Fateful Encounter with the Spirit Beast

As Tianxiang set foot on the Phoenix Mountain Summit, he noticed a strong man standing proudly ahead. The man wore a silver dragon-shaped mask, revealing only his sharp and profound eyes. On his back were two large curved swords, seemingly casually positioned, yet strategically placed for a preemptive strike, especially crucial in a battle of evenly matched strength where gaining the initial advantage is key to victory.

To the left, within the woods, there was a faint presence of prolonged breathing and palpable killing intent. Despite this, Tianxiang couldn’t shake a sense of impending danger. Confronted with the Fourth-in-command of the Five Dragon Tower, Longting, and a group of well-trained assassins, Tianxiang knew this might be his toughest battle yet.

As he continued walking, he suddenly stopped not far from Longting. Both parties stood still, locking eyes with each other, aware that just as Tianxiang had stepped onto the mountain summit, he was momentarily distracted, falling prey to Longting’s murderous aura and sudden attack, causing a lapse in his mind and spirit. However, during the short journey, Tianxiang harnessed the spiritual qi of heaven and earth, dispersing Longting’s killing intent throughout the space. The distance where Tianxiang halted marked the critical boundary of Longting’s outwardly relaxed yet inwardly intense qi energy. One more step forward would trigger Longting’s terrifying, earth-shattering strike.

In their silent standoff, a few sacred silver lights suddenly flashed from the left forest, followed by a series of agonizing cries.

The dreadful screams startled birds resting among the trees, causing them to flap into the sky, forming a chaotic, colorful tapestry. Compared to the fierce battle in the woods, the two men in the clearing merely gazed at each other, neither yielding. This confrontation was a battle of mental and spiritual will, potentially even more perilous than the skirmish in the forest. A single misstep could cost them the initiative, resulting in immeasurable harm or even death. Longting, who first took the offensive, suddenly retracted his qi energy and said, “You are a rare and worthy opponent.”

Tianxiang also retracted his energy, replying indifferently, “Likewise.”

Just as Tianxiang paused, Longting launched his attack. His murderous intent, driving his qi energy, was like blades aiming to pierce through Tianxiang’s qi energy and straight into his core, trying to undermine Tianxiang’s momentum and take control of the situation.

Although Tianxiang’s qi energy was not as overwhelmingly forceful as Longting’s, it formed the most gentle and integrated defense, resembling a well-sealed yet incredibly slippery roly-poly toy. Whenever Longting’s qi energy swept towards him, Tianxiang’s qi energy would timely dodge its sharp edge and lightly deflect the off-center attacks, causing Longting’s qi energy to be redirected and ultimately fail to achieve any effective results.

After several attempts, Longting realized he was like a rat trying to pull a turtle, unable to find a way to proceed, so he withdrew his qi energy and prepared to use his internal strength and Moves and Techniques to take Tianxiang’s life.

Longting said, “Don’t you want to know who we are?”

Tianxiang responded, “No need. In your eyes, there are only dead people, right? Knowing who you are is redundant for the dead.”

Longting nodded approvingly, “Good, no wonder we lost many skilled hands and an elder, yet you remain unscathed. Tianxiang, you indeed possess extraordinary abilities.”

Ignoring Longting’s words, Tianxiang suddenly, as if sensing something, said, “Aren’t you going to call out your ambush? Still hiding in the shadows, engaging in petty thefts?”

Longting matter-of-factly replied, “An assassin’s duty is to kill, no matter the means or schemes. As long as the mission is accomplished, any sacrifice is insignificant. Today, at this location, even if you had wings, you couldn’t escape.”

Surprisingly, Tianxiang nodded in understanding. Glancing behind him, he said, “Those few behind me? They are your main ambush, right? The forest on the left is just a diversion, isn’t it?”

Having his arrangements exposed in a single remark by Tianxiang, Longting’s mind momentarily lost its calm, a flicker of surprise crossing his eyes.

Seizing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Tianxiang appeared before Longting in the blink of an eye, wielding the Death Scythe, which emitted a faint aura of death. Paired with Tianxiang’s icy demeanor, he resembled a soul reaper straight out of hell.

