Chapter Fifty-Four: Breath of Death

  I pretended to sigh and said, "Last time in the battle with the demons and beasts, I managed to break out of the encirclement, but also ran into the territory of the beastmen. Since their army had blocked the road back to the fortress, for safety reasons, I could only carefully enter the beastmen's territory and hide in the forest, making a living by hunting small animals. Until recently, when their troops were defeated by us, I found an opportunity to sneak back. Due to being injured in that battle, after returning, I recuperated in a city near Stru Fortress for a period of time, and only returned to the Imperial City after my injuries had fully healed. Since I left the academy for too long, I thought that my student status might have been removed, so I didn't go back. In order not to worry Zixue, I came to take a look at her."

  The duke said in a cold voice, "Who are you deceiving? If you want to see Zixue, wouldn't you ask for an audience at the main gate? Why must you jump over the wall and enter at night? This is not the behavior of a thief or a burglar. Tell me, what is your purpose?"

  I smiled wryly and said, "What purpose could I have? This time I came, apart from wanting to see Zixue, there's something else I want to tell you."

  "What's wrong?" Duke asked.

  I said in a low voice, "Do you still remember the woman I told you about last time? I saw her again this time in the Beastman Country. I know you don't want others to know about her, so that's why I snuck in."

  As soon as the word "mother" was mentioned, the duke's attitude suddenly changed by one hundred and eighty degrees. He hastily grabbed my shoulder and said: "What? You've seen her again? Quickly, quickly tell me how she is! Did you mention my affairs to her?"

  I knew the duke was sincere about my mother, otherwise, with his old age and worldly experience, he wouldn't have expressed his inner feelings so easily. I pulled open his hand and said: "Don't worry, listen to me slowly, it's like this, I met that lady in a village of beastmen, her complexion is much better than before, she found her own son and lives with him."

  "The duke exclaimed: 'A son? Does she have another son?'"

  I nodded and said, "Her son is still quite filial to her. Under good care, the lady's body has recovered a lot. I told her about meeting you, and she was just as excited as you were. I think she still misses you."

  The duke's eyes welled up with tears, and he muttered: "Lingling, Lingling, I really miss you so much." He suddenly grabbed me again and said excitedly: "Tell me, where is she? Take me to find her, I want to go find her now."

  "Calm down a bit, don't be so impulsive, listen to me finish speaking, okay?"

  "The duke hastily said: 'How can I calm down? Finally, there's news of her again. I really long to see her right now.'"

  "I said solemnly, 'Don't forget, you are a duke of the Dragon God Empire, and she is currently in the Beastman Country. If you appear on the territory of the beastmen, what consequences will there be? You should know better than me. This matter cannot be rushed, I once asked that lady if she wanted to see you again.' I paused here."

  "The duke asked: 'Then how did she answer.'"

  "She said she doesn't want to see you again, she said she's too ashamed to face you and doesn't want to cause any more trouble for you. She asked me to tell you to forget about her, as if she never existed."

  The duke's face lost all its color, and for a moment he seemed to have aged several years. He took two steps back, trembling as he spoke: "Why? Why did you make me forget you, Lingling? Do you think I can ever forget you in this lifetime?"

  "I calmly said: 'Don't you mind her past?'"

  The duke shook his head and said, "Of course I don't mind. That wasn't what she wanted. She's a weak woman with no ability to tie up a chicken, and it's already not easy for her to survive in the Beastman Country. I can understand all the pain she has endured. In my heart, she will always be that icy and elegant Lingling. Hurry, tell me, I'll go find her now and explain everything clearly. I must bring her back to Longshen and never separate from her again."

  I felt a great relief in my heart, it seems that I was right to decide to let my mother return and reunite with the duke. The duke is worthy of my mother's love. I smiled slightly and said: "Don't worry, that lady also hopes to return to her own country very much, I have promised her that I will definitely help her return. This kind of thing is not suitable for you to handle, it's better for me to do it. The reason I came back this time was to explore the way first, if there is no place on the dragon god's side that can accommodate her, she will only suffer more if she returns. You said so and now I feel at ease."

  "Can you find a way to bring her back?"

  I nodded and said, "This time I lived with the beastmen for some days, and I've already found a path back. After I deal with some things here, I'll go back to pick her up. Do you know what that lady's greatest wish is?"

