small corner of it.

This is why, in the extremely long World's Edge, various creatures often venture out and harass the border residents, making it impossible to defend against them.

The situation is getting worse, with serious bloodshed occurring frequently. Therefore, the higher-ups have reached their limit and want to Great Wilderness Expansion again. Currently, preparations are proceeding smoothly.

"You were born in a challenging era. Once the Great Opening arrives and you venture into the Vast and Boundless depths of the Night Mist World, countless fortuitous opportunity will arise. Resources and fortunes will be plentiful, and legends will be witnessed. Some will rise rapidly, and it is not impossible that Near-Immortal- immortals or even Godlike beings will emerge."

"Every Great Wilderness Expansion brings forth new talents, like the Scorching Sun sun illuminating the Night Mist World, capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with the veteran giants."

"Perhaps among you is Teenage Grandmaster who will pave the way!"

Zhou Tao and several young disciples from the Six Royals Ancestral Court sketched out a vague outline of a great era with just a few simple words. The group of young people were filled with mixed emotions and surging passion.

Some people remained calm, their youthful hearts not stirred, because they knew that even in such a brilliant era, many people were destined to die.

This is a county town with a Third-Level Fire Spring Cluster and a population of just over 100,000.

Qin Ming and the others already knew what kind of test they were about to undergo and what kind of demons and monsters they would have to deal with!

"After the last Great Wilderness Expansion, some people migrated here. In the early days, things were indeed very prosperous, after all, resources were abundant and the land was sparsely populated. But now they are suffering greatly. Various monsters keep crossing the border, causing endless trouble. Bloodshed is increasing, and there have even been horrific incidents of massacring entire villages and towns."

The group already understood what Zhou Tao meant by not wanting them to fight amongst themselves. Coming to the World's Edge to hunt and help solve border problems was better.

"You can team up or go solo. Whoever kills the most Mountain Monster and vanquishes the most demons will get a higher rating." Immediately, some people discussed forming teams, while others remained silent, choosing to go it alone.

Zhou Tao said seriously, "I will divide you into regions based on your strength. Before you set off, please carefully read the materials and act according to your abilities."

He solemnly warned that it was still not too late to quit, otherwise people would definitely die. If a teenager had never experienced a life-or-death struggle, he should not participate, as novices are most likely to get into trouble.

Each person had a stack of papers in their hands, containing information about the surrounding area. Some of the papers were from a long time ago, while others were recent. They all recorded bloody incidents and were reported by the locals.

"I won't give you the information about the giant beasts and even more powerful demons and monsters. Sending you to such a place would only lead to your death."

Zhou Tao told them that danger also comes with opportunity. Some special creatures have rich Spiritual Matter in their bodies, such as Silver Creature that failed to evolve, and the Silver Blood remaining in their bodies is extremely valuable.

This also means that they are extremely dangerous.

There are also some unusual items, whose jade horns, spirit bones, etc., can be used in medicine or are excellent materials for refining Spirit Artifact. They are extremely precious and should not be missed.

Some of the young men, full of a sense of justice, asked, "Elder Zhou, since the border people have suffered so much in recent years, why don't you just sweep them away? After all, our cultivation levels are still low; how many problems can we solve?"

Zhou Tao retorted, "Who says people at our level don't do anything? Where do you think the spiritual flesh we eat every day comes from? If we don't take action ourselves and live off our own resources, even as elders, we'll eventually run out of money and become impoverished."

A young disciple explained that the main reason was that the boundary line left by the last Great Wilderness Expansion was too long, and the area they were in now, including the surrounding cities, could only be considered a small corner of the territory.

Therefore, those case files and those bloody cases accumulated into a thick stack, involving people from various factions and religions, and manpower was not readily available.

Most importantly, those crossing the border are all small fry, slippery and cunning, while the real masters are all eyeing the deeper parts of the Night Mist World. That's why the higher-ups have wanted to expand into new territories in recent years; they're essentially trying to overturn the table and launch a fierce and forceful attack.

However, the unknown territories are boundless, and even the Ancestor of each path were uncertain about what lay ahead. In the past, the Great Wilderness Expansion went relatively smoothly, yielding immense benefits.

But who can predict the future? What if a Kingdom of Gods or Demon King Court emerges? That would be a disaster, and Wang would suffer a terrible fate.

A group of teenagers were studying the case files, which involved a number of bloody and tragic incidents, some of which were appalling and made their chests feel tight.

In the Quiet Room, Zhou Tao instructed several disciples to allocate territory to a group of teenagers according to their strength.

He warned, "Everything must be done according to the rules. You must not exceed the limits or cross the red line. Do you understand?" The young men nodded to indicate that they understood.

Zhou Tao said, "The Otherworlder will likely become our Core Disciple. They need to be properly trained. I will personally oversee the arrangements to put some pressure on them, otherwise they might think that the Six Royals Ancestral Court's assessment is child's play."

After saying that, he took all the information on the Teenage Aberrant and read it carefully.

"You will rest here for one night, and tomorrow you will each set off to resolve those bloody cases. This can be considered as defending the territory and quelling the rebellion. If you think you are capable, then go to the Small Wilderness Expansion reclaiming area. Your performance will be fairly reflected in your evaluation!" Zhou Tao warned them that internal strife was strictly prohibited. Anyone who dared to attack a fellow traveler would be disqualified from the assessment and might even be executed.

