Second Grandpa Zhang was fishing by the river.

After this Breath River Dragon King’s injuries healed, he often fished by the river, gazing towards the distant dam that was being constructed. He would watch as some strong peasant men drank on bamboo rafts.

A small boat approached his small boat with great speed. A grave and stern faced man gave him a bow of respect, saying a few things to him.

Then, Second Grandpa Zhang knew that the most meaningful moment of this life had already arrived.

As such, he raised a bowl of river water and drank it in one gulp. Afterwards, with the fastest speed, he followed this grave faced man out from Breath River, leaving East Port Town.

…

To Yunqin’s extreme north, behind Four Seasons Plains, in Heaven Ascension Mountain Range.

Tong Wei

[1]

made his way through a wide meadow, walking into the bamboo house Xu Shengmo

[2]

lived in alone.

Xu Shengmo was watering the plants.

“I never expected you to actually like flowers and plants.” Tong Wei said with a slightly cold voice, as if they were meeting for the first time.

Xu Shengmo gave Tong Wei a cold look. “Apart from not liking a few people, I like many other things.”

Tong Wei’s brows jumped slightly. “I only came to make a bet with you on a matter.”

“I know you came to make a bet over Lin Xi’s matter.” Xu Shengmo lowered the watering can, facing Tong Wei and saying with a bit of mockery, “You want to bet with me that Lin Xi will win, and then prove that many of my viewpoints and opinions are wrong, make me change my mind on some things. However, I reckon that you’ve gotten the most basic thing wrong.”

Tong Wei expressionlessly asked, “What most basic thing did I get wrong?”

“The only reason I dislike Lin Xi is because Lin Xi is the student your faction favors. The more outstanding he is, the more displeased I naturally will become. Even if he is strong to the point where even I will be easily beaten down by him, I will still persevere with my viewpoint. Perhaps through my faction’s methods and teaching ways, he would have become even stronger, and it would not be like now, where he has to face an enemy when his cultivation is so far below his opponent’s.” Xu Shengmo said with a cold snort. “As for you, the reason why I’ve always disliked you is only because back then, when we were experiencing training, you told the matter of me getting hit in the bottom by an enemy arrow to everyone, even speaking in such a lively and realistic manner, making it so that all of our fellow students knew.”

Tong Wei was stunned.

This was a reply that was completely outside of his expectations.

“Over this type of small thing, you…” He couldn’t help but become a bit speechless, just like how he often became speechless from Lin Xi’s questions.

“How long have I been laughed at by others, how long have others stared at my bottom for? For you, it is a small matter, but this is enough for me to dislike you.” Xu Shengmo gave Tong Wei an ice-cold look, saying, “However, regardless of how much I dislike you, regardless of what disputes I have with your faction’s way of teaching, you need to understand that the most basic thing is that I never hated this academy.”

Tong Wei looked at him and then nodded. He didn’t say anything else, turning around to walk out. When he walked up to the doorstep, he instead stopped. “Sorry, I apologize for what I did to you back then.”

“Idiot.” Xu Shengmo expressionlessly muttered this, and then didn’t pay Tong Wei any more attention.

…

On an uninhabited small island in Meteor Lake, there was a military pot propped up on an open fire, a pot of fish soup being simmered. On the side of the flame, several water birds were being roasted.

Xu Qiubai was sitting precisely in front of the flame.

There was already quite the number of fish bones and bird bones piled up next to the flame. Right now, he was carefully smearing a layer of yellow grease over his arrows one after another.

This type of grease came from Tangcang. It was carried by some caravans that passed through Tangcang and Yunqin, making their way through Jadefall City. When metal arrows were covered with this type of grease, their surface would become even more slippery. When flying through the air, it could reduce the air friction, thus increasing the arrow’s speed and power.

Xu Qiubai’s maturation path was almost the same as most troops under Wenren Cangyue, all of them slowly climbing up from the lowest level soldiers.

The greatest difference between this type of cultivator and cultivators who came from academies was that they were better at fighting, moreover better at surviving.

This is because at the lowest level, when their strength was extremely weak, if they wanted to survive under the cruelest battlefields, they had to grasp more methods and techniques, had to be more careful.

He previously already examined several corpses of officers assassinated by Lin Xi, judging from those arrow wounds, he already deduced that Lin Xi was a cultivator at most near mid stage State Knight level. Compared to his cultivation that was at the peak of State Master level, the distance was too far. However, he still didn’t show the slightest bit of carelessness, still preparing his bow and arrows, adjusting them to their best possible condition.

All of Yunqin’s eyes were concentrated towards Meteor City.

Time passed by one day after another.

More and more Yunqin commoners knew that Lin Xi already arrived at Meteor City, this battle was inevitable. Meanwhile, as the day of this battle crept closer and closer, most of Yunqin’s people also became more and more nervous.

However, regardless of how the people felt, the day of the decisive battle still unavoidably arrived.

“Just what kind of bow did the academy have you bring Lin Xi?”

On Meteor City’s city gate tower, under the first glimmers of dawn, Mu Shanzi dressed in a set of black clothes couldn’t help but ask while looking at Gao Yanan at his side.

Behind Mu Shanzi, to the left, stood five giant black drums, the black drum surfaces having bulging dragon patterns.

When Gao Yanan heard Mu Shanzi’s question, she instead couldn’t help but say in mockery, “Mu Shanzi, didn’t you say you came to watch Lin Xi die? A few days ago, you were putting on the appearance of being completely indifferent, why is it that today, you suddenly can’t hold yourself back anymore, asking me about the bow?”

Mu Shanzi curled his lips, “I was just asking  randomly, if you don’t want to answer then just don’t answer. Won’t I be able to see it soon anyway?”

