Chapter 73: A Single Night Passes

“Master Si An, let us walk and talk,” Zong Ling said, maintaining basic courtesy despite his inner turmoil.

“Xiang Pangyun came to kill Dongbo Xueying?” Master Si An walked side by side with Zong Ling, unable to resist asking. This matter was simply too significant.

Zong Ling nodded. “A group of assassins came to kill Qing Shi because of a Blood Blade Tavern mission! All of them were slain by Xueying. Then Xiang Pangyun appeared and confronted Xueying. They fought relentlessly, from our Xueshi Mountain all the way to Heifeng Cliff!”

“Heifeng Cliff?” Master Si An was startled.

As the head of Longshan Pavilion within this small county region, he naturally understood the terrifying nature of that forbidden place.

“They actually chased each other in battle for over a hundred li?” Master Si An was shaken. Just imagining it, he couldn’t believe it. For such a battle to occur, the two sides couldn’t have been too mismatched in strength. “Dongbo Xueying’s strength must at least be within the top thousand of the Longshan Rankings. Otherwise, how could he have lasted so long?”

He still couldn’t believe it.

How old was Dongbo Xueying? He was simply too much of a prodigy.

“What was the result?” Master Si An asked.

Zong Ling looked at the night sky, then answered after a pause. “Xueying could have survived. But no one expected Xiang Pangyun to not be human, but rather a mutated magical beast.”

“A magical beast transformed into a human?” Master Si An’s expression changed. “The Temple of the Sorcerer God?”

“What Temple of the Sorcerer God?” Zong Ling asked.

“That’s not something you need to concern yourself with,” Master Si An quickly replied. The rulers behind this world were ultimately those mighty transcendents. Many secrets were not made public. As a pavilion master at the grassroots level of Longshan Pavilion, he had only just gained the qualifications to know some hidden truths. He knew very well that the Temple of the Sorcerer God had been in conflict with humanity’s entire strength since ancient times, so its foundation must be extremely deep.

The Temple of the Sorcerer God had always been sending magical beasts to infiltrate among humans.

Fortunately, the cost of transforming a magical beast into a human was extremely high, so everything was still within control.

“What happened next?” Master Si An hurriedly asked. “Did Xiang Pangyun reveal his true form and kill Dongbo Xueying?”

“No,” Zong Ling continued. “Xueying was immediately blasted out of Heifeng Cliff, seemingly about to be swept into the Heifeng Abyss! At that moment, Xueying hurled a short spear from midair. Suddenly, flames erupted from his entire body. The short spear transformed into a meteor of firelight, instantly piercing into the four-legged monstrous beast transformed by Xiang Pangyun. Three short spears in succession struck vital points! The four-legged beast died on the spot.”

“Fire? Killed by short spears?” Master Si An was stunned. “My word! Is he at the Myriad Realm?”

“Yes, the Myriad Realm manifests all things. Xueying indeed grasped the profound mysteries of fire among the myriad things,” Zong Ling sighed. He himself was a Star-Level expert and had thoroughly understood the Longshan Rankings. He knew exactly what the Myriad Realm represented.

“He’s only twenty-two? The Myriad Realm?” Master Si An was stunned, Goodness gracious.

This was going to cause a huge commotion.

Such an extraordinary prodigy, perhaps only one would appear in the entire Longshan Empire every hundred years. He was almost certainly destined to transcend into a transcendental being.

“Can that possibly be true?” Master Si An hurriedly asked. He himself knew that once this news was reported, it would definitely shock the transcendents! Because the birth of every transcendental was extremely difficult. The number of transcendents in the entire empire was limited.

“How could it possibly be false?” Zong Ling said. “If Xueying hadn’t killed that four-legged beast, do you think we could calmly remain in Xueshi Castle? If you don’t believe me, you can go ask Magister Bai Yuanzhi or Magister Si Chen.”

“I will definitely ask again,” Master Si An nodded. He also believed these people wouldn’t dare to lie. Because he estimated that soon transcendents would personally come. Before transcendents, mortals would be very ‘honest’ and reveal everything.

“What about Dongbo Xueying?” Master Si An pressed.

Zong Ling’s eyes held a trace of sorrow, but his voice remained calm. “He couldn’t resist the power of the Heifeng vortex and was swept into the Heifeng Abyss!”

Master Si An fell silent.

Back when Dongbo Xueying was fifteen, Master Si An had already met him. He clearly remembered that black-robed youth, who had a sharpness in his bones even then. At that time, he had felt that Dongbo Xueying would probably become extraordinary in the future. Just over six years had passed. The black-robed youth had grown a little taller, his aura more restrained, yet as immovable as a mountain. At that time, upon receiving intelligence from above, he had already suspected Dongbo Xueying to be a Title-Level expert.

But the reality?

He had been even more dazzling. Battling Xiang Pangyun evenly, and finally, at the moment of life and death, with short spears, he had slain Xiang Pangyun who had revealed his true form!

At twenty-two, he had entered the top fifty of the Longshan Rankings!

So brilliant! So radiant!

Almost destined to transcend into a transcendental being, yet…

He had perished!

“What a pity, what a lament,” Master Si An gently shook his head. He also felt it was too regrettable. As a core member of Longshan Pavilion, he understood precisely what it meant to transcend. That was a completely different level of life. Even the mightiest Title-Level experts were still mortals, with a chasm-like gap between them and transcendents.

Of course, pseudo-transcendents didn’t count!

With Dongbo Xueying’s talent, as long as he lived, he was almost certainly destined to transcend—into a true transcendental!

“Then I won’t disturb you further,” Master Si An said. “I still need to question Bai Yuanzhi and others. These days, our Yishui City is probably going to become lively.”