With moves that defied imagination and came from unexpected angles, Tianxiang overwhelmed Longting, who could only desperately defend himself with his double scimitars, their blades cascading like a waterfall, forming a dense barrier against Tianxiang’s relentless assault. Longting knew the bitterness of his predicament, having lost the initiative and being forced to defend. Furthermore, Tianxiang’s rapid tactical shifts prevented Longting from using his internal strength to overpower him. After exchanging numerous moves, Longting realized his internal strength was operating at barely seventy percent of its usual capacity, which secretly alarmed him.

Suddenly, three figures leapt out from behind Tianxiang, the right hand wielding a chain blade, the left clutching the steel chain linked to it. Simultaneously, the sharp and gleaming chain blade attacked Tianxiang’s exposed back in three directions: high, middle, and low.

Despite having the upper hand, Tianxiang completely ignored the flying chain blade behind him. Clenching the Death Scythe tightly with both hands, he swung it down with all his might, as if to split heaven and earth; his eyes conveyed a resolve to fight to the bitter end, shocking Longting. Despite being at a disadvantage, Tianxiang was ready to trade his life for Longting’s.

As his ambush sprung into action, Tianxiang’s qi energy had already locked onto Longting. If Longting chose to engage Tianxiang, allowing the chain blade from behind to claim Tianxiang’s life, he might also pay with his own. If Longting decided to retreat, Tianxiang could take advantage of the momentum to attack again, putting Longting in an even more perilous situation. He could even disregard Longting and turn to attack the ambushers, whose old strength had faded and new strength had not yet arisen.

These thoughts flashed through his mind in the blink of an eye. Left with no other choice, Longting gritted his teeth and crossed his double scimitars defensively, channeling his strength through the blades in preparation to counter Tianxiang’s devastating strike. He hoped this delay would give his ambushers a chance to strike successfully. However, due to Tianxiang’s constant pressure, Longting could only muster sixty percent of his usual power.

Tianxiang, aware of his own predicament, had not yet fully recovered from previous injuries. Thus, he risked an aggressive assault, feigning a quick resolution to draw out the hidden enemies threatening him from behind.

With a clang, the Death Scythe forcefully and seemingly irretrievably cleaved between the crossed scimitars. But upon contact, Longting immediately sensed danger. Before he could shout a warning, Tianxiang overpowered Longting’s dominating internal strength, rebounding the force back upon him and nimbly backflipped, dodging two flying chain blades aimed at his lower body. However, a chain blade from above sliced a long gash across Tianxiang’s back.

The ambusher wielding the upper chain blade, seeing Tianxiang spitting blood and secretly rejoicing at the prospect of delivering the final blow, was suddenly met with Tianxiang’s chilling smile. Grabbing the steel chain with his left hand and pulling himself along it, Tianxiang swiftly approached, his movements accelerating. With a light flick of the Death Scythe, a head the size of a fist was severed, its eyes filled with unwillingness and horror. Hot blood spurted from the neck like an erupting volcano, painting the sky crimson.

After landing, Tianxiang did not even glance at the chaos he had wrought. He stood quietly, observing Longting and the two others, internally inspecting his injuries. Many of his meridians were blocked or not flowing smoothly, with only about forty percent of his internal strength remaining.

Despite the searing pain from the wound on his back, Tianxiang did not even frown.

Longting felt deep regret upon seeing his loyal subordinate, whom he had personally trained, fall victim to Tianxiang’s scheme and lose his life due to a momentary oversight. He couldn’t help but shudder at Tianxiang’s cunning and strategic mind. From the beginning, it seemed that Tianxiang’s words were transmitted solely to him-perhaps using some form of voice transmission-causing Longting’s moment of shock. Meanwhile, the ambushers, unaware that their presence had been detected, remained in the dark. Tianxiang’s actual target was the ambushers all along, yet he was able to maintain a calm and fierce assault, creating the illusion of a desperate, unyielding battle. This deception led the ambushers to believe they had an opportunity to attack, ultimately resulting in the death of one. Although Tianxiang was injured both internally and externally, his resilient will to survive should not be underestimated. His flexible, unconventional tactics explained how he repeatedly turned peril into safety. If not eliminated now, he could become a significant threat to the Five Dragon Tower, potentially leading to its downfall.

