The World's Twenty-First Greatest Lightness Skill Expert

The World's Twenty-First Greatest Lightness Skill Expert

The setting sun shone over the riverbank, its lingering warmth still in the air.

Riding his donkey, the Daoist left a long trail of hoofprints across the riverbank, as though he were walking shoulder to shoulder with the sunset.

Gao Xian lay back asleep on the donkey's back, his gaze resting on the afterglow of the setting sun, his eyes hazy with drink.

He shook the Fine Wine in the jar. Hardly any remained.

He drained it in one gulp, then tossed the wine jar into the river, where it bobbed away with the waves.

The Daoist rested both hands beneath his head and said with a swaying drawl, "If you keep dawdling, donkey, the gates of Jiangting Commandery's city will be shut."

The donkey chuckled. There was no blame in the Great Immortal's words, and after all this time, it had thoroughly learned how to read his intentions. "It's fine. Isn't Little Donkey just letting Master admire the beautiful sight of the great sun sinking into the river a little longer?"

"Besides, even if the gates are shut, Little Donkey can leap right over them." General Donkey was brimming with confidence.

"I hear the walls of Jiangting Commandery's city are seventy or eighty feet high—not something Gongzhou City's walls can compare to," Gao Xian said with a smile.

"Even if they were another hundred feet higher, General Donkey could still fly over them." The donkey had become terribly puffed up lately.

Gao Xian did not know the way, but that was no matter. So long as they followed this great river, they would surely reach Jiangting Commandery's city ahead.

Yet in the rushing river, a rotten log drifted along the shallows all the way, always trailing the man and donkey at an unhurried pace.

Sometimes it was far away, sometimes close by, now ahead and now behind, drifting unpredictably.

No one would pay attention to a rotten log in the river. After all, plenty of debris drifted along with it, as well as a wine jar.

Beneath the rotten log's disguise, a man was tucked inside a wooden shell, his feet seemingly webbed as they trod upon the water and nimbly controlled his speed.

"Sure enough, even immortals can't spot me before my Camouflage Technique and the world's twenty-first greatest lightness skill."

With his upper body hidden inside the hollowed-out rotten log, the man's lips curled up slightly in smug satisfaction. "If the Heavenly Secrets Ranking were to rank the world's best Camouflage Technique, Feng would yield to no one."

Inside the rotten log, the man deftly recorded every move, every word, and every deed of the Daoist.

"Kongchenzi discarded one wine jar. Judging from the scent, it should be Drunken Immortal Brew from Gongzhou, worth twenty taels of patterned silver per jar."

His keen ears twitched. Hearing some things clearly and others only vaguely, he made a few connections and wrote down: "Conspired with the Donkey Demon to sneak into Jiangting Commandery's city at night. May have plans harmful to the Divine Cult."

He had come here on the Altar Master's orders. He was also a Guardian who had recently joined the Poison God Altar of the Five Gods Cult.

For his very first assignment, he had been dispatched to monitor Kongchenzi, the number one immortal in the world, who had recently shaken the martial world and had even been granted a separate volume by the Heavenly Secrets Ranking.

It was clear just how highly the Altar Master valued Feng.

Only a master like me can approach such a figure without drawing notice, closely observe his every word and deed, and learn beforehand of his plots and plans against the Divine Cult.

Having just finished recording the Daoist's conspiracy, he looked up and suddenly discovered that the man and donkey by the river had vanished.

"Where did they go?" Feng Yusheng, the world's twenty-first greatest lightness skill expert, panicked.

He swept his gaze from side to side, only to see that the donkey was standing atop the river's surface, right behind him.

Feng Yusheng's spine went rigid. The water was already cold enough, yet a fine sweat broke out across his forehead.

"What? A donkey that can tread across a river? Didn't they say this donkey only breathed fire? How do those idiots at the altar gather intelligence? Do they only look at the Heavenly Secrets Ranking issued once a month?"

Though panic churned in Feng Yusheng's heart, his body reacted almost instinctively. He swiftly stopped and played dead.

As though he truly were just a rotten log, he drifted away with the current.

The donkey stepped upon the waves, unhurriedly following alongside Feng Yusheng.

General Donkey knocked on the rotten log with a hoof. "Wake up. Stop pretending. I spotted you ages ago."

Feng Yusheng knew he could not keep up the act any longer.

"HAHAHAHAHA!"

In an instant, the rotten log burst into four pieces, and a man leapt out from within.

His lightness skill skimmed over the river's surface like willow catkins riding the wind, and he landed on the shore.

But the moment he turned around, he found that the donkey had vanished again.

Feng Yusheng turned back once more.

Sure enough, that elusive donkey and the Daoist were standing behind him.

This time, sweat was not merely beading on Feng Yusheng's forehead—streams were beginning to run down his back as well.

Was that lightness skill? I, the world's twenty-first greatest lightness skill expert, did not even catch a glimpse of their shadows.

Feng Yusheng felt that he was in grave danger today, but he could only force himself to take comfort.

Don't panic. He still doesn't know I'm a Guardian sent by the Five Gods Cult. If I handle this calmly, I'll surely be able to claw my way out of death.

In the midst of danger, a flash of inspiration struck Feng Yusheng, and he immediately found a way to escape.