  The duke shook his head in dismay.

  I said in a low voice: "The greatest wish of that lady is to return to her own country, hide in a corner and secretly take a look at you."

  "Duke lost his voice and said, 'What?' He could no longer control his tears and said sorrowfully, 'Lingling, why are you so foolish? Don't worry, I will definitely give you the greatest happiness. When we meet again, I will never be separated from you forever.'"

  I looked at the tearful duke and said in a low voice, "If you treat that lady like this, what about the duchess?" I had to ask this question, I wanted to make the most sufficient preparation for my mother.

  Upon hearing this question, the duke was visibly taken aback and replied in a daze: "The lady? What should I do?"

  I smiled slightly and said: "I've already thought of it for you. With your strength, buying a small courtyard should still be manageable, right?"

  "The duke suddenly said: 'You want me to keep Lingling in a golden house, how can this be, it's too humiliating for her.'"

  "I shook my head and said: 'That lady is now without desires or demands, she absolutely does not want to disturb your current life, so this is the best solution.'"

  The duke gazed at me intently, a hint of curiosity in his eyes. "Why are you helping me like this?"

  I let out a soft sigh and said, "Firstly, I hope you and that lady can end up together. Secondly, I have my own motives - after helping you so much, you won't still oppose me and Zixue's relationship, will you?" Actually, now it's more because of Mother's reasons, as for the matter with Zixue and her sister, I'm still not sure about it in my heart, and the possibility that they won't forgive me is extremely high.

  The duke's excitement subsided, and he wiped away the tears on his face with his sleeve, smiling: "Alright, you've helped me so much, I really can't stop you and Zixue from now on. As long as she is willing, I'm very supportive of you two being together. What are your plans now?"

  His last question was obviously asking when I would go to pick up his mother, I smiled and said: "I'd like to find Zi Xue first, can you tell me where she is?"

  The duke said, "Of course, she and her sister went with some classmates to participate in the friendly exchange of Longshen Fourth University Institute on behalf of Tiandu College. In Xilun City's Xilun Academy, you must be able to find them there. They didn't leave for a long time, and the exchange match should start the day after tomorrow. From here to Xilun City, it takes three days by fast horse."

  "I nodded and said: 'Thank you, Duke. I'll set off now. Next time we meet, I will definitely bring that lady with me.'"

  The duke's face lit up with a joyful expression, and he smiled: "Then thank you very much, don't rush, be sure to pay attention to safety. You, you ask her for me, just say that I always miss her, no matter what happens, I will forever...". The duke's face turned red, but his eyes showed a firm gaze, continuing: "Forever love her."

  I felt a surge of emotion in my heart, and I smiled slightly, saying: "Don't worry, I will definitely bring her back safely to see you. You also need to take care of your body and stay healthy. Goodbye."

  The duke personally escorted me to the gate and watched as I disappeared into the dark night.

  Now that I know the whereabouts of Purple Snow and the others, my heart feels much lighter. As for how to get to Xilun City, I open up the map on me and it shows that Xilun City is south of the Imperial Capital. This is great, it's even farther away from White Smoke Mountain. If Beast Emperor were to find out about my current actions, he would definitely say that I'm not separating public and private matters properly. However, whatever that so-called Five-Colored Rainbow Light is, it's just some empty and elusive thing anyway. For now, let's just ignore it for the time being. It's not like Long Shen's people can easily find that treasure or anything. It's better to go clarify things with Purple Snow and the others while my conviction is still strong.

  Out of the imperial capital, I found a secluded place and transformed into a four-winged fallen angel. Silently, I took to the sky, speeding towards the direction of Xilun. As I flew, I couldn't help but think that if I had stayed at Tiandu Academy back then, perhaps I would have been part of this competition as well. I wasn't worried about Ziyuan's safety in the slightest; although she would be participating in the exchange match, with her looks and the sacred aura surrounding her, no man could possibly harbor any thoughts of harming her.

  The gentle breeze in the air makes me feel refreshed, the dark magic inside my body is slowly circulating, and the energy inside my body remains at its peak. At this speed, I'll probably arrive at my destination by tomorrow morning.