Death is the final chapter for an assassin. In their world, it’s either kill or be killed; there is no third option, even for one’s most loyal subordinates. Retrieving his double scimitars, Longting signaled the remaining two to withdraw from the circle of combat. He then steadied his mind and spirit, calming the mental fluctuations from before, and slowly began to increase his power. As his strength grew, Longting’s eyes gradually turned into an eerie shade of purple, emitting a formidable and captivating glow.

Though Tianxiang’s previous aggressive assault had kept Longting in check, it came at a significant cost. Now unable to take the initiative, Tianxiang found himself on the defensive, especially with two chain blade-wielding assassins watching closely. Just as Longting was about to reach the peak of his power, the sounds of battle in the nearby forest faded. Several masked figures, barely clothed and in disarray, moved towards the other battlefield. Their dispirited and futile gazes reassured Tianxiang about the well-being of Dixiang and Xiaojin.

Suddenly feeling a strong fluctuation, Tianxiang quickly steadied his mind and spirit, focusing fully on Longting. His entire body was shrouded in a strange purple radiance, with his eyes glimmering with a peculiar brilliance, as if a fierce lightning was hidden within, ready to unleash a world-shaking strike.

Longting spoke slowly, “Tianxiang, you are fortunate; you will be the third to fall under the might of the Purple Thunder.”

With that, Longting gave a slight wave of his right hand. Upon hearing the words “Purple Thunder” and seeing his gesture, the assassins immediately fled the scene. In an instant, the peak of Phoenix Mountain was left with only howling winds, whipping the clothes of the two men, who stood with calm and imperturbable expressions, locking eyes with sharp glances.

Tianxiang suddenly let out an involuntary cold smile, his feet lifting off the ground as he slowly floated into the air. He said, “Since you want to settle this in the manner of martial artists and aren’t shy about using your secret techniques, then I’ll accompany you to the end.”

The chaotic winds couldn’t disturb Tianxiang’s unique gray-streaked hair. The Death Scythe stood firm before him as he harnessed his remaining power and spirit, gathering the dark element in the space around him. The lightning and dark elements, drawn by the two, clashed in the air like brilliant fireworks in the night, fleeting yet beautiful. A series of gentle popping noises rang out, sounding the horn for the intense battle to come.

Longting channeled his energy through his palms, raising them high above his head. Suddenly, a purple column of light about the size of five people embracing descended swiftly, enveloping him completely. He gracefully moved his hands in wave-like arcs, causing the double scimitars at his waist to unsheathe by themselves, spinning continually in the air. The purple radiance from the column swiftly flowed into the double scimitars.

Without hesitation, Tianxiang drew a Hexagram magic circle with his blood. The Death Scythe seemed to awaken with its original ferocity, emitting a long and thin hum, as dark elements, concentrated by the magic circle, gathered in abundance on its surface.

Suddenly, two loud shouts erupted at the same time: “First Move of Purple Thunder: Annihilate Heaven.”

“Dark Thousand Dragon Flash.”

In an instant, at the Phoenix Mountain Summit, sand and stones whirled as day turned to night, with a unique scene of purple lightning and black clouds occupying separate skies, refusing to merge. Longting, grasping his double scimitars, which were glowing with purple radiance, emitted a streak of lightning, his entire body spinning through the air. A purple whirlwind, like a rapidly spinning drill, shredded countless small black dragons as it surged toward Tianxiang. The fragmented black dragons vanished into the air, yet those following behind relentlessly charged forth, until a resonant clash followed by another echoed, raising clouds of dust and sand everywhere.

In their brief exchange, the fierce collision of internal energies shook the earth itself, with scattered tree remnants and shattered stones marking the battlefield’s brutality.

As the dust settled, Tianxiang, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, used the Death Scythe to support himself and slowly stood up. Longting, a fleeting expression crossing his face, stood firm with his double scimitars crossed in front of his chest, glaring coldly at Tianxiang. He spoke, “Your meridians are severely damaged, and your internal strength is nearly depleted. Fate has destined your end here.”