He at once put on the bold bearing of a martial wanderer, cupped his fists, and offered a martial salute. "I am Feng Yusheng. I heard that the Silver Flower Demon Lord, wicked beyond measure and ranked first in the world in lightness skill, died at your hands, so I came to see whether you truly live up to your reputation."

"After all, my own lightness skill is also ranked second in the world on the Heavenly Secrets Ranking..."

Before the word "second" had fully left his mouth, the Daoist nodded. "The world's second greatest lightness skill expert? No wonder. You seek to contend for the seat of number one?"

Feng Yusheng froze for a long while, too embarrassed to say the "twenty-first" that came after.

"Indeed. But having met you today, I can see that you are truly extraordinary. Feng Yusheng is utterly convinced."

"After I return, I shall certainly train my skills even more diligently, and someday come again to seek your guidance."

"Mountains are high and roads are long; we shall meet again. Yusheng takes his leave. Until next time."

Feng Yusheng looked as though he had been conquered by superior skill, crestfallen as he turned to leave.

The moment he turned around, before he had even taken two steps, the fellow impatiently transformed into a streak of smoke and sped away at top speed.

The Daoist did not believe a word of this man's nonsense. This second-best martial artist in the realm in terms of lightness skill was nine times out of ten from the Five Gods Cult.

Gao Xian had been worrying over how to proceed after entering the city. After all, just one River God had made him refine an enormous furnaceful of Rejuvenation Pills. Every pill he ate made the vitality in his body and his spiritual essence grow by another measure.

And the Five Gods Cult—just from the name, one could tell there were four more.

How many places would he have to run to gather them all? And how many pills would he have to refine?

Feng Yusheng had only just slipped away and breathed a sigh of relief when a voice drifted over from behind him. "Don't be in such a hurry. We haven't even competed yet—how do you know whether I'm stronger than you?"

At first, the voice had still been far away. Before it had spoken more than a few words, it was already at his ear.

Mother of mercy, he's caught up! He must have seen through me. My life is over.

How could Feng Yusheng dare look back? He did not even dare speak. He put every last ounce of strength into his legs, running so fast his legs nearly left afterimages, his shadow stretching long beneath the sunset along the riverbank.

Yet no matter what he did, he could not shake off that donkey.

The other party was even insultingly running circles around him.

One moment it appeared to his left, the next to his right; one moment it kicked up sand ahead of him, the next it blew on the back of his neck.

But no matter which side it was on, it watched him with that terrifying, inhuman gaze, as if it were looking at meat in a pot.

Feng Yusheng was so frightened that he repeatedly cried out.

"Immortal! Immortal!"

"I surrender! I surrender! Feng admits defeat!"

Feng Yusheng fled for his life, while the Daoist sat calmly atop the donkey beside him and said, "As a martial arts master, how can you say you can't go on?"

"A person of the martial world may discard his life, but he must fight to the bitter end. That is the dignity of a master."

The Daoist's gaze was benevolent. "How about this poor Daoist lends you a hand? Only between life and death can a person's true potential be revealed."

"Bring out all your strength. Only then will this be a fair and just contest."

Feng Yusheng froze, utterly unable to understand what the Daoist meant.

But he soon found out.

Because the donkey behind him started breathing fire.

Feng Yusheng's backside caught fire. With a miserable howl, his speed soared to its limit, while both hands desperately patted at the flames on his buttocks.

But the moment his speed slowed even slightly, the fire immediately scorched his backside. If he slowed any further, his entire body would turn into roasted meat.

As the sun set, beside the riverbank.

A figure raced forward with desolate wails, while a donkey spewing fire chased merrily after him, having the time of its life.

What was slipping away was not youth, but loneliness.

The donkey's cackling laughter carried along the riverbank.

"Faster!"

"Faster!"

"This General Donkey is about to use thirty percent of his strength." General Donkey was beside himself with excitement.

But as he ran, Feng Yusheng suddenly collapsed to the ground.

The donkey stopped and went over to look. The man was foaming at the mouth, eyes bulging and limbs stiff, utterly motionless.

"Great Immortal! He's dead." The donkey had been chasing him so happily, racing about and breathing fire, only for this fellow to suddenly lie there like a corpse.

"??"

"Looks like... he ran himself to death!"

"I hadn't even exerted myself, and he already fell over."

"He's not dead. He merely fainted from running." The Daoist swept his gaze over him.

"Not that impressive, are you? And you dared boast that your lightness skill was second under heaven?" The donkey snorted disdainfully.

As they continued on, the commandery seat of Jiangting Commandery came into view in the distance.

Within the city, broad avenues crisscrossed, while pavilions and towers stretched on without end. It was far beyond what Gongzhou City could compare to.

The sun had already set. Lamps had been lit in many homes throughout the city, especially along both banks of the river.

The donkey clamped Feng Yusheng's collar in its teeth, stepped upon flames, and leaped into the darkness like a shooting star.

With hooves treading the wind, the Daoist looked down below.

The most striking sight in Jiangting Commandery was the surging river that ran through the city, as well as the pleasure quarters lining both banks.

Painted pleasure boats and lofty barges drifted across the river, their lanterns blazing, carrying countless strains of romance and the scent of rouge.

The freezing wind howled at an altitude of several dozen meters, rousing Feng Yusheng from the exhausted sleep he had just fallen into.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself looking down upon all of Jiangting Commandery from an endless height.

He had never seen all of Jiangting Commandery from such an angle before. It was so beautiful it dazzled the eye.

"Am I... flying?"