Chapter 87: Propagation

In the early morning, the air was fresh and crisp.

Dongbo Xueying walked out from the main gate of the castle. The soldiers at the entrance straightened proudly and called excitedly, “Lord!”

Looking at these soldiers, many of their faces were familiar.

He strolled casually along the mountaintop of Xueshi Mountain, overlooking the beautiful scenery of his territory below—villages scattered like stars, and in the distance, the Qing River rushing forward like a white ribbon.

Dongbo Xueying took a deep breath, drawing in the fresh air. The scent was familiar, far fresher than the air within the underground hall of Heifeng Divine Palace. There was also the fragrance of flowers and a touch of earthiness.

“Lord,” a voice called out.

Dongbo turned his head and saw the approaching figure of the mage Bai Yuanzhi.

“Grand Mage,” Dongbo greeted with respect. He held great reverence for the teacher of his younger brother.

“Before you, I dare not call myself a Grand Mage,” Bai Yuanzhi replied humbly. Though he didn’t know that Dongbo had transcended into the extraordinary, the mere fact that Dongbo had slain Xiang Pangyun was enough to make him instinctively lower his status. “If you honor me, just calling me ‘Mage Bai’ would be enough.”

Dongbo nodded slightly.

“I learned of your return last night but dared not disturb you in the late hours,” Bai Yuanzhi smiled. “Congratulations, Lord! You’ve safely returned from the Heifeng Abyss! That abyss is extremely dangerous. Throughout history, no one bearing a title has ever ventured deep and returned alive. You are the first!”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Dongbo replied. As an extraordinary being, escaping from the abyss’s depths using only his title’s strength would have been nearly impossible for him.

“Oh, how are Ji Rong and You Yue doing?” Dongbo asked, recalling that although he had spoken with his younger brother late into the night, he hadn’t inquired about Ji Rong, who had once been his brother’s lover.

“You just returned, so you probably don’t know,” Bai Yuanzhi sighed. “Ji Rong—I didn’t expect it either. I only learned when Lord Si An of the Qing Shi Mansion came to investigate her background.”

“A follower of the Dark God?” Dongbo nodded. The information from Longshan Pavilion was indeed accurate.

“As for Kong Youyue…” Bai Yuanzhi hesitated, watching Dongbo’s expression carefully. He was quite perceptive, having long understood the complicated relationship between Kong Youyue, Si Chen, and Dongbo. “She left with Mage Si Chen for Qinghe County merely half a year after you fell into the Heifeng Abyss.”

Dongbo smiled, “Impressive.”

He now viewed such matters more detachedly. He no longer held much resentment toward Kong Youyue, only thinking her a girl of deep cunning who had now managed to entangle herself into the Si Clan.

Clomp! Clomp! Clomp!

The ground trembled faintly. Dongbo turned his head and saw a group of cavalry galloping along the distant mountain path. At the front rode Lord Si An of Qing Shi Mansion.

“It’s Lord Si An,” Bai Yuanzhi remarked. “He must have left Yishui City before dawn to arrive so early. He must have urgent matters—I’ll leave you two to it.” With that, Bai Yuanzhi smiled and politely withdrew.

From afar, Lord Si An immediately spotted Dongbo standing at the edge of the mountaintop. Without slowing, he rode straight toward him.

“Neighhh~”

The horse reared and halted.

Lord Si An leaped off the horse, leaving it behind as his subordinates took care of it.

“Lord Dongbo!” Si An’s face lit up with joy. “When I heard of your return, I almost couldn’t believe it. It’s a miracle, truly a miracle! I’ve already reported the news. I’m sure it won’t be long before an extraordinary being arrives to guide you into the ranks of the extraordinary!”

Those ranked within the top three thousand of the Longshan List, or those considered promising, were usually guided into extraordinary organizations for cultivation.

Even so, very few of them would eventually ascend to the extraordinary.

That was why figures like Si Lianghong and Xiang Pangyun had once entered extraordinary organizations but still failed to break through.

“Oh?” Dongbo’s brow slightly furrowed. “I need to go to the Eastern Province to bring my parents back. You mentioned extraordinary beings might come—when do you expect them?”

“Lord Dongbo, please don’t go! It would be better if you stayed at Xueying Castle,” Lord Si An urged. “The Longshan List spreads news quickly, and extraordinary beings travel fast. I expect one to arrive within one or two days.” He added jokingly, “Can you imagine making an extraordinary being come all this way for nothing?”

Dongbo nodded slightly. “One or two days is enough. I’ll set off for Duoyu County in the Eastern Province later. I’ll definitely return before nightfall.”

