High above, Bai Yuanzhi, the mage riding atop the Black Moon Centipede, along with Qing Shi and the others, were all stunned when they saw Xiang Pangyun, standing atop the Black Wind Cliff, suddenly transform into a massive four-legged beast clad in black armor.
“It’s a beast—an anomaly among magical beasts! A sixth-tier anomalous magical beast!” Si Chen gasped in shock. “Xiang Pangyun is actually a transformed magical beast!”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
In the area below, the four-legged armored beast, with only three swift lunges, had already placed Dongbo Xueying in a desperate situation.
“No, no… no!” Qing Shi cried out, tears streaming down his face. “No!”
That was his most beloved family member.
“Xueying!” Zong Ling and Tong San shouted in panic.
“Run! Run now, or we’ll all die once the Lord perishes!” the mage Bai Yuanzhi cried out in terror. As he saw the pair of wings on the back of the four-legged armored beast, fear gripped his heart. The Black Moon Centipede could only fly at half the speed of sound, and even a fourth-tier flying magical beast specialized in speed could match it, or even surpass it.
A fifth-tier flying magical beast would easily outpace this alchemical creature.
As for a sixth-tier beast like Xiang Pangyun—his true form being an anomalous magical beast—his speed would likely be even more terrifying. They had to flee immediately, or every single one of them would perish before this terrifying creature.
Bai Yuanzhi knew clearly that once Xiang Pangyun revealed his true form as a magical beast, Dongbo Xueying had no chance of resistance. They had far too little time to escape and had to seize every second.
“Whoosh!” The Black Moon Centipede immediately turned and sped away into the distance.
“Brother! Brother!” Tears streaming down his face, Qing Shi kept his eyes locked on the distant Black Wind Cliff below, praying desperately for a miracle, praying that his brother would survive.
…
The spear pierced into the mountainside over a meter deep, halting Dongbo Xueying’s backward flight. But before he could recover, the four-legged armored beast lunged at him again.
“Haa!” With a roar, Dongbo Xueying threw himself sideways, yanking his Feixue Divine Spear from the rock as he desperately evaded the beast’s attack.
Yet the beast’s crimson eyes were filled with killing intent.
Boom!
Its massive scaled wings flared open, creating an enormous sweeping range.
Its massive body surged past Dongbo Xueying. He dodged its body attack, but the next moment, the giant wing came crashing toward him. The surface of the wing shimmered with flowing crimson energy. Before Dongbo Xueying could even raise his spear, “Peng!”—the wing struck him directly, sending him flying backward with a surge of overwhelming force.
“I…”
With that single strike, Dongbo Xueying was flung beyond the edge of the Black Wind Cliff, continuing to be blown backward by the raging winds. The massive whirlwind of black wind continued to drag him further away.
The gap was too great.
After Xiang Pangyun reverted to his true form as a magical beast, his power was utterly overwhelming. And with the fierce winds atop the Black Wind Cliff, combined with the beast’s massive size, dodging was nearly impossible.
“Hahahaha!”
With that wing strike, the four-legged armored beast itself surged out from the cliff, soaring into the air. However, with a single flap of its wings, it effortlessly stabilized itself midair. Although the closer it got to the vortex, the stronger the winds became, the power of the beast’s wings was immense. As a flying magical beast, it was naturally adept at harnessing the wind.
With a single flap, its power was incredible. Even in the center of the black wind vortex, it could resist being swept away. Let alone being merely at the edge.
The four-legged armored beast and Dongbo Xueying locked eyes.
Dongbo Xueying was being carried backward by the wind.
The beast did not pursue further. To chase him would mean venturing deeper into the vortex, increasing the danger. It had no desire to risk itself further. Moreover, the “Black Wind Abyss” alone was sufficient to kill Dongbo Xueying.
“Haha! Dongbo Xueying, you’re going to die! And I’ll make sure your little brother and all his companions join you in death. You won’t die alone!” With a flap of its wings, the four-legged armored beast prepared to soar skyward and pursue the Black Moon Centipede, determined to slaughter every human aboard.
“Little brother…”
Time seemed to slow.
Dongbo Xueying’s gaze turned to the distant Black Moon Centipede fleeing high in the sky. His sharp vision could clearly see Zong Shu and Tong Shu, who were filled with anxiety and grief, desperately holding onto Qing Shi, who was already breaking down and trying to leap off the centipede.
“Brother! Brother!” Qing Shi, on the back of the Black Moon Centipede, was utterly devastated, stretching his hand out helplessly toward Dongbo Xueying, who was being carried toward the vortex’s center.
That was his older brother!
“Little brother…”
“Little brother, my little stone…”
For some reason, tears suddenly streamed from Dongbo Xueying’s eyes.
Back when their parents were alive, that little stone would cling to his leg, babbling, “Carry me, Brother!”
“Brother, bad guy!” the little stone would cry after being teased.
“I want to sleep with Brother!” That chubby little kid had shared a bed with him for years, soaking his clothes with drool countless times.
“Brother, have half of this!” The greedy little kid, who never wanted to share his food, was willing to give it to his brother.