  Just as I was feeling powerful, a strange energy suddenly surged into my brain, and my vision turned gray. The aura of death enveloped me instantly, making me feel unbearably uncomfortable. My heart skipped a beat, and I hastily mobilized the dark magic to try and expel this energy. However, when the dark magic encountered this energy, it didn't reject it; instead, it flowed through my meridians just like during normal practice.

  A sharp, stabbing pain shot through my brain, making me break out in a cold sweat. I suddenly realized that this must be the residual death energy that Father had told me was left inside me. I didn't dare to slack off, carefully controlling my four wings as I slowly descended onto the ground. The aura of death continuously assaulted my senses, and an unprecedented feeling of powerlessness spread throughout my body.

  Dark energy is my greatest reliance, but even it can't help me now. I can only barely endure, and a faint gray gas is emanating from around my body. I can feel it, constantly eroding my meridians. This isn't good; if this continues, I'll be corroded away.

  As I transformed into a four-winged fallen angel, my spiritual platform remained extremely calm. I discovered that the dark magic seemed to have a symbiotic effect on this deadly death breath, so I quickly dispersed the dark magic. Without the dark magic, my body returned to its original form, and the feeling of weakness became even stronger, but the spread of the death breath slowed down.

  Since the dark magic didn't work, I'll try using the Crazy God's aura. I gritted my teeth and controlled my consciousness, slowly mobilizing the pure Crazy God's aura in my dantian to rise up and probe into stopping the constantly spreading death energy. When they met, the death energy seemed to be somewhat intimidated by the Crazy God's aura, shrinking back a bit. My spirit was greatly lifted, and I accelerated the release of the Crazy God's aura. The Crazy God's aura gradually took the upper hand, slowly forcing the death energy into a corner. Just as I was about to use the Crazy God's aura to eliminate it, that gray energy suddenly disappeared without a trace, disappearing completely. No matter how I searched, I couldn't find any sign of its existence. With its disappearance, my body also returned to normal, and the feeling of weakness vanished. This energy came quickly and left quickly, but it made me feel extremely heavy-hearted, because I knew that I hadn't eliminated it. Heaven knows when it will strike again next time.

  I sat on the ground in a daze, feeling extremely bewildered about my fate for a moment. If this death energy continued to grow stronger, it would eventually destroy me one day. No wonder Father said that the undead sorcerer was terrifying; it seemed that the forbidden technique's harm to me would accompany me for life. As I gradually came back to my senses, I felt that my whole body had been soaked through with sweat, feeling extremely uncomfortable and slippery. Just as I was in a state of despair, I heard the clear sound of horse hooves coming from beside my ear. I concentrated and listened carefully, and it seemed that there were more than ten riders galloping rapidly towards me in the direction I was currently facing. The sound gradually became clearer, and relying on my exceptional eyesight, I saw a line of people wearing various attire riding fine horses and charging towards me.

  The distance narrowed, I saw clearly that there were eleven riders in total. Most of them were young people, with only two middle-aged men over forty years old. They wore either warrior or magician attire. I struggled to get up and wanted to give way, when the other party also discovered me. The leading middle-aged man slowed down his horse and raised his hand to signal to his companions that there was a situation.

  As he drew near, he reined in his sorrel horse and looked me up and down. He saw the iron-like muscles of my upper body (I was flying bare-chested; otherwise, I would have ruined a set of clothes every time, and the jacket that Ziyan had given me, which was made according to the shape of two wings, no longer fit after transformation). His eyes flashed with surprise as he asked in a loud voice: "Young brother, what's wrong with you? What are you doing here all alone at this late hour?"

  I can feel the energy fluctuations emanating from him. This person's strength is not ordinary. With a calm expression, he replied: "It's quiet at night, I'm alone here practicing my skills."

  The middle-aged man looked at the sweat on me and nodded: "It's better to go back early in this wild mountain."

  I took out a towel from my bag and wiped myself, then put on my clothes and said: "I was originally going to go to Xileng City, but I walked here and saw that there were no signs of human habitation, so I practiced for a bit. Now it's time to hit the road."

  The middle-aged man smiled and said: "Oh, you're also going to Xileng City? We are too. If you don't mind, let's travel together. You're walking too slowly. Let us give you a horse."

