"Lord Si An, let's talk as we walk," Zong Ling said, though he was feeling distressed, he still maintained basic etiquette.
"Xiang Pangyun came to kill Dongbo Xueying?" Lord Si An walked alongside Zong Ling, unable to help but ask, as this matter was too significant.
Zong Ling nodded, "A group of assassins, due to a Blood Blade Tavern mission, came to kill Qing Shi! These assassins were all killed by Xueying, and at that moment, Xiang Pangyun appeared and engaged in combat with Xueying. They fought all the way from our Snowstone Mountain to Blackwind Cliff!"
"Blackwind Cliff?" Lord Si An was greatly alarmed.
As the head of the Dragon Mountain Tower in a small county, he naturally knew about the terrifying places within his jurisdiction.
"Did they chase and fight for over a hundred miles?" Lord Si An was somewhat stunned. He couldn't believe it; to fight like this, the gap between the two must not have been too significant. "Dongbo Xueying's strength must be at least in the top thousand of the Dragon Mountain List, otherwise, how could he have struggled for so long?"
He still couldn't believe it.
How old was Dongbo Xueying? This was too extraordinary.
"What was the result?" Lord Si An asked.
Zong Ling looked at the night sky, paused for a moment, and then said, "Xueying could have survived, but he didn't expect Xiang Pangyun to not be human, but a magical beast."
"A magical beast transforming into a human?" Lord Si An's expression changed, "The Witch God Temple?"
"What Witch God Temple?" Zong Ling asked.
"You don't need to know more about that," Lord Si An said. The true rulers of this world were ultimately the powerful Transcendents! Many secrets were not public, and as a grassroots leader of the Dragon Mountain Tower, he was only qualified to know some secrets. He was very clear that the Witch God Temple, which had been in conflict with human forces since ancient times, had deep roots.
The Witch God Temple had always sent some magical beasts to infiltrate humans.
Fortunately, the cost of transforming a magical beast into a human was very high, so everything was still within controllable limits.
"What happened next?" Lord Si An asked, "Xiang Pangyun revealed his true form and killed Dongbo Xueying?"
"No," Zong Ling continued, "Xueying was blasted out of Blackwind Cliff, about to be swept into the Blackwind Abyss! At that moment, Xueying threw a short spear in mid-air. His body suddenly burst into flames, and the short spear turned into a meteor of fire, instantly piercing the body of the four-legged beast that Xiang Pangyun had transformed into. Three consecutive short spears, each hitting vital points! The four-legged beast died on the spot."
"Fire? Short spear kill?" Lord Si An was stunned, "Transcendent of All Things?"
"Yes, Transcendent of All Things. Xueying indeed mastered some of the rules and mysteries of fire in the realm of All Things," Zong Ling sighed. He was also a stellar-level expert and had thoroughly studied the Dragon Mountain List, knowing what Transcendent of All Things represented.
"He, he is only twenty-two years old? Transcendent of All Things?" Lord Si An was dumbfounded. Good heavens.
This kind of extraordinary genius, the entire Dragon Mountain Empire might only produce one every hundred years, almost certain to transcend into a Transcendent.
"Is this for real?" Lord Si An asked, because he knew that once this news was reported, it would certainly shock the Transcendents! Because the birth of each Transcendent was very difficult, and the number of Transcendents in the entire empire was limited.
"How could it be fake? If Xueying hadn't killed that four-legged beast, do you think we could still be calmly staying in Snowstone Castle?" Zong Ling said, "If you don't believe me, you can ask Mage Bai Yuanzhi and Mage Si Chen."
"I will definitely ask again," Lord Si An nodded. He also believed that these people wouldn't dare to lie, as Transcendents would likely come personally soon, and in front of Transcendents, mortals would be very 'honest' and tell everything.
"What about Dongbo Xueying?" Lord Si An pursued.
Zong Ling's eyes showed a hint of sorrow, but his voice was calm, "He couldn't resist the power of the Blackwind Vortex and was swept into the Blackwind Abyss!"
Lord Si An fell silent.
He had known Dongbo Xueying since he was fifteen. He clearly remembered the black-clothed youth, who had a sharp edge in his bones even then. At that time, he felt that Dongbo Xueying would be extraordinary in the future. Just over six years later, the black-clothed youth had grown taller, his aura was restrained but like a mountain, unshakable. When he received the intelligence from above, he already suspected that Dongbo Xueying was at the Title Level.
But the reality?
He was even more dazzling, fighting Xiang Pangyun to a standstill, and in the end, using short spears to kill the revealed Xiang Pangyun in a life-and-death struggle!
At twenty-two, he had entered the top fifty of the Dragon Mountain List!
So dazzling! So brilliant!
Almost destined to become a Transcendent, but...
He fell!
"Pity, what a pity," Lord Si An shook his head lightly. He also felt very regretful. As a core member of the Dragon Mountain Tower, he understood the significance of becoming a Transcendent. That was a truly different level of life. Even the most powerful Title Level was still a mortal, with a gap like a chasm between them and Transcendents.
Of course, pseudo-Transcendents didn't count!
With Dongbo Xueying's talent, as long as he lived, he was almost certain to become a true Transcendent!