Wiping the blood from his lips, Tianxiang replied coolly, “You are not fate, so it’s not up to you. Besides, you also have an internal injury; you may not be able to kill me.”

Longting suddenly laughed heartily, saying, “I truly hate to see a natural talent like you go. My worthy opponent, let me send you off.”

With that, he plunged his double scimitars straight into the ground, composed himself, and clenched his fists. Unlike before, when purple radiance flashed, there was now a tranquil serenity, devoid of unusual light or lightning, as if everything in heaven and earth lay within his grasp. The calm before total destruction, or perhaps the silence afterward, seemed to exist between his hands.

Feeling the overwhelming sense of impending doom, Tianxiang knew he couldn’t withstand Longting’s move in his current state. If Longting managed to reach his full momentum, Tianxiang would surely die there. Ignoring his injuries, Tianxiang seized the opportunity as a gust of wind blew from behind, leaping into the air with the swirling dust and debris to charge at Longting.

After a cold murderous glint flashed in Longting’s eyes, he closed them and suddenly, the double scimitars that were stuck in the ground flew toward Tianxiang, cutting through the wind and sand.

Tianxiang was startled, facing such an imminent life-or-death moment. In response, his Six Spiritual Senses ascended to a new realm. He became acutely aware of every aspect of the battlefield―the flying dust, the roaring wind―without missing a detail. With no fear or dread in his heart and a calm mind, Tianxiang made an astounding move. Instead of retreating, he accelerated towards the double scimitars. Just as the swords were about to pierce through him amidst the swirling dust, Tianxiang swiftly changed his position, lightly stepped on two fast-moving pebbles, and leapt up, dodging the double scimitars to position himself right above Longting. Clutching the Death Scythe with both hands, he gathered his remaining strength, ready to strike and disrupt Longting’s flow of energy.

Suddenly, the double scimitars followed him like a shadow, aiming straight for Tianxiang’s back. Hearing the whooshing sound, Tianxiang helplessly flipped over, switching from a strike to a deflection, effortlessly parrying the double scimitars. Then, a foreboding feeling surged within him, and he instantly channeled strength to his back. Following a loud cry of “Purple Thunder Flame Extinction,” a punch with overwhelming force and scorching heat surged from his back, spreading rapidly throughout his body, feeling as if he were scorched by boiling oil.

With a tragic cry, the unconscious Tianxiang, like a kite with its string cut, flew out from the Phoenix Mountain Summit and fell into the misty, unfathomably deep Phoenix River.

Longting slowly walked to the side of the summit, a trickle of fresh blood at the corner of his mouth, his earlier vibrant demeanor replaced by a look of exhaustion and weariness. Staring into the misty Phoenix River, he murmured, “When the dragon falls, the phoenix mourns. Rest in peace, Tianxiang.”

The mournful winds howled past, as if lamenting for this favored son of the heavens, a sound so sorrowful it could bring tears to one’s eyes.

Longting slowly closed his eyes and said, “Oh wind! Are you also mourning for Tianxiang? Let you stay here for me, to accompany him at all times. My worthy adversary in this life!”

On a peaceful afternoon, the warm sunlight tempted anyone to lazily lie down on the grass, basking in its glow.

Sitting alone under the shade of a tree, Feng Xuewu kept her expectant eyes fixed on the gates of Saint Kai Academy. Inside, however, her heart felt heavy, like layers of thick, dark clouds casting a shadow over her, chilling her expression even more.

Feng Xuewu’s mind was constantly occupied with thoughts of meeting Brother Xiang since she had been admitted to the school. She pondered what she would say or do when that moment finally came. She wondered if Brother Xiang had gotten taller, gained weight, or perhaps lost some, but no matter how he had changed, he would still be the Brother Xiang she liked.

