"Can't give him a chance, I need to have Old Liang follow me at all times." Si Bai Rong was genuinely worried about the young man named Dong Bo Xue Ying, who had tried to undermine him during the mission. "I'll let this kid off for now, not bothering to settle the score, but once the mission is over, hah, just wait and see what I'll do to him."
A twenty-two-year-old Silver Moon Knight?
The difference between a Silver Moon Knight and a Titleholder is just one step... but that step is like a chasm.
From a regular knight to a Silver Moon Knight, with talent and resources, and powerful combat techniques, there is hope of breaking through. Si Bai Rong, for instance, reached the Silver Moon Knight level due to his talent and family cultivation, but then... he got stuck at the Silver Moon level!
To advance from a Silver Moon Knight to a Titleholder, one must have a high level of mental fortitude, reaching the 'Heaven and Earth as One' realm, and then utilizing the power of heaven and earth to break through to the Titleholder level.
Heaven and Earth as One?
Si Bai Rong had been a Silver Moon Knight for many years, as had Tang Xiong and Liang Yong, but they had no clue about 'Heaven and Earth as One.'
...
Mages are different.
Knights rely on their bodies, while mages value wisdom!
Mages need to study the universe, analyze nature, and research many laws to master some spells. Therefore, the stronger a mage is, the more intelligent they are. Generally, those who become Silver Moon-level Great Mages... are exceptionally wise, which is why 'Yu Jingqiu' is so impressive. At such a young age, she is already so remarkable, and if she continues to study and analyze the universe... in the next hundred years of her life, there is a high possibility she will reach the 'Heaven and Earth as One' realm.
Mages achieve 'Heaven and Earth as One' through research!
For knights to achieve 'Heaven and Earth as One,' it is much harder! Many knights are rough and have no idea how to reach 'Heaven and Earth as One.' Therefore, although Dong Bo Xue Ying is considered a twenty-two-year-old Silver Moon Knight, he is clearly not as valued as Yu Jingqiu. Most people think... Dong Bo Xue Ying relies on his physical talent, and his cultivation has been smooth, reaching the Silver Moon level in one go.
Although Dong Bo Xue Ying's spear technique has long reached the Master level, and he has been living and cultivating in the bamboo pavilion at the back of the mountain for more than six years, comprehending the natural world, his spear technique has become more natural and simple, yet he has not yet reached 'Heaven and Earth as One.'
However, his powerful body grants him the strength of a peak Titleholder! Once his strength and bloodline burst forth, his power doubles.
He is among the top in the Titleholder ranks.
"A lucky kid dares to challenge me? Truly, he doesn't know his place." Si Bai Rong gritted his teeth and walked back to the cabin.
"Jingqiu." Si Bai Rong walked to Yu Jingqiu's side.
"Is there something?" Yu Jingqiu, who had been sitting with her eyes closed in meditation, opened her eyes.
"Be careful when we attack the Lu family castle, especially that Dong Bo Xue Ying. This kid is too young and impulsive, I'm worried he might sabotage us." Si Bai Rong whispered, "You should stay with me and Old Liang; we will definitely protect you."
"Why would he sabotage us?" Yu Jingqiu was puzzled.
"Just be careful." Si Bai Rong didn't elaborate and walked away.
Yu Jingqiu frowned slightly, glanced at Si Bai Rong in the distance, and then looked at the black-clad young man Dong Bo Xue Ying sitting cross-legged on the other side, muttering to herself, "They both went to the deck earlier, did they have a conflict? That Dong Bo Xue Ying doesn't seem like a rash person, well, I hope this mission goes smoothly."
She was also a bit worried.
"Whoosh..."
Dong Bo Xue Ying sat cross-legged, his heartbeat gradually slowing, his breathing becoming slower, but his perception of the surrounding world became clearer. The auras of Yu Jingqiu, Tang Xiong, Si Bai Rong, Liang Yong, and the two pilots were all very clear, and he could even sense the strong wind outside.
His mind was like still water, calm like a mirror, reflecting the natural world.
...
The sky gradually darkened.
The silver-white flying boat continued to fly through the clouds.
"We're here." Dong Bo Xue Ying gradually returned to normal breathing, his blood flow also returning to normal. He looked outside, sensing that the flying boat was clearly slowing down.
"Everyone, you can prepare to disembark; we're about to reach the Lu family castle." The Longshan Tower personnel piloting the flying boat said.
"Are we there?"
"We're about to fight."
Everyone stood up, facing an impending battle, each with different emotions.
For Si Bai Rong, this was his first dangerous mission, so he specifically brought a Silver Moon Knight guard from his family. He was a bit nervous and uneasy, wanting to show his strength in front of Yu Jingqiu.