The little kid had grown up and started learning magic.
“Brother, I’m a mage now! I’m a mage!” the boy had cheered.
“Good job, Qing Shi!” Dongbo Xueying had laughed back then.
…
Scene after scene from their life flashed through his mind.
No matter how mischievous or stubborn he was, Qing Shi was the most important person in Dongbo Xueying’s life—the one he was willing to give his life to protect.
An overwhelming willpower surged through his soul.
No one!
No one could kill his little brother!
Absolutely not!
Even if I die, I will crawl back from hell!
“AAAAAAAHHHHHH!” Dongbo Xueying suddenly let out a furious roar, a roar from the very depths of his soul. At the same time, a short javelin appeared in his right hand. Already being carried away by the vortex, he could no longer approach the four-legged armored beast. The only option left was to throw the javelin, though it seemed like a joke.
But at this moment, Dongbo Xueying knew he had to seize every chance.
A fire of rage burned in his chest, an endless fury and anxiety surging through every part of his body, as if his entire being was ablaze.
“Boom!!”
Suddenly, brilliant flames erupted from Dongbo Xueying’s body. Flames surrounded him midair, and the short javelin in his hand was also engulfed in fire. Amidst the swirling black winds of the abyss, the red flames shone brightly, dazzlingly.
At this moment, he seemed like a god of fire.
Boom!
His body arched backward midair, then suddenly surged forward. The short javelin in his hand transformed into a streak of flame, like a falling meteor.
“Hm?” The four-legged armored beast, upon hearing Dongbo Xueying’s roar, instinctively turned its head. Then it saw Dongbo Xueying’s entire body ablaze and the javelin streaking toward it like a meteor.
“What is this!” The beast was instantly shocked, frantically trying to raise its limbs to block.
Puh!
Its hooves barely managed to deflect the javelin slightly, but the meteor-like streak still pierced into the beast’s chest. The entire javelin sank into its body, even protruding slightly from the back of its neck.
“Die for me!!!” Dongbo Xueying conjured a second javelin, then a third.
Boom! Boom!
The second javelin pierced through the beast’s lower abdomen, leaving a massive hole. The third javelin struck the beast’s skull, piercing straight through.
“Al… All things…” The four-legged armored beast stared in disbelief at the fiery figure before it. At this moment, it was certain—this terrifying human genius must have achieved perfect unity of power long ago.
The “All Things Realm.”
When martial techniques reach their peak, one begins to grasp the mysteries of the universe.
In terms of cultivation stages:
A Spearplay Master represents the peak of mortal martial prowess.
The All Things Realm, however, marks the beginning of a supernatural being’s understanding of the natural world. It is merely the first step in comprehending the mysteries of nature. Usually, only supernatural beings could achieve this realm. Among the titled warriors, even those over a hundred years old in the Longshan Empire, only about fifty had reached this stage.
A Spearplay Master signifies the perfection of one’s physical power. Then, through divine insight, one begins to sense and learn from the natural world.
Dongbo Xueying had already achieved perfect unity of power at the age of fifteen. Later, he built a bamboo pavilion in the mountains behind his home and began to contemplate the mysteries of nature. His spear techniques gradually became more restrained, almost carrying a natural aura. In truth, this was the process of learning the mysteries of nature.
“Tianren Heyi” (Unity of Heaven and Man) merely allows cultivators to observe the natural world more clearly.
Even before reaching that stage, one could still sense the natural world, though through a veil, as if viewing it through a thin curtain. Over six years, his spear techniques had indeed evolved closer to nature.
Especially with the Mana (battle qi) method “Three Stages of Flame,” each time he absorbed flame energy into his body, he could clearly sense the mysteries of fire.
Six years of accumulation.
At this final moment, with his life force and willpower fully unleashed, with infinite rage and longing, he finally broke through the “Spearplay Master” stage and reached the “All Things Realm.” The mysteries of the universe—Dongbo Xueying had grasped a tiny fragment of the essence of “fire.” But this was the power of the universe itself, a power that only those ranked in the top fifty of the Longshan Rankings could wield—a power capable of slaying pseudo-super beings!
“Hu~~~” Dongbo Xueying stood amidst the flames, the fiery energy around him struggling against the vortex’s howling winds.
But—
The flame energy was only strong enough to lift ten thousand jin. As he hurled the javelins, his body was continuously pushed backward. Now, he was nearly at the vortex’s center, where the winds’ force had reached hundreds of thousands of jin. He could no longer resist. This true genius, destined to rank among the top fifty of the Longshan Rankings at only twenty-two, was fated to shine brilliantly for a fleeting moment before perishing.
“Qing Shi.” Dongbo Xueying gazed at the Black Moon Centipede fleeing high in the sky, a look of peace spreading across his face.
Enough. Enough.
As long as his little brother survived, it was enough.
Whoosh.
The winds howled, carrying Dongbo Xueying downward as he continued to fall. Yet he still lifted his head, smiling as he gazed at the Black Moon Centipede high above—the people aboard it were the ones he was willing to give his life to protect.
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