Inside the underground palace.
The massive ice jade mountain gradually diminished in size, vaguely transforming into a statue seated cross-legged, very similar to the figure of Dugu Ao within.
Foggy blue mist swirled with a chill.
Bi Qiu knelt on the ground, her body trembling violently: “This servant knows her crime. Please, Young Master, punish me!”
“Shan Gui Xiong is dead? Killed by Wu Daoren? And even took with him the Thirty-Six Heaven’s Fate Guards?”
Inside the statue, Dugu Ao opened his eyes, faint flashes of lightning in his gaze.
“Yes…”
Bi Qiu felt sweat trickling down her cheeks: “We never expected that Wu Daoren would actually be a Heaven’s Omen-level cultivator…”
“Even if Wu were a Heaven’s Omen warrior, Shan Lao might not be his match, but with the Thirty-Six Heaven’s Fate Guards, self-defense should not have been a problem… What about the intelligence on Wu Daoren?”
Dugu Ao snorted coldly, and Bi Qiu immediately trembled, as if enduring immense pain.
“Wu Daoren… calls himself Wu Ming, origin unknown. He first appeared in Xingwu Prefecture, displaying unparalleled martial cultivation prowess, calling himself a Daoist priest… He is now listed on the Heaven’s Omen List, with the title ‘Exiled Immortal’…”
She was drenched in cold sweat but still bit her lip, delivering the latest news.
By the time she finished, Bi Qiu looked as if she had been pulled from water.
“You already know the agony of the Two-Yi Divine Talisman’s activation. Your punishment is over; let us leave what happened just now aside. But this ‘Exiled Immortal’? His background is so mysterious, and he is so young…
Dugu Ao murmured: “Keep a close eye on him. I have a feeling that he might be the greatest variable in my grand plan… Unfortunately… if only my martial arts were fully mastered, I would really like to meet him in person…”
“No martial talent in this world can rival that of the Young Master!”
Bi Qiu declared firmly.
“Hehe… You’re not wrong there!”
Dugu Ao chuckled coldly: “At present, the only obstacle before me is the Martial Emperor. Fortunately, I’ve already gathered most of the Myriad Mountain Qi. In half a month, I will surely integrate it into my Polar Supreme Art!”
“Congratulations, Young Master! Congratulations!”
“But we must not slacken our efforts now, especially regarding this Exiled Immortal variable. Take my token and summon the two elders, Heaven Maimed and Earth Flawed. Order all Heaven’s Alliance outposts to secretly monitor…”
As Dugu Ao spoke, he changed the subject: “How is my fiancée doing? She was quite rebellious before…”
“Reporting to the Young Master…”
Bi Qiu immediately answered: “The Azure Lotus Holy Maiden has recently been lingering in Maple-Falling City, seemingly intending to seize the Red Maple Elixir Mother, the secret treasure of the Four Great Factions…”
“Hehe… This little girl wants to break through to the Divine Demon level as soon as possible to surpass me and nullify our engagement. What a dream! My ancestor was Dugu Kuangfu. I know very well that Divine Demon Bloodline is at most useful for nurturing infants, but relying on it to break through cultivation barriers is simply a fool’s dream!”
Dugu Ao sneered: “Still, she is quite scheming. There might be other secrets. We must be cautious!”
“Your Young Master is wise!”
Bi Qiu sensed an opportunity and volunteered: “The Azure Lotus Holy Maiden only believes we control five of the Azure Lotus Sect’s Lotus Envoys, but she doesn’t know I have other channels. I finally learned that the Divine Water Elder had a secret friendship with the Sword of Dividing Waters, Han Shike. Moreover, the Exiled Immortal has just appeared in Maple-Falling City…”
“Hehe… They all collided together!”
Dugu Ao coldly laughed, making a sudden decision: “Propose to the Azure Lotus Sect that our wedding date be moved forward. Once I emerge from retreat, I will bring the Azure Lotus Holy Maiden into our home… It will be quite amusing to see her face filled with despair, hahaha…”
…
“The Martial Emperor’s Enlightenment Seal?”
The carriage rattled, but Wu Ming was not contemplating the Heaven’s Alliance issue. Instead, his attention was fixed on this object.
“Pity this record only mentions it… without detailed description, nor any mention of its subsequent location…”
To outsiders, this seal might seem somewhat mystical, or perhaps just an ordinary stone with some sentimental value!
However, anything related to the Martial Emperor inevitably carried incredible value, and collectors would likely keep it secret.
“If my guess is correct, the Martial Emperor would never abandon the Enlightenment Seal… It’s more likely he carried it with him… Therefore, the most probable location of the Martial Emperor’s Enlightenment Seal is not in the Eight Great Holy Lands, but on the Martial Emperor himself…”
Wu Ming regretfully realized that everything had returned to square one.
To locate the Enlightenment Seal, suspected to be a component of the main deity, he first needed to find the Martial Emperor.
But this person’s mysterious disappearance was the greatest enigma in history. If there were any clues, the Eight Great Holy Lands would have already acted, long before Wu Ming arrived.
“Master, where are we going now?”
Outside, Lin Xinlan’s soft voice came in.
“Mmm… To Xunfeng Holy City!”
Wu Ming made his decision.