But as the days went by, it had been over a month since the day they promised to meet. Why haven’t you come to find me, she wondered. Have you forgotten our promise? Forgotten that I once said I wanted to be your bride? Or has something happened to you? Brother Xiang, do you know how worried I am about you? How much I miss you! Even though I have Liu Feng and Atta to keep me company and cheer me up, without you, my life feels incomplete, like a circle missing a crucial piece. That void pricks at my heart in the quiet of night, stirring my longing. Oh heavens, I beg you, let my unforgettable Brother Xiang appear soon!

Suddenly, a familiar voice came from behind: “Xiao Xue, you skipped lunch again!”

Without taking her eyes off the gates or turning around, Feng Xuewu replied, “Liu Feng, I’m not hungry.”

Liu Feng and Atta walked over to Xiao Xue’s side and sat down beside her. Atta offered her some dry rations, placing them in front of Feng Xuewu with concern. “Xiao Xue, don’t do this! The boss promised you he would come. But if he sees you like this, he’ll surely feel heartbroken.”

Liu Feng chimed in supportively, “Yeah, you’ve been coming here to wait every day, skipping meals, and you’re a shadow of the lively, radiant Feng Xuewu you were before the semester started.”

Trying to maintain her composure, Feng Xuewu replied, “I’m fine, you don’t need to worry about me.”

Liu Feng said, “Xiao Xue, if you keep this up, one of our Saint Kai Academy’s Four Great Beauties, the ‘Iceberg Beauty,’ will soon become the ‘Sick Beauty’!”

Atta said, “Xiao Xue, don’t pay attention to Liu Feng’s nonsense. Just eat a little something first!”

Feng Xuewu slowly picked up a slice of bread and took a few bites, but found it tasteless and soon stopped. Noticing this, Liu Feng attempted to distract her again, saying, “Xiao Xue, did you know? Among the Four Great Beauties in your incoming class, there’s someone just like you, waiting longingly for someone important to her.”

With a hint of surprise, Feng Xuewu replied, “Really?” Seeing her finally show a more human reaction, Liu Feng quickly continued, “Yes, it’s Yue Lianxuan, who majors in being a priest. Apparently, her significant other also promised to meet her here, but still hasn’t shown up.”

Feng Xuewu asked in a slightly subdued voice, “How do you know that?” Embarrassed, Liu Feng scratched his head, hesitating to speak.

Atta chimed in, “Isn’t it because you’re with the Boss, and Liu Feng here wants to follow him in everything, even in pursuing one of the Four Great Beauties?”

Hearing Atta reveal his intentions, Liu Feng protested, “Look who’s talking! Every time I get some new info about the Four Great Beauties, you rush over faster than anyone to discuss and analyze it with me.”

“Oh, Atta, so that’s the kind of person you are!” Feng Xuewu exclaimed.

Waving his hands defensively, Atta quickly explained, “I’m only doing it out of friendship. I don’t want Liu Feng to have to worry about these things by himself, so I discuss them with him!”

Seeing Atta’s earnest attempt to explain, his face flushed with embarrassment, Feng Xuewu couldn’t help but let out a laugh. Her cheerful smile lit up her usually stoic face, creating a stunning contrast that outshone even the blooming flowers around her.

Liu Feng and Atta were overjoyed to see Feng Xuewu smile and couldn’t help but smile along with her. Atta, carried away by the moment, said, “Liu Feng, your plan really worked-Xiao Xue is truly smiling.” Just as he was about to continue, he noticed Liu Feng signaling him with his eyes, realizing he might have said too much. Both of them looked nervously at Feng Xuewu, hoping their actions hadn’t upset her.

Feng Xuewu continued to smile gently and said, “I know you both mean well and are trying to cheer me up. Thank you. I won’t be upset.”

Both of them breathed a sigh of relief. Atta said, “Xiao Xue, don’t say that. It’s what we should do. I remember when we were wandering for days, starving until we reached Purple Moon Village. It was Grandfather Willi and the Boss who gave us food and warmth. Later, Grandfather taught us many life lessons, emphasizing self-reliance so we wouldn’t have to live a life of scarcity anymore. The care and help from the Boss and you have been invaluable. The kindness from Grandfather, the Boss, and you is something we can never repay in this lifetime.”

Liu Feng listened, silently reflecting on those past moments.