"If someone attacks me from the shadows, can I fight back? Wouldn't that be considered mutual strife?" someone asked in a low voice. "Not fighting back? You'll have lost all your Blood Qi! It's just self-defense." After Zhou Tao finished speaking, he took out some sutra paper and distributed it.

He added, "This is a very advanced Secret Method called Bright Light Force, which is perfect for honing while slaying monsters. Consider it a gift to you. Those who perform exceptionally well, even if this is only your first assessment, will be allowed to go to the Six Royals Enlightenment Ground to study an even more powerful Cultivation Method after you return."

The next day, a group of teenagers set off!

Qin Ming was a lone traveler, not in a team. His assigned area was nearly a hundred miles from the county town. Following the map and road signs, he quickly traversed the darkness. "The Seventh New Life, and the Small Wilderness Expansion, here I come!" He really wanted to see the original appearance of the unexplored world.

But he calmed down, reminding himself to be cautious and not to be careless, lest he fail the assessment.

He set off early and moved very quickly, approaching his destination before Shallow Night. In Luo Family Village, wisps of smoke rose from chimneys as villagers began preparing breakfast.

The area is relatively bright, and the fact that a village with a population of several hundred has Tier-Two Fire Spring speaks volumes about its vast territory, sparse population, and abundant resources.

Outside the village, vast Fire Field thrive, the crops growing exceptionally well thanks to the irrigating, glowing red Fire Spring. Further on, dense forests stretch out.

This region, encompassing several cities, is largely devoid of mountains; it consists of vast plains, either Fire Field or dense forests.

The peaceful morning was quickly disturbed by the sound of crying. Some villagers were nervous and frightened, and they closed their doors tightly.

A woman was crying, "Sir, you're here again. We've already lost one child. Please, don't hurt him anymore. Why don't you choose one of us, my husband and me?"

Qin Ming immediately rushed over silently and saw a Azure Wolf, about two meters tall, walking upright in an open courtyard.

It was dressed in a scholar's robe, with a gaping, blood-red mouth, and could speak human language, saying, "Breakfast should be good. I think your child tastes good, so I've come again today." In front of it, a couple knelt down, willing to die in place of their child, pleading there, while behind them were two children, not even ten years old, staring wide-eyed in fear.

Just yesterday, they lost their brother; today it's their turn.

"Beast!" Qin Ming had never imagined that one of the bloody incidents would be so heinous and tragic. What did this Azure Wolf think this place was?

It serves breakfast to a villager's child, and this is its second time doing so!

Other bloodshed incidents, though also excessive, did not provoke as much anger as what happened here, making him feel as if his eyes were spitting fire.

In the past, he was always very calm, but now he was furious and couldn't stand it at all.

Qin Ming rushed into the courtyard, his gaze fixed coldly on the strange, large Azure Wolf, his murderous intent undisguised.

"Hmm?" The big Azure Wolf was very alert and immediately retreated. If it could kill the other party, it would, but if it couldn't, it was also preparing a way to escape.

It grinned, revealing its snow-white fangs, and said, "Brother, I only know that you have a mission. How about we compromise? I'll leave today; I am a subordinate of the Silver Wolf King."

"Who do you call brother?!" Qin Ming attacked, his body radiating a Heavenly Light Force. His left fist and right palm simultaneously emitted dazzling light.

The Azure Wolf was fast, but it was still blocked and forced to fight back. Its large claws swung, making a whooshing sound, and its huge wolf head stretched forward, trying to bite.

The upright Azure Wolf howled in agony as its left paw exploded, followed by Qin Ming ripping off its other upper limb, splattering blood everywhere. At the same time, with a loud bang, half of its head exploded.

"A creature that Sixth Mutation." Qin Ming assessed, his anger subsiding slightly.

Behind him, the family was terrified, then overjoyed, because they knew their two children wouldn't be eaten.

The family was extremely grateful and wanted to kowtow to Qin Ming, but he quickly stopped them. Qin Ming could see that their joy was followed by worry.

Soon, the village chief of Luo Family Village arrived, both excited and worried. It was good that someone had gotten rid of the monstrous Azure Wolf, but there was a Wolf Ridge in the dense forest, where at least six more vicious wolves remained.

Qin Ming learned the details from them, and then immediately set off for the so-called Wolf Ridge.

In the dense forests of the Great Plains, any mountain that appears is likely to be occupied and nested by some kind of creature. Half an hour later, Qin Ming found his destination and climbed the mountain.

Who is it?

"Friends, we are followers of the Silver Wolf King. What brings you here? We can sit down and talk." A White Wolf and a gray wolf spoke one after the other; they both seemed to understand human speech.

These wolf demons were wary, sensing that the newcomer meant no good. A young man who dared to appear here alone was probably not someone to be trifled with.

"Have you eaten people in those villages and towns?" Qin Ming asked.

"It's a misunderstanding. We only get blood on our hands occasionally; we're very restrained," the gray wolf said.

With a clang, Qin Ming couldn't bear it any longer. He decisively drew his sword, which shone with dazzling light. With a single slash, he severed the head of a huge wolf.

"You dare to attack the Silver Wolf King's subordinates?!" The other wolves, Sewannei, hesitated for a moment, but still pounced on them together.

In an instant, the blades flashed, blood splattered on Wolf Ridge, and several wolves were either beheaded or cleaved in two.

Qin Ming carried several wolf teeth down the mountain and headed back. "Human swordsmen, they've come to hunt us here?" In the dense forest, a Weasel half the height of a man stood in front of him, carrying a knife on its back. Its eyes shone with purple light, and its body was even surrounded by faint lightning.