  I felt a warmth in my heart, and I looked at him. The middle-aged man's eyes showed sincerity. This person was indeed enthusiastic, but now I really didn't dare to transform and fly again. Thinking about the strange change that happened earlier still made me feel frightened.

  "Is this suitable?"

  The middle-aged man smiled and said, "What's suitable or not, my students are also young people, the more companions on the road, the less lonely they will be. Silky rain, you and Lianlu ride a horse together, give yours to this little brother."

  A girl in a blue magic robe behind me responded with a sound, jumped off her white horse and got on the black horse of another girl in a red magic robe. Their magic robes were very wide, making it impossible for me to see their faces clearly.

  I bowed to the middle-aged man and said: "Thank you, uncle."

  The middle-aged man smiled and said: "Don't be polite, let's get on horseback, we should also hurry along the road."

  Riding on a white horse, I suddenly miss Hei Long, and I don't know how he's doing at Mo Yue's place either.

  So I joined this small team of over ten people. Along the way, I rarely spoke up, but from their conversations, I was surprised to learn that they were actually teachers and students from Songzhī Academy, one of the four universities invited to participate in an exchange program in Xileng City. The middle-aged man who had invited me to join them was the Dean of Studies at Songzhī Academy, named Měng Fá (which means "severe punishment", no wonder he was the Dean).

  "Hey, you don't say much, do you? What's with the getup?" a young man in black attire shouted at me. I was wearing a conical hat with a veil.

  I calmly said: "There is wind and sand on the road, I'm already used to carrying this thing."

  A boy in black clothes rushed up to me and stretched out his hand, saying: "Let's get acquainted, my name is Feng Duo, I'm a second-year student of the Martial Arts Department of Songzhī Academy." I shook his hand and nodded, saying: "My name is Lei Xiang, I'm just a drifter."

  Feng Duo's face revealed a hint of an eerie smile, and I felt his hand suddenly become scorching hot. It turned out that this kid's internal energy was biased towards the masculine aspect. I didn't mind and let him continue to grip my hand. The smile on Feng Duo's face gradually disappeared as he discovered that no matter how hard he tried, my hand remained neither soft nor hard, neither counterattacking nor retreating.

  Meng Fa discovered our anomaly and shouted: "Feng Duo, what are you doing?" Slowing down the speed and lining up with us.

  Feng Duo awkwardly loosened his grip and said: "Teacher Meng, it's nothing. I just wanted to get acquainted with Brother Lei Xiang."

  Meng Fa glared at him with a scolding gaze, just about to say something, when Feng Duo hastily said: "Lei brother, your sword looks very unique, can I take a look?"

  I stretched out my hand, picked up the inkstone and handed it to him. Fang Duo reached out to take it, but as he hadn't prepared himself, his hand sank down suddenly, almost dropping the inkstone on the ground. He was startled and hurriedly exerted more strength to grasp it firmly. He muttered: "It's so heavy."

  Meng Fa was also startled, and I didn't blame him again. I ignored Feng Duo and asked Meng Fa, "Teacher Meng, how do the four colleges communicate with each other?"

  Meng sighed and said, "What exchange, it's actually just a mutual test of strength, competing for fame. It's to see which academy's students have the strongest skills. This invitational tournament is held in rotation by the four academies, and this time it's Western Lian's turn. No matter where it's held, the exchanges between the four academies will always be open to the local people, promoting martial arts. All along, our Songzhī Academy has been the weakest of the four academies. This time, we're just coming with a mindset of making friends through martial arts."

  "Oh? A competition? What kind of competition?"

  Meng Fa smiled and said: "Looking at you, you're also a martial artist. The competition between our four colleges is nothing more than drawing lots first, dividing into two sides for the competition, each side sending out six students, one by one, those who lose go down, if they win, they continue to compete until all the students on one side have lost. The winning and losing colleges rest for a day before competing again. Finally, the ranking of the colleges is determined, each college allows one or two substitutes, and can change formations at any time. You don't know, in order to contend for the title of Dragon God's First College..." He sighed as he spoke.

  I nodded and said: "I hope you can win."

  Meng Fa shook his head and said, "The other three colleges are almost evenly matched in strength, while we are slightly weaker. We will definitely be eliminated in the first round. To be honest, as long as a college can produce an outstanding talent, they have a great advantage in the competition. For example, in the previous match, Tian Du College produced a Li Wa, and he alone defeated five people from our college, forcing us to concede. Talents are hard to come by."

