Chapter 41: Descent

“He must not be given any chance. Old Liang should follow me at all times,” Si Borong was genuinely worried that this young man, Dongbo Xueying, might sabotage him during the mission. “For now, I’ll spare this brat and not hold a grudge against him. Wait until the mission ends, hmpf, just see how I’ll deal with him.”

A Silver Moon Knight at twenty-two?

The Silver Moon Knight and the Named Rank were only a step apart, yet that step was like an insurmountable chasm.

From an ordinary knight to a Silver Moon Knight, one could rely on innate talent and powerful martial techniques with sufficient resources to break through. Si Borong, for instance, had the talent and was cultivated by his clan, advancing steadily to the Silver Moon Rank, only to be stuck there ever since.

From the Silver Moon Rank to the Named Rank, one’s mind needed to be highly refined, reaching the state of “Unity of Heaven and Man” to harness the power of the heavens and earth, thus breaking through to the Named Rank.

Unity of Heaven and Man?

Si Borong had been a Silver Moon Knight for many years, as had Tang Xiong and Liang Yong. Yet they were completely clueless about how to achieve “Unity of Heaven and Man.”

…

The situation was different for wizards.

Knights relied on their physical strength, but wizards valued wisdom more!

Wizards needed to study the natural world and uncover its laws to master spells. Therefore, the stronger the wizard, the more brilliant their intellect. Generally, a wizard who reached the Silver Moon Rank would possess extraordinary wisdom. That was why “Yu Jingqiu” was so impressive. So young and already so accomplished, continuing to study the natural world… within the next hundred years of her lifespan, she had a great chance of achieving the “Unity of Heaven and Man.”

Wizards achieved Unity of Heaven and Man through study!

Knights, however, found it much harder to achieve this state. Many knights were rough and unrefined, having no idea how to reach “Unity of Heaven and Man.” Therefore, although Dongbo Xueying was considered a Silver Moon Knight at twenty-two, he was clearly not as highly regarded as Yu Jingqiu. Most people believed that Dongbo Xueying had relied on his physical talent, advancing smoothly without any obstacles, and quickly reaching the Silver Moon Rank.

Although Dongbo Xueying’s mastery of the spear had long reached the Master’s level—divine and clear—he had lived and trained in the bamboo pavilion at the back mountains for over six years, contemplating the natural world. His spear techniques had become increasingly simple and natural, yet he still had not achieved Unity of Heaven and Man.

But his powerful body granted him strength rivaling the peak of the Named Rank! Once his bloodline power erupted, his strength would double.

He was among the top of the Named Rank.

“A lucky brat dares to challenge me? He truly doesn’t know his place,” Si Borong muttered bitterly and walked back to his cabin.

“Jingqiu,” Si Borong approached Yu Jingqiu.

“Is there something?” Yu Jingqiu, who had been sitting with her eyes closed, opened them.

“When we attack Lujia Castle, be careful, especially of that Dongbo Xueying. He’s too young and unsteady. I’m worried he might sabotage us secretly,” Si Borong whispered, “You should stay with me and Old Liang. We will definitely protect you.”

“Why would he sabotage? What reason does he have?” Yu Jingqiu asked, puzzled.

“Just be careful,” Si Borong said and walked away without further explanation.

Yu Jingqiu slightly furrowed her brows, glancing at Si Borong in the distance and then at Dongbo Xueying, the young man in black sitting cross-legged on the other side. She murmured to herself, “They both went to the outer deck earlier. Could there have been a conflict? Dongbo Xueying doesn’t seem like an impulsive person. Hmm, I hope this mission goes smoothly without any accidents.”

She felt a faint sense of concern.

“Whoosh…”

Dongbo Xueying sat cross-legged, his heartbeat gradually slowing, his breathing becoming more and more gentle. Yet his awareness of the surrounding world became increasingly clear. He could distinctly sense the presence of Yu Jingqiu, Tang Xiong, Si Borong, Liang Yong, and even the two men piloting the airship. He could even perceive the wind outside.

His heart was as calm as still water, a mirror reflecting the natural world.

…

The sky gradually darkened.

The silver-white airship continued flying through the clouds and mist.

“We’re here,” Dongbo Xueying slowly resumed normal breathing, his blood flow returning to normal. He looked outside and sensed the airship was clearly decelerating.

“Everyone, get ready to disembark. We’re almost at Lujia Castle,” said the crew member from Longshan Pavilion who was piloting the airship.

“Almost there?”

“Time for battle soon.”

Everyone stood up, each with different feelings as they faced the impending great battle.

Si Borong had never taken on such a dangerous mission before, so he specially brought along a Silver Moon Knight from his clan as a bodyguard. He felt uneasy and anxious, wanting to show off his strength in front of Yu Jingqiu.

Tang Xiong, however, remained calm. An old man over one hundred and sixty years old, he had experienced countless storms.

Liang Yong was cautious because he had to protect Si Borong.