“You… you…” Si An was momentarily stunned. “Return before nightfall?”

Two provinces away!

If one followed the winding roads on land, it would stretch for hundreds of thousands of miles! Could he really return before nightfall?

“From here to Duoyu County in the Eastern Province, flying straight through the air is only about eighty thousand miles,” Dongbo explained.

“Back and forth would be a total of one hundred and sixty thousand miles! Even the finest alchemical flying vessels, pushing their speed to the limit, can only cover five thousand miles per hour. In a day of twelve hours, that’s just sixty thousand miles—still far short!” Lord Si An remained skeptical.

“No, I meant I’ll fly myself,” Dongbo smiled.

Lord Si An was stunned, looking at Dongbo with disbelief. “Lord Dongbo, you’ve already…”

“Boom!”

A layer of flame-like aura erupted from Dongbo’s body, and the invisible pressure made Lord Si An feel as if he couldn’t breathe.

Then Dongbo retracted his aura.

“Believe now?” Dongbo looked at him.

“I do,” Si An’s head was still spinning. Dongbo was only twenty-eight years old, yet he had already become extraordinary? Such a prodigy… in the past thousand years, perhaps only Fengqi Knight Chi Qiubai could rival him! Chi Qiubai was currently the most prominent figure in the entire Anyang Province, and all factions held him in high regard, believing he could one day become the strongest in the land.

Even the guardians of Heifeng Divine Palace held Chi Qiubai in high esteem, believing he might break through the magical formations.

“Lord Dongbo, Master Dongbo,” Lord Si An was visibly nervous. What was he, just a minor official of the Longshan Pavilion in a remote area, compared to an extraordinary being? Even the Si Clan and the Moyang Clan could intimidate him, but even those families would tremble before a true extraordinary being.

This showed the vast difference in status.

“We met when I was fifteen,” Dongbo smiled. “No need to be so formal.”

“Alright, alright,” Lord Si An was flustered. For an extraordinary being to emerge within his jurisdiction—how rare was that? Across the entire world, how many minor officials like him had ever encountered such a situation? Usually, those bearing titles were already guided into extraordinary organizations. How often would an extraordinary being suddenly appear, requiring the Longshan Pavilion to spread the news?

“I’ll report this immediately. This is a huge matter,” Lord Si An said hurriedly. “Lord Dongbo, I believe the Six Extraordinary Organizations, even the Demon God Assembly and the Witch God Palace, will get involved.”

With that, Lord Si An flipped his hand, revealing a square crystal tablet. He began writing on it.

Dongbo watched silently.

This was the most basic alchemical communication device, capable of sending messages to the Longshan Pavilion in Qinghe County. As for extraordinary beings, their communication tablets could transmit messages directly through consciousness, covering the entire world.

“The message has been sent!” Lord Si An’s fingers trembled slightly as he pressed the transmission button, then looked up at Dongbo.

“This is troublesome,” Dongbo said.

“It’s my duty,” Lord Si An smiled. “And my honor. Your matter is too significant, and it will definitely be reported to the upper echelons of the extraordinary organizations! It might take a little longer to get a response. I expect the Blood Blade Tavern and the Earth Temple will arrive within one or two days. Other factions will probably be a bit slower. Since you’re a newly ascended extraordinary being, many organizations will likely come to invite you.”

Dongbo nodded slightly.

He had anticipated this. He had discussed it with his monkey and bird friends, gaining some understanding of the extraordinary organizations across the land.

That was why he had deliberately revealed his extraordinary status to Lord Si An, prompting him to spread the news. He wanted the factions to come to him, for the path of cultivation required external resources. With competition among the factions, he could better choose the most suitable extraordinary organization.

“I’ll go to the Moyang Clan in the Eastern Province first. I’ll return and wait for the extraordinary beings,” Dongbo said, then in a flash, he transformed into a streak of flame and soared into the sky, instantly disappearing from Lord Si An’s sight.

Lord Si An gazed upward, murmuring, “Has Yishui City produced an extraordinary being?”

…

Whoosh.

Transformed into a flaming meteor through the clouds, Dongbo flew at high speed. He had set out in the early morning, and merely two hours later, before noon had even arrived, he had already reached Leichaoya, the easternmost coastal area of Duoyu County in the Eastern Province.

“Mother,” the flame condensed into a young man in black robes midair as he looked down.

Using the fluctuations of the The Power of Heaven and Earth, Dongbo instantly located where his mother was imprisoned.