  "Well, I've been in the capital before. I heard that Liva has already become a Dragon Knight, and this time he's not here, so isn't this a great opportunity for you all?"

  Meng Fa said, "It's not that simple. Think about it, if the college ranking is high, it will naturally attract more talent. Who knows if they have any powerful newcomers this time? Lei Xiang, I think your foundation and base are good, and you're not old either. Are you interested in joining our Songzhī College? The teachers at our college are pretty good."

  Dizzy, wasn't he the one who let me travel with them for this reason in the first place? I shook my head and said, "No need to hide it from you, this time I'm going to Western City is to find someone. And I think, I don't have a necessity to enter the academy to study anymore."

  Although I spoke with great arrogance, Meng Fa did not feel that I was being conceited, but instead was startled by the aura of dominance emanating from me.

  On the side, Feng Duo curled his lips and said: "Really? Brother Lei, learning is very important for a person. As the saying goes, 'live to old, learn to old', our Songzhao College is not bad at all." He gave me a strange look and whispered: "And there are many beauties too." Unexpectedly, Meng Fa didn't stop him from talking like that, as if he hadn't heard it.

  He pointed at the two women riding horses in front, Si Yu and Lian Lu, obviously telling me that they were the beauties. As for this, I was really not interested. My current emotional problems had not been resolved yet, let alone finding new loves. At present, I was extremely uninterested in beauties and avoided them as much as possible.

  I stretched out my hand, and the ink-like aura burst forth, releasing a fierce and intimidating energy that enveloped Feng Duo. Feng Duo's body trembled, almost falling off his horse, and with great effort, he managed to summon his own aura to counter mine, his face pale as he struggled to speak. I smiled inwardly, retracting my oppressive aura, and said, "Now, do you still think I need to go to your academy?" I didn't want them to continue their futile attempts to get me to join the Songwei Academy, so I only showed a hint of my true strength to make them retreat.

  Feng Duo's whole body felt light, unable to speak a word. Mo Hun, who was standing beside him, sensed the energy emanating from me and was shocked in his heart. "So Brother Lei is actually hiding his true strength! I really want to know what kind of person can train such an excellent disciple like you."

  I smiled slightly and said: "Excuse me, perhaps you will know when we arrive in Xilun City."

  Meng Fa knew that wanting to take me as his disciple was hopeless, so he sighed and urged his mount forward.

  "A shrill voice came over: 'What's with the arrogance, do you think our academy is desperate for someone like you? Look at this!' The fire-element mage, Lianluo, who was wearing a red magic robe in front of me, had become enraged. With her body sideways, she swung her wand and hurled a string of consecutive fireballs at me."

  Meng Fa shouted: "Lianlu, no!"

  This is a third-level magic, and she can use it so quickly, obviously her magical power is not weak. I muttered the incantation, and a soft barrier appeared in front of me. The consecutive fireballs hit my barrier, causing ripples to spread out, and a puff of white smoke disappeared.

  "Water Mirror Technique," said Silvia, a water system magician who was riding with her.

  I used a second-level water-based defensive magic, but it blocked her third-level attack magic. The difference in strength was clear, and Meng Fa stopped Lianluo from making another move, saying in a low voice: "Don't be rash, can't you see that I'm giving in to you?"

  "Lotus Dew angrily said: 'I just can't stand his arrogant and domineering attitude.'"

  Do I have an arrogant attitude? I didn't think so, it seems that I need to pay attention to this.

  I shouldered Mu Ming and said in a loud voice: "If I have offended anyone just now, please forgive me."

  Lotus Dew hummed and stopped talking, and a small ripple passed by like this.

  Feng Duo said in a low voice to me: "Lei brother, your kung fu is really good, even that wild girl was defeated, hehe." It seems that this kid had been outsmarted by Lianluo before, otherwise he wouldn't be so gleeful.

  So as not to make them feel that I'm too arrogant, I said calmly: "Kung fu is all about practice, as long as you put in the effort, there will definitely be a return."

  A sturdy student who fell behind said, "Effort is important, but wit is also indispensable. The faster you understand, the faster you progress. Brother Lei, we are almost of the same age, yet your skills surpass ours. I truly admire you." I knew his name was Tian Xing, and like me, he rarely spoke, but I could tell that among these students, his skills were the highest.

