Leaving Gama City

Nalan Residence, my family's courtyard, inside my room.

I sat cross-legged, with a Scroll spread across my lap. Upon it was a pair of iron-black eagle wings—the Purple Cloud Wings Dou Technique Scroll that had nearly cost me my life over a year ago!

I reached out and touched it. It was still as cold as iron, and for no reason, I thought of the Little Fairy Doctor. I wondered how she was doing.

Perhaps she was suffering unbearably from the eruption of the Calamity Poison Body?

I gave a cold chuckle and turned to look westward. There lay the Monster Mountain Range, stretching for thousands of miles. At the foot of those towering mountains stood a small town called Green Mountain.

"Green Mountain Town, I, Nalan Ye... am coming again."

After murmuring that, I closed my eyes and focused.

Yesterday's family council had already come to an end. The allure of an Exotic Flame truly was strong enough to allow the first step of my plan to proceed smoothly—obtaining the family's full support!

Next, it was time to seek outside help.

I steadied my mind and slowly gathered my soul power. Having gone through this once before, I had experience dealing with the eagle beast's remnant soul. This time... I would definitely succeed!

I placed my hand over the eagle wings and gradually amassed soul power in my palm. More and more gathered until I reached the limit of my control, leaving my head slightly dizzy. Only then did I suddenly launch it at the Scroll!

Screech!

A savage eagle cry rang out in my mind, filled with murderous intent and brutality. But I had come prepared. I guarded my mind firmly and remained unmoved.

The eagle beast seemed to have gone mad... though in truth, it no longer possessed any intelligence. It frantically battered against my mind and my defenses.

Unfortunately, after hundreds of years, its power had long been worn away by time. It no longer possessed the might of a Fifth-Order Magical Beast, leaving only a pitiful remnant of strength. It could shake my defenses, but it lacked the power to break them, and I held on with difficulty.

After holding out for a long time, the eagle beast's remnant soul began to weaken. I, too, was drenched in sweat, my body trembling continuously from exhaustion.

Struggling, I picked up several medicinal pills and swallowed them. Some replenished stamina, some restored Dou Qi, and some nourished soul power.

After swallowing the pills, I immediately felt much better. Yet the memories of last time still lingered vaguely before my eyes, so I did not dare let down my guard in the slightest and continued defending cautiously.

After a long, long while, the eagle beast's remnant soul attacked more slowly, its strikes growing increasingly feeble!

I burst out laughing, and the soul power I had been accumulating surged forth like a vast river, crashing into the eagle beast's remnant soul and scattering it into pieces. After that, there was no trace of it left.

Suddenly, the iron-black eagle wings flared with brilliant light, transforming from black to purple. In the end, the purple-black color grew ever deeper!

I was startled, thinking the eagle beast's remnant soul had not died, and hurriedly raised my hand. But unexpectedly, the purple and black colors transformed into two rays of light that shot out of the Scroll and burrowed fiercely into my palm.

Pain! Pain!

A piercing pain tore through me. I could feel those two rays of light racing wildly through the Meridians in my body before finally converging at the spine on my back.

Then two waves of indescribably agonizing pain struck. Every muscle in my body spasmed, and sweat burst from my forehead. I let out a hoarse wail. Unable to remain cross-legged any longer, I collapsed to the floor and rolled about wildly, groaning. My eyelids grew heavier and heavier until I could no longer lift them...

"Young Master, Young Master! What's wrong...?"

As I lost consciousness, I vaguely heard anxious cries. They were probably from the guards standing watch outside.

After an unknown amount of time, I slowly opened my eyes and found myself lying in a bed. The unfamiliar ceiling above me told me this was not my room.

I checked my body and found that there was nothing seriously wrong, though I felt somewhat sore. It seemed that cultivating the Purple Cloud Wings Dou Technique had not caused any major trouble. I was simply exhausted.

I struggled upright when my stomach suddenly growled. I was hungry. Frowning, I clutched my stomach and called toward the door, "Is anyone there? Bring me something to eat!"

Before long, the door opened and a girl of fifteen or sixteen entered. She looked somewhat familiar. Dressed in a green skirt, she was beautiful, her graceful figure swaying as she walked.

She carried a bowl of hot porridge and sat beside my bed. After looking me over twice, she broke into a sweet smile. "Ye Gege, you're awake!"

"Yes, I'm awake..."

I smiled awkwardly. The girl before me looked familiar, but I could not remember her name.

The girl was quite enthusiastic. As she fed me porridge, she chatted idly. Only then did I remember that she was probably the Alchemy Elder's granddaughter—Nalan Yiling.

From Nalan Yiling's casual chatter, I learned that I was in the Alchemy Elder's residence. After I fainted yesterday, someone had sent me here. Once the Alchemy Elder had examined me, he determined that I was out of danger—though, of course, I had not really been in any danger to begin with.

Although my hands and feet were perfectly fine, having a beautiful girl feed me porridge felt far too good. So I did not refuse and spout nonsense about being able to eat by myself...

After finishing the porridge, I casually wiped my mouth, bade Nalan Yiling farewell, and prepared to return to my own courtyard. Unexpectedly, the moment I stepped outside, I ran into the Alchemy Elder again. The Old Guy had become overly excited because of the Exotic Flame. He grabbed me and questioned me about all sorts of things, then lectured me at length before finally letting me go.