Xunfeng Holy City was the outer gate of the Tianfeng Holy Land, one of the Eight Great Holy Lands, just like the Azure Lotus Sect. It was famous for its information network, and the widely known Four Martial Artist Rankings were largely compiled by them.
Guaranteed by the Holy Land of Martial Arts, Xunfeng Holy City naturally became one of the new centers of the continent, a hub for intelligence. If it came to gathering information, there was none better in the world.
“First… I should look for the whereabouts of the Martial Emperor or the Enlightenment Seal…”
Wu Ming’s eyes flickered as he silently pondered: “Of course… the chances are slim. Then I can only visit this Holy Land… Speaking of which, the Xuanming True Art was fused from the ultimate techniques of Wind and Water, so it’s somewhat fated to be connected with me…”
…
The capital of the Wu Dynasty lay in the center of the continent. Traveling north, the weather gradually turned cold, reaching the Northern Wind Territory.
This region was perpetually covered in snow and icy winds, with Northern Wind Prefecture being the coldest.
Whoosh!
At this moment, in the Northern Wind Territory, white snowflakes drifted gently down, blanketing the earth in silver, and the official road was quiet and serene.
In this bitterly cold air where one’s breath would freeze, a black whirlwind raced forward at an incredible speed.
Clippity-clop!
As it drew closer, it was revealed to be a rider. The horse beneath him was entirely black, covered in frost, its glossy fur shimmering. Clearly, this was not only a rare steed of a thousand miles but also of excellent bloodline, and its master must have cherished it greatly.
The rider was wrapped in a black cloak, his chest bulging. At this moment, he unhesitatingly cracked the whip: “Giddyap!”
Crack!
The whip came down harshly on the horse’s rump, leaving streaks of blood.
Whoosh!
Two large clouds of breath came from the horse’s nostrils. At this point, the steed seemed to understand its master’s determination, pushing itself to the limit, turning into a gust of wind. From every pore, it began to sweat blood-red sweat.
A sweat-blood horse!
Even in the largest stable in Northern Wind Prefecture, this horse would be a priceless treasure, fetching an astronomical price!
But at this moment, its master showed no mercy to the steed’s strength.
“Waaah…”
Suddenly, a baby’s cry rang out, like lightning, causing the rider to hesitate.
Bang!
Although his mount was extraordinary, it had now reached its limit. Suddenly, it stepped into a hidden hole, cried out in pain, and fell to the ground.
Whoosh!
As the mount fell, the rider swiftly leapt aside, as nimble as a clever rat, skillfully rolling in the snow, then rising to his feet, shaking off the snowflakes without sustaining any injury, displaying exceptional lightness kung fu.
“Waaah! Waaah!”
At this moment, the crying from his arms grew louder.
The rider was stunned, then opened the bundle on his chest. Inside was a small swaddling cloth made of the finest silk, containing a baby with thick eyebrows and big eyes, crying loudly. Despite the previous violent movements, the infant had not been harmed at all, clearly protected with great care.
“Black Wind…”
Looking at the wailing infant, the rider gritted his teeth and looked at his beloved steed.
The steed, though unable to rise, gazed at its master with large eyes filled with infinite affection.
The rider’s eyes seemed to well up with tears. Suddenly, he raised his right hand, his five fingers extending, nails protruding, and stabbed down swiftly!
“Neigh!”
Black Wind neighed in pain, and five blood holes appeared on its neck, blood flowing steadily.
“Come!”
He brought the swaddling cloth forward, using a silk handkerchief to soak up the blood and feed it to the hungry infant.
Although the horse blood was pungent, it was hot and warming, dispelling the cold. The infant seemed extraordinary, showing only slight discomfort before eagerly gulping it down and falling asleep again.
“Black Wind…”
At this moment, the rider murmured: “There’s no one for dozens of miles. To protect the Young Master, I can only apologize to you…”
He said a few words, then approached and drank some of the horse’s blood himself.
After a few gulps, he felt warmth in his stomach and a surge of energy. He stood up and surveyed the surroundings.
The snow-covered wilderness stretched endlessly. The noble steed, having stumbled and sustained injuries, had lost a lot of blood and was now nearing its end.
Li Fengyu adjusted his pack, gritted his teeth, cut off a horse leg, and, using his lightness kung fu, disappeared into the woods beside the road.
…
“Chirp! Chirp!”
Who knew how much time had passed; the snow blanketed the horse’s corpse.
Several gray-feathered vultures landed, digging through the snow to devour the horse’s body, while others circled overhead, signaling.
Clippity-clop!
Dozens of riders galloped over. The leader dismounted, and the vultures immediately cried out in excitement.
“Black Night Scale Horse?”
The leader of these riders was a middle-aged man with a hawk nose. With one slap, the snow peeled away, revealing the frozen corpse.
His eyes gleamed with sharpness as he crouched down to examine the body meticulously, a look of intense focus on his face, much like the vultures.
“Li Fengyu fell here, probably within the last one or two hours…”
After a moment, this man stood up: “He cut off a horse leg for provisions. He must have very little supplies left. His only option now is a few mountain paths. Dismount and pursue! No matter how far he runs, we must kill that little brat and eradicate the roots!”
“Understood!”
Dozens of riders immediately dismounted, unleashing their martial arts skills, running swiftly through the snow, clearly all top-tier martial artists!
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