  I humbly said: "Tian Xing's strength is only higher than mine, but it's just not as sharp and revealing to me."

  Heavenly beauty smiled faintly and shook her head ambiguously.

  …………

  "Ah, you see, that's Xileng City." Fandu exclaimed excitedly.

  On the horizon, a large city appeared in our field of vision. In terms of scale, this city was in no way inferior to the Dragon God's capital. Meng Wu said, "That's right, that's Xilun. Let's hurry up and try to enter the city before noon. The people from the other three academies may have arrived earlier."

  As soon as we entered Western City, we were stopped by several young warriors. The one who spoke first said politely: "Excuse me, are you from the Pine Weaving Academy?"

  Meng Fa smiled and nodded: "Yes, who are you?"

  Bushido: "We are students of Western Lun Academy, and we're in charge of waiting for you here."

  Meng Fa nodded at everyone to dismount, then turned to the warrior and said, "I'll trouble you to lead the way."

  The samurai bowed and walked ahead, I went to Meng Wu's side and said: "Teacher Meng, thank you for taking care of me on the way. I think it's time for us to part ways."

  "Since you're here, come with us."

  I shook my head, "No, I've already troubled you all a lot. When you attend the college exchange event, I'll go to watch." If I went with them, I would definitely run into Tian Du and the others, and I didn't want to meet them so soon.

  Meng Wu nodded and said: "Since that's the case, then I won't keep you here. Be careful with everything, if you think of our college in the future, you're welcome to come anytime."

  I politely sent them off, watching as they left with the receptionist warrior. As we parted ways, Fanduo gave me a small gemstone, saying it was for remembrance. Although it wasn't anything valuable, it warmed my heart. The emotions between humans are indeed much heavier than those of the demon and beast tribes. On the other hand, Renrou did the opposite, glaring at me fiercely as she passed by me, seemingly still holding a grudge. Although I couldn't see her face clearly, her bright eyes filled with hatred left a deep impression on me.

  The city of Xiren is bustling with excitement, apparently related to this exchange event. I finally found a hotel to stay in after much difficulty, and the service staff told me that many hotels had been fully booked several days ago, mostly young people coming to watch the four university college exchange competition.

  I put my luggage in my room, ate something casually, and lay quietly on the bed. My mind was filled with thoughts, tomorrow I will see Zixue and Ziyuan, whom I have been thinking about day and night. When should I explain to them? Should I go find them directly? No, that would affect Ziyuan's performance in the communication competition. It's better to wait until after the competition is over before meeting with them. Thinking of this, my heart felt a little lighter, I can delay for two more days. I also understand that I am escaping, but I really don't want to lose them.

  As I walked out of the inn, the streets were bustling with excitement. Many people were openly setting up stalls, speculating who would be the ultimate winner this time. After inquiring, I found out that this was a unified setup by the management class of Western Liren City, and it was absolutely guaranteed. I walked to a stall with more people, where a large sign stood, displaying the odds of several academies. The highest odds were surprisingly from Songzhī Academy, reaching 1:24, followed by Tiān Dū Academy at 1:16, then Xī Liren Academy at 1:8. The lowest odds, and also the favorite to win, Fēngtán Academy, had only 1:2. I curiously asked the person next to me, "Isn't Tiān Dū Academy the champion of the upper realm? Why are their odds so high?"

  The person next to me looked me up and down and said, "You're not a local, are you? Want to place a bet too? Let me tell you, the Tiandu College team is out of luck this time. Their ace student, Liva, has already become a Dragon Knight. I heard they didn't even come here with the intention of winning the championship, just to train their young students and wait for next year's competition. But Fengyuan College is different, they have the strongest combination, four martial arts students and two magic students participating in the competition, all of whom have participated in the upper-level competition before. Each person has impressive strength, and in the upper-level competition, they were the favorites to win the championship. Unfortunately, Tiandu produced a Liva, who defeated their three students alone, so they only came in second place. I think that this year, no matter what, Fengyuan won't give other colleges another chance. That's why the odds are so low. Let me tell you, I'm planning to bet 50 gold coins on them. If I win... hehe..."