"I won't disturb you then," Lord Si An said, "I still need to ask Bai Yuanzhi and the others. Our Yishui City will probably be bustling for a while."
"I'll see you off, Lord," Zong Ling escorted Lord Si An out of the castle gate.
He watched as Lord Si An quickly headed toward the Mage Tower with his people.
Zong Ling saw a figure standing not far away, a petite girl named Ji Rong. Ji Rong stood there, looking pitiful.
"Why haven't you left yet?" Zong Ling's face was grim, and he scolded her coldly.
"I want to see Qing Shi!" Ji Rong said.
Zong Ling snorted and turned to leave.
Dongbo Xueying's last request before falling into the Blackwind Abyss was to have his brother leave Ji Rong! Zong Ling naturally stood firmly on Dongbo Xueying's side and disliked Ji Rong.
...
In the castle, in the study.
Qing Shi sat in the position his brother used to sit in, gently touching the desk, recalling scenes from his childhood with his brother. His brother's care for him surpassed everything. When he was young and apprenticed, his brother risked danger to go to the Destruction Mountains.
He couldn't forget his brother's words.
"Unless I, Dongbo Xueying, die, no one will hurt my brother! Not even you, Xiang Pangyun!" The words Dongbo Xueying said while holding a long spear in front of Xiang Pangyun still echoed in his ears.
"Qing Shi! Live well, don't let me down!"
Dongbo Xueying still looked at him as he began to fall into the Blackwind Vortex.
Plop! Plop!
Tears fell onto the desk, shattering.
When you lose something, you regret it too late.
"Brother, I believe you will come back, you will, I will wait for you, always." Qing Shi whispered softly, "Rest assured, I won't let you down. I am Dongbo Xueying's brother, and my brother is the greatest genius in the world. I won't disgrace you!"
Knock! Knock! Knock!
The knocking sound rang out.
"Qing Shi," Zong Ling's voice came from outside, "Ji Rong is still at the castle gate, insisting on seeing you."
Qing Shi got up and opened the study door.
Zong Ling was outside.
"Let's go," Qing Shi was very calm.
Zong Ling nodded. He had watched Qing Shi grow up and knew that although Qing Shi was a bit naive, he was a good child. He trusted Qing Shi, so he came to tell him to make a decision.
...
On the castle wall.
Qing Shi stood on the wall, looking down. Below, Ji Rong stood alone.
"Qing Shi," Ji Rong looked up, her eyes filled with reluctance and pain.
"Is what my brother told me true?" Qing Shi's voice was cold.
Ji Rong quickly said, "No, it's not true!"
"I'll ask again, is it true or not!" Qing Shi looked down, his eyes like sharp blades, staring intently at Ji Rong's eyes.
Ji Rong, under such a gaze, hesitated for a moment and said, "Qing Shi, you don't believe me either?"
"Do you think I would still believe you!"
"Haha... I actually made my brother sad because of you, haha, how foolish, how ridiculous! Hahaha..." Qing Shi laughed wildly...
Zong Ling watched silently from the side, knowing that Qing Shi needed to vent at this moment.
"Get out!"
Qing Shi said coldly, "My brother said you must leave Snowstone Mountain by tomorrow morning and are forbidden to step foot here again!"
"Qing Shi, are you really going to..." Ji Rong's eyes were filled with tears.
"Follow my order," Qing Shi commanded, "If Miss Ji Rong is still in Snowstone Mountain by noon tomorrow, forcibly throw her down the mountain."
"Yes," all the patrolling soldiers and guards below responded.
Qing Shi then turned and left.
"Qing Shi, Qing Shi..." Ji Rong called out, but could only watch as Qing Shi left the wall, out of her sight.
Ji Rong's face was grim, her heart filled with anger and resentment: "Dongbo Xueying, damn it, you're dying, yet you still ruin my plans."
...
That night.
Lord Si An quickly reported the news, which was delivered to the main Dragon Mountain Tower in Anyang Province by night! The head of the main tower didn't dare to delay and immediately reported it to the Transcendent!
At the same time, Mage Si Chen also sent the news back. The Si family dominated Qinghe County, and such important news had to be quickly reported to their patriarch, Si Lianghong.
******
An extraordinary night finally passed, and the next day, the sky brightened.
At the bottom of the Blackwind Abyss.
"Phew." Dongbo Xueying, who had been sitting in meditation all night, opened his eyes. His injuries were completely healed.
He got up and walked to the entrance of the cave.
Now that it was daytime, although the Blackwind Vortex blocked the sun, the entire valley was still bright. He could see some plants and flowers, and compared to the valley at night, it now looked like a beautiful fairyland. The mountain walls were mottled with moss, and the distant majestic cave palace emitted a faint green light.
During the day, the green light from the cave palace was a bit fainter, the light flowing, full of endless mysteries.
"Unfortunately, once you get close, you might be directly killed," Dongbo Xueying thought. "The storage rings left by the divine messenger and Xiang Pangyun contained a lot of food and water. Although I can now absorb the power of heaven and earth, and my need for food is minimal, it can probably only last me a year. If I can't find a way out in a year, I will starve to death!"
"Although it's dangerous, I must find a way to survive," Dongbo Xueying carefully observed the outside, pondering.