Tang Xiong, however, was very calm, a 160-year-old man who had experienced all kinds of storms.
Liang Yong was cautious, as he had to protect Si Bai Rong.
Yu Jingqiu was on her first mission, though a bit nervous, her mage's temperament kept her calm.
Dong Bo Xue Ying, as a Titleholder-level fighter, had no fear, only curiosity about the Lu family castle.
"Everyone."
Yu Jingqiu and the other four walked to the deck, looking down at the magnificent castle below. The flying boat was only about 300 meters above, but due to the mist generated by the array on the boat's surface, the people below couldn't see it.
"In a moment, I will cast a spell to cover all of you, and we will jump down, stealthily infiltrating the Lu family castle." Yu Jingqiu said, "If we can infiltrate stealthily and directly kill Lu Huiru, that would be best."
"Alright, follow Jingqiu's lead." Si Bai Rong said first.
"Having a Silver Moon-level Great Mage with us is our luck." Tang Xiong also chuckled.
"Clang." Dong Bo Xue Ying pulled out the two spear segments from his weapon box and connected them to form the Feixue Divine Spear.
Si Bai Rong, seeing this, sneered and drew a two-handed greatsword.
Everyone was ready, ready to fight at any moment.
"Whoosh~" Yu Jingqiu, dressed in a green robe and holding a staff, suddenly summoned a whirlwind that enveloped everyone.
"We're going down." Yu Jingqiu said.
"Let's go."
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
The five of them leaped off the flying boat. Actually, any of them could survive a 300-meter fall, but the whirlwind was mainly to adjust their landing points and provide cover.
Dong Bo Xue Ying looked down, and as they descended, the whirlwind guided them toward the inner castle's roof. The entire inner castle looked like an octagonal monster lying there, and the wind below was howling, sweeping leaves and debris, making it difficult for the castle's soldiers to open their eyes.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh.
The five of them, aided by the whirlwind, landed silently on the roof.
"Let's go in." Si Bai Rong, holding his greatsword, was full of fighting spirit.
"Buzz—"
The entire large inner castle roof was lit up with a bright red light, and under the light, the five of them were exposed.
"There are assassins!" A cold voice from inside the inner castle echoed throughout, "They're on the roof, kill them!"
"Assassins."
"There, kill them."
The soldiers patrolling the outer castle walls and the guards in various parts of the inner castle immediately noticed and aimed over 200 Star-Breaking Crossbows at them! The Lu family openly had a Streamer-level Great Mage skilled in alchemy and four Streamer-level Knights! With such strength, the castle's soldiers were well-equipped.
"We've been discovered." Tang Xiong said.
"Hmph, so what if we're discovered? We'll just kill them all." Si Bai Rong sneered.
"This time, we are targeting the Lu family. If you try to stop us, you're just asking for death." Yu Jingqiu, holding her staff, said. Her voice was clear and cold, echoing throughout the castle. As she spoke, countless ice and frost appeared within a few miles, and the air temperature dropped sharply.
The ground was covered with thick ice, and the muddy ground was completely frozen. The entire large Lu family castle turned into a giant ice castle, and all the soldiers were covered in frost, shivering.
"Cold, so cold." Some soldiers shivered and fell to the ground.
"Leave the Frost Field, and you can live. Otherwise, you will freeze to death." Yu Jingqiu said, showing mercy to these weak soldiers.
"Whoosh."
Dong Bo Xue Ying looked at the surrounding ice and frost, feeling the extreme cold, and was impressed. Yu Jingqiu, the mage, was indeed skilled in ice and frost. Her Frost Field covered the entire castle, and the extreme cold wasn't enough to instantly kill, showing her remarkable control.
Of course, if they stayed in the cold for too long, they would die.
"Quick, quick." Some stronger soldiers immediately pulled weaker ones to escape, and the servants inside the castle also fled. The two to three thousand soldiers, under the 'Frost Field,' had no resistance, each one fleeing, shivering in the cold, their fingers numb and unable to operate the Star-Breaking Crossbows.
"Let's go." Yu Jingqiu, holding her staff, and the other four, leaped off the roof.
Since they couldn't infiltrate stealthily, they would attack head-on.
...
"Hmph, a bunch of fools, completely useless." Seeing the soldiers fleeing, Lu Huiru coldly snorted and quickly ran down the corridor, heading toward the inner castle's secret area. "It seems I have to rely on myself and a few protectors. If you don't come in, that's fine, but if you dare to enter the inner castle I built, you will die."
Lu Huiru was confident.
His traps and arrays... even three or five Silver Moon Knights would die! Not to mention, a great divine envoy lived here, giving him even more confidence.