Yu Jingqiu was taking on a mission for the first time. Although a bit nervous, her composure as a wizard allowed her to remain calm in the face of everything.

As for Dongbo Xueying, as a warrior of Named Rank strength, he felt no fear, only curiosity about Lujia Castle.

“Everyone.”

The five of them walked onto the deck, looking down and seeing the magnificent castle below. The airship was only about three hundred meters above the ground, but due to the mist generated by the ship’s enchantments, those below couldn’t see it.

“In a moment, I will cast a spell to cover all of you. We will jump down directly and infiltrate Lujia Castle secretly,” Yu Jingqiu said. “If we can infiltrate quietly and kill Luhuai Ru directly, that would be best.”

“Alright, we’ll follow Jingqiu’s lead,” Si Borong was the first to agree.

“It’s our good fortune to have a Silver Moon Rank Grand Wizard with us,” Tang Xiong also smiled.

“Clang!” Dongbo Xueying pulled out the two sections of his spear from the weapon case on his back and began connecting them into the Feixue Divine Spear.

Seeing this, Si Borong sneered and with a flip of his hand, produced a two-handed greatsword.

Everyone was ready for battle.

“Whoosh~~~” Yu Jingqiu, wearing a green robe, held a staff, and suddenly a whirlwind enveloped the group.

“We go now,” Yu Jingqiu said.

“Let’s go.”

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…

The five of them jumped off the airship together. In truth, any of them could easily survive a jump from over three hundred meters. The whirlwind was mainly to adjust their landing points and provide concealment.

Dongbo Xueying looked below. As they descended, the whirlwind carried them toward the rooftop of the inner castle of Lujia Castle. The inner castle resembled an octagonal monstrous creature lying there. At the same time, the wind below began to howl, sweeping up leaves and grass, making it hard for the castle guards to keep their eyes open.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

With the help of the whirlwind, the five landed silently on the rooftop.

“Let’s go, we’re going in,” Si Borong, holding his two-handed greatsword, was filled with fighting spirit.

“Buzz——”

The vast rooftop of the inner castle was enormous. Suddenly, it lit up with blinding crimson light. Under its illumination, the five figures of Dongbo Xueying and the others were exposed without anywhere to hide.

“Intruders!” A cold voice echoed from within the castle, reverberating throughout every corner. “They’re on the roof. Kill them!”

“Intruders!”

“There they are, kill them!”

The outer castle walls were filled with patrolling soldiers, and the inner castle guards were also immediately alerted. More than two hundred star-piercing crossbows were instantly aimed at them! Lujia’s public strength included a Star-ranked Grand Wizard skilled in alchemy, and four Star-ranked knights! With such strength, the castle soldiers were naturally well-equipped.

“We’ve been discovered,” Tang Xiong remarked.

“Hmph, so what if we are? At worst, we just kill them all,” Si Borong sneered.

“This mission is against Lujia. If you dare to stand in our way, it’s just suicide,” Yu Jingqiu said, holding her staff. Her voice was clear and cold, echoing throughout the castle. At the same time, her voice was accompanied by the sudden appearance of countless frost and icy mists within a radius of several miles. The air temperature plummeted rapidly.

Thick layers of frost formed on the ground, completely freezing muddy terrain. The massive Lujia Castle transformed into a colossal ice fortress. Frost covered every soldier, who shivered uncontrollably.

“Cold, so cold,” some soldiers trembled and collapsed to the ground.

“Retreat from the Frost Domain and you can survive. Otherwise, you’ll freeze to death,” Yu Jingqiu declared. She still held a sense of mercy for these weak soldiers.

“Whoosh.”

Dongbo Xueying gazed at the icy landscape around him, feeling the intense cold. He couldn’t help but marvel. No wonder Yu Jingqiu, the wizard, was most skilled in ice-based magic. With a wave of her hand, she unleashed an ice domain covering the entire castle. The freezing temperature wasn’t instantly lethal, but her control was truly impressive.

Of course, if they stayed frozen for too long, they would still die.

“Hurry, get out!” Some of the stronger soldiers immediately pulled the weaker ones to escape. The castle’s servants also fled outward. The two to three thousand soldiers inside the ‘Frost Domain’ were helpless, each one fleeing. In such freezing conditions, they trembled uncontrollably, their fingers numb and unfeeling, unable to operate their star-piercing crossbows.

“Let’s go,” Yu Jingqiu held her staff, while Dongbo Xueying and the other four leapt down from the rooftop.

Since stealthy infiltration was no longer possible, they would have to attack head-on.

…

“Hmph, a bunch of fools, completely useless,” seeing the soldiers fleeing outward from afar, Luhuai Ru snorted coldly. He quickly dashed down the corridor, rushing toward the secret depths of the inner castle. “Looks like I’ll have to rely on myself and my few guardians. If you dare to enter the inner castle I built, you’re asking for death.”

Luhuai Ru was confident.

His mechanical traps and enchantments could kill even three or five Silver Moon Knights! Moreover, there was a great divine messenger residing here, which gave him even more confidence.