Gao Yanan only felt like out of all of her fellow students, this Mu Shanzi was the one who deserved a beating the most, but also the most amusing person. As such, she didn’t say anything either, only laughing.

Mu Shanzi instead wasn’t concerned in the slightest as he casually said, “Bow and arrows that save soul force, but still possess tremendous soul force don’t exist in this world, right? Even if we take ten thousand steps back, even if these types of bows do exist, with Lin Xi’s cultivation, there is no chance the power of his arrow will exceed one fired with Xu Qiubai’s cultivation. After all, the weapon Xu Qiubai uses isn’t some random chunk of steel, his arrows are something not even Sacred Experts dare take head-on.”

“What you said is correct.” Gao Yanan nodded.

Mu Shanzi frowned. He thought for a bit and said, “Don’t tell me the academy brought Lin Xi some type of formidable impenetrable armor?”

Gao Yanan looked at Mu Shanzi who was still bitterly thinking over the reason behind Lin Xi’s confidence, moreover, he had already been at a loss for a few days , “Why aren’t you wearing any armor today?”

Mu Shanzi stared blankly. “Striking the drum while wearing armor will consume even more stamina, moreover…”

“The reasoning is the same.” Gao Yanan gave Mu Shanzi who somewhat understood, thus his voice freezing slightly a look, saying, “When wearing heavy armor, how can one complete a quick arrow release? Moreover, even if there was no hindrance at all, one’s two arms need to be exposed, and only then can the bowstring be accurately controlled. For Xu Qiubai, this type of opponent, having countless weaknesses to hit and having only two or three weaknesses is completely the same, no difference at all.”

Mu Shanzi immediately exhaled, somewhat speechless. “Indeed… even if we take another ten thousand steps back, even if there really is a set of armor no arrows can penetrate, moreover not hindering Lin Xi’s mobility in the slightest, just the impact of the opponent’s arrows alone can blast Lin Xi until he is seriously injured. It is because the other party naturally isn’t only shooting a single arrow.”

Gao Yanan only gave him a look, not saying anything.

“Both sides are archery masters, what they did before is also only using assassination to deal with the other side’s high ranking officers. That is why the duel will definitely begin several hundred meters away.” Mu Shanzi couldn’t help but scratch his head, extremely gloomy as he said, “Bow and arrow doesn’t seem enough, neither does armor, then what other methods could Lin Xi possibly have to kill the other party?”

Gao Yanan shook her head. “I don’t know either.”

Mu Shanzi immediately widened his eyes. “If even you don’t know, then who in this world knows?”

Gao Yanan gave him a look, “Only he alone knows.”

Mu Shanzi immediately became completely speechless.

Only after a bit of time did he look at Gao Yanan and say, “It seems like I really might have come here to see him die… No, I came to see him die to begin with, why would I say seems like he really might… forget it. Instead of asking so many unknown questions, I might as well ask some questions you definitely know the answer to. Gao Yanan, what are you dressed in such a dignified and solemn manner for?”

Gao Yanan was dressed in a purple court lady attire with gold embroidery, extremely dignified and gorgeous, extremely different from her normal simple and ordinary clothes.

Even though she clearly knew that Mu Shanzi’s question was just a question that merely whittled at a question that he was more impatient to ask, Gao Yanan still seriously and slightly coldly replied to his question. “In our Yunqin, offerings, marriage, returning great hatred… these are extremely dignified and solemn things to begin with.”

What Gao Yanan spoke about naturally pointed at revenge. Mu Shanzi naturally understood this as well, but he still smacked his forehead, speaking as if he suddenly saw the light, “Oh, I got it now, you are doing this for marriage, fearing that Lin Xi is going to die, so you are going to marry him first…”

“Mu Shanzi, are you really going to be senseless to this degree?” Mu Shanzi’s words were cut off by a somewhat speechless Gao Yanan.

“I can’t help it.” Mu Shanzi’s face suddenly became a bit worried, he mumbled some curses under his breath, and then said quietly, “I am now starting to get a bit nervous.”

In the first rays of the morning sun, a layer of sweat appeared on Mu Shanzi’s forehead.

Gao Yanan’s palms were also covered in fine sweat.

All of the soldiers in Meteor City waited in silence and nervousness. Many people’s backs also became drenched in sweat from indescribable nervousness.

Then, they discovered that the Great General Gu Yunjing who had always remained in Meteor City seemed to have disappeared from the city today.

The sunlight gradually became more and more brilliant, scattering all of the mist around Meteor Lake.

A floating piece of bamboo appeared on the distant beautiful lake surface.

Standing on the floating bamboo was a tall and domineering figure.

Xu Qiubai arrived right on schedule, heading towards Meteor City.

There were originally many white-colored water birds on the lake surface, but when this floating bamboo appeared, these white water birds all began to fly away in alarm, only daring to land again after flying extremely far away.

It was because even though Xu Qiubai only stood on the bamboo without moving, only moving the bamboo with soul force, there was an extremely terrifying mountain of corpses sea of blood aura released from his body.

This was an aura only someone who had experienced countless battles would be able to naturally exude.

During all assassinations before, Xu Qiubai would always hide all of his own aura. However, right now, it wasn’t an assassination, but rather a radiant decisive battle. That was why there was no need for him to hide anything.

He was the high ranking military officer who experienced the most battles in all of Jadefall City to begin with.

That was why right now, the aura he released made it feel as if he carried a sea of blood with him, as if he was leading an army filled with a bloody aura.

It was as if a powerful general had arrived!

1. Tong Wei is the Green Luan Academy Windstalker Sacred Expert who taught Lin Xi and Bian Linghan

2. Xu Shengmo is the Martial Skills teacher who specially taught Lin Xi for his Braveslayer training. Has conflict with Tong Wei, also dislikes Lin Xi

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