“I’ll see you off, Master,” Zong Ling escorted Master Si An out of the castle gate.

Watching Master Si An quickly head toward the nearby Magister’s Tower with his entourage.

Zong Ling saw a small figure standing not far away—Ji Rong, a delicate young girl, standing there with a pitiable expression.

“You haven’t left yet?” Zong Ling’s face darkened as he coldly rebuked.

“I want to see Qing Shi one last time!” Ji Rong said.

Zong Ling snorted and turned away, walking off.

Before falling into the Heifeng Abyss, Dongbo Xueying’s final request had been to have his younger brother leave Ji Rong. Naturally, Zong Ling stood firmly by Dongbo Xueying’s side and thus disliked Ji Rong.

…

Inside the castle’s study.

Qing Shi sat in the seat his older brother used to occupy, gently stroking the desk, recalling scenes from his entire life with his brother. His brother’s love for him had surpassed everything. When he was young and became an apprentice, his brother had risked his life to go to the Destruction Mountains.

He couldn’t forget his brother’s words.

“Unless I, Dongbo Xueying, am dead, no one will harm my younger brother! Not even you, Xiang Pangyun!” At that time, Dongbo Xueying had stood before Xiang Pangyun with his long spear, speaking those words, which still echoed faintly in his ears.

“Qing Shi! Live well, don’t disappoint me!”

As Dongbo Xueying began to fall into the Heifeng vortex, he still looked at him.

Plop! Plop!

Tears fell, splattering onto the desk, shattering.

Only upon losing something does one regret bitterly.

“Brother, I believe you will definitely return. Definitely. I will wait for you, always wait,” Qing Shi whispered softly. “Don’t worry, I won’t disappoint you. I am Dongbo Xueying’s younger brother. My brother is the greatest genius in the entire world. I will never disgrace you!”

Knock knock knock.

The sound of knocking on the door.

“Qing Shi,” Zong Ling’s voice came from outside. “That Ji Rong is still at the castle gate, insisting on seeing you one last time.”

Qing Shi stood up and opened the study door.

Zong Ling stood outside.

“Let’s go,” Qing Shi said calmly.

Zong Ling nodded. He had watched Qing Shi grow up and knew that although Qing Shi was a bit simple-minded, he was still a good child. He trusted Qing Shi, so he came to inform him, letting him make a clean break.

…

On the castle wall.

Qing Shi stood on the wall, looking down. Below stood a solitary figure—Ji Rong.

“Qing Shi,” Ji Rong looked up. There was reluctance and pain in her eyes.

“Was what my brother told me really true?” Qing Shi’s voice was cold.

“No, it’s not true!” Ji Rong hurriedly said.

“I’ll ask one more time. Was it really true?” Qing Shi looked down, his eyes like blades, staring fixedly into Ji Rong’s eyes.

Ji Rong, under his gaze, hesitated slightly before quickly saying, “Qing Shi, you don’t believe me either?”

“You actually thought I would still believe you!”

“Haha… I actually caused my brother sorrow because of you. Haha, how foolish and ridiculous I must be! Hahaha…” Qing Shi laughed wildly.

Beside him, Zong Ling silently watched. He knew Qing Shi needed to vent at this moment.

“Leave!”

Qing Shi said coldly. “My brother said, you must leave Xueshi Mountain by tomorrow morning. From today onward, you are forbidden from stepping foot on Xueshi Mountain ever again!”

“Qing Shi, you really…” Tears filled Ji Rong’s eyes.

“Obey my command,” Qing Shi directly ordered. “Tomorrow at noon, if Miss Ji Rong is still on my Xueshi Mountain, forcibly throw her down the mountain!”

“Yes,” all the patrolling soldiers around and the guards below responded in unison.

Then Qing Shi turned and left.

“Qing Shi, Qing Shi…” Ji Rong kept calling out, but could only watch Qing Shi leave the wall, disappearing from her sight.

Ji Rong’s face darkened, her heart filled with anger and resentment. “Dongbo Xueying, damn you. Even when you’re about to die, you still ruined my plans.”

…

That night.

Master Si An quickly reported the news, which was delivered overnight to the headquarters of Longshan Pavilion in Anyang Province! The headquarters’ Pavilion Master didn’t dare to delay, immediately reporting the news to the transcendental existence!

At the same time, Magister Si Chen also sent the news back overnight. The Si Clan ruled Qianhe County with an iron fist. Such important news naturally needed to be reported to their ancestral master, Si Lianghong, as soon as possible.

…

An extraordinary night finally passed, and the next day, dawn broke.

At the bottom of the Heifeng Abyss.

“Hu.” Dongbo Xueying, who had been sitting cross-legged in meditation all night, opened his eyes. His injuries had completely healed.

He stood up and walked to the cave’s entrance.

Now that it was daytime, although the Heifeng vortex above blocked the view of the sun, the entire valley still became brightly lit. He could see some plants and flowers. Compared to the valley at night… the valley now seemed as beautiful as a fairyland. The cliff walls were mottled with moss. In the distance, the majestic cave palace continuously emitted a faint green light.

During the day, the cave palace’s green light was slightly dimmer, its glow flowing with infinite mystery and profundity.

“A pity that approaching it might result in immediate death,” Dongbo Xueying mused. “The food and water in the storage treasures left by that divine messenger and Xiang Pangyun are quite abundant. Now that I can absorb the power of heaven and earth, my consumption of food is minimal. But it probably can only sustain me for a year. If I can’t find a way out within a year, I’ll starve to death!”

“Although it’s dangerous, I must find a way to survive.” Dongbo Xueying carefully observed the outside, pondering his next move.