I returned to my courtyard and rested for two days before setting out on the morning of the third day.

"Brother, you're going out to play again... I want to go too!"

Outside the main gate of Nalan Residence, Nalan Sun'er tugged at the hem of my clothes. Her little lips were pursed as she looked at me pitifully, her face full of unhappiness.

Somewhat helplessly, I patted the little girl's head and looked up. At the main gate stood my father and mother. They had come to see me off as well.

I lowered my head and looked at Sun'er, speaking earnestly. "Sun'er, have you forgotten what I told you a year ago?"

Nalan Sun'er blinked in confusion and muttered, "What did you say...?"

I sighed and crouched down, bringing my gaze level with hers. Looking straight into her eyes, I said with utmost seriousness, "Your cultivation. Your cultivation must keep pace with mine before you can travel alongside me. Otherwise... you can only follow behind me."

I reached out and stroked her cheek. "I'm already a Nine-Star Dou Zhe, while you're only at the fifth stage of Dou Qi. What makes you qualified to travel with me?"

"You should stay home and cultivate properly."

Nalan Sun'er was only thirteen this year and still did not understand much. My words left her stunned. She frowned miserably as she thought it over, but she probably could not make sense of it.

I ignored Nalan Sun'er and turned to mount my horse. Focusing my gaze into the distance, I saw the residence's pavilions and towers nearby, rolling green hills beyond the city, and nothing but the deep blue sky farther still.

I lightly pressed my legs against the horse's flanks and urged it forward along the bluestone road. But after only a few steps, a childish shout suddenly came from behind me. It was Nalan Sun'er.

"Brother, I'll cultivate properly at home! Just wait and see—next time, I'll definitely go out and play with you!"

I turned around and saw the slender little figure waving her fists at me as she shouted indignantly.

For some reason, my nose suddenly stung. Taking a deep breath, I waved at that figure. I did not call out anything. I merely cracked my whip and lashed it fiercely against the horse's rump.

The horse bolted in pain, galloping along the bluestone road. Seated atop its back and facing the fresh breeze, I left the Nalan Residence, where I had lived for over a year, behind me. A smile gradually spread across my face, growing wider and wider until I burst into laughter.

Clad in green, with wine and sword beside my horse, roaming the world with blade in hand—what could be more exhilarating?!

Exhilarating!

I raced wildly through the streets on horseback, startling pedestrians wherever I passed. I had no idea how many stalls I overturned or how many people I frightened. I only laughed wildly as I charged out through Gama City's western gate.

The towering city also fell behind me. My horse's hooves struck the solid road, carrying me farther and farther away.

Suddenly, I turned my horse and charged up a low hill beside the road. Standing at its summit, my gaze was not drawn to the majestic city behind me, nor to the distant immortal mountains.

I merely looked southward. Thousands of miles away lay a small city called Wutan!

My messenger was currently traveling between Gama City and Wutan City. I wondered how many more days it would take for him to arrive.

According to my information, Canaan Academy's recruitment team had already reached Wutan City. Over the past year, Xiao Yan had indeed shone brilliantly in Wutan City, casting off the name of Waste.

He must have passed Canaan Academy's examination by now, right?

I looked down at the road at the foot of the hill. Merchants and travelers hurried back and forth, all covered in dust and exhausted from their journeys. I murmured, "Xiao Yan, when we meet again in Stone Desert City, which one of us will be a passerby, and which one will be the protagonist?"

I laughed loudly, urged my horse down the slope, and headed westward, toward that small town beside the perilous mountain range.

Three days later, I lay obediently inside a tent on the back of a Flying Magical Beast. Several layers of blankets cushioned me beneath, soft beyond measure. The wind whistled past my ears, making it even more comfortable.

Thinking about how I had actually ridden a horse for the previous two days... I could not help but blush in embarrassment. That had been fucking stupid!

Even a Nine-Star Dou Zhe could not endure endless travel on horseback. In only two days, I had been jolted until my whole body ached, yet I had actually planned to ride all the way to Green Mountain Town...

Several days later, I disembarked from the Flying Magical Beast outside Wu Si City and once again arrived at the Nalan Family shop there. The person in charge had already been replaced. After asking around, I learned that the previous manager had been promoted and transferred to oversee a shop in a larger city.

They arranged for me to stay in the finest room where I had once lived—and nearly died. Standing inside, I saw that its overall furnishings remained the same, though some details had changed slightly.

In the courtyard, that tree seemed a little older. Who knew how many times the grass had withered and sprouted again? Only the stone table and chairs remained exactly as before.

For a moment, I felt that while the place remained, the people had changed. Only a year and five months had passed, yet it felt as if everything had changed.

Xiao Yan, who had gone from Waste to genius; the Little Fairy Doctor, from whom there had not been a trace of news; Nalan Yanran, Nalan Jie, and even myself—we had all changed from the seventh stage of Dou Qi into a Nine-Star Dou Zhe...

Early the next morning, after breakfast, I took a carriage provided by the shop. With several of the shop's guards accompanying me, I set out along the same road I had traveled a year and five months ago, returning the way I had come toward Green Mountain Town.