Gale Sword Hero

The surrounding walls were covered in murals depicting laborers, hunters, soldiers, and wet nurses feeding infants. Most striking were the figures in the center of three walls:

To the left was a tall figure with slender legs and a head like a tree canopy. To the right, a black wolf and a white sheep nestled closely together. They appeared to be Ivern and Kindred.

It seemed these three were the God of Wind, God of Wood, and God of Death that Ionia had always revered. These murals were lifelike, combined with various human life scenes, like a magnificent ancient epic.

This must be a temple. Why am I here? Wasn't I in a cave? I was seriously injured by Jhin's clone explosion and then lost consciousness.

Where is this place?

As I was wondering, I saw an old woman and a young woman enter.

The old woman wore simple gray clothes and was gaunt. The young woman wore a tight-fitting outfit, with slender eyebrows, clear eyes, and a spirited, sharp melon seed face. Apart from the absence of a scar, she looked exactly like Alanta.

"Harbinger, we can't hold this place much longer. The Noxian army will sweep over us soon. Let's retreat towards Prexian and regroup with the resistance forces there before making further plans."

The old woman shook her head. A light flashed on her fingertips, and she wrote a few words in the air: I cannot abandon these people here.

The young woman tried to persuade her further when someone rushed in from outside in a panic:

"Reporting to the Harbinger, the Noxian army has broken through our defenses! Two of the three Shepherds have fallen, and Elder Suma's disciple was severely wounded and just brought back!"

The old woman hurried out, seemingly anxious to save the person. Elder Suma's disciple? Could it be Yasuo!

I wanted to follow them out but found my legs unable to move. I had experienced this before, when I died as Leivo.

At that time, in Demacia's Hall of Valor, I watched Fiora and Lux grieve deeply but couldn't go over to comfort them. It was the same situation now.

In this dream, Noxus and Ionia were at war, and even the Shepherds had died.

If I guessed correctly, this mute old woman was the Western Harbinger. Just as Buck had said, she also died in this war. The only divine official left alive in the entire western region was Zhao Xin.

Soon, the two returned. The old woman was panting, her face pale, looking as if she had just expended a great deal of energy. The light on her fingers was very faint. She persisted in writing in the air:

"Alanta, thank you for coming here to help despite defying your master's orders. But the west can no longer be defended. I have also passed on my final life force to Yasuo. I couldn't bear to watch Elder Suma's disciple die. He has only just survived and needs proper rest to recover. I hope you can help me look after him. You should leave quickly."

Alanta hesitated for a moment, tears welling in her eyes, and then left. Soon, the sound of shouting and killing filled the air, and the flames of war spread towards them.

The old woman sat down cross-legged, her eyes closed, emitting waves of light. Her pale lips parted slightly:

"The divine punishment is coming!"

At the last moment of her life, she actually spoke. I thought that by this time, a new Harbinger must have been born.

The ground began to shake violently, and the temple started to collapse. I could only watch as broken stones and tiles buried us...

But I wasn't worried, because this was just a dream. I would wake up soon. I just didn't know if I would still be Zhao Xin when I woke up...

In the dream, the old woman entrusted Yasuo to Alanta. Could Akali be their child? As I was thinking this, I suddenly woke up, this time without any panic.

I was now in a wooden hut. The room was small and simply furnished. There was no mirror here, so I couldn't see my face. However, judging by my limbs, I was no longer Zhao Xin.

Jhin's self-detonation had ultimately cost me my life. I quickly left the hut, trying to confirm my identity.

The area was surrounded by mountains, with buildings built along the slopes, exuding a primitive aura. It looked like Ionia.

After walking along the mountain path for a while, I found a training ground where many people were practicing swordplay. No one paid any attention to me as I approached, and it seemed I wasn't very welcome.

Just as I was about to leave and go elsewhere, I noticed an old man approaching from not too far away. He looked very old, but his legs moved with the wind, and he was very steady, no less than a young man.

"Elder Suma."

All the sword practitioners stopped their movements and greeted him in unison. So, he was Yasuo's master. It seemed the dream and my rebirth were connected.

"You all may go. I have something to say to Yasuo."

Yasuo? Where is he? I looked around, only to find that everyone on the training ground except me had left.

At this moment, a huge question mark formed in my mind, more astonishing than the first time I came to this world. I had become Yasuo?

Had I ultimately become the person I hated the most?

"Yasuo, you performed bravely in the last confrontation with the Noxian invasion. I am breaking protocol to accept you as a formal disciple. However, I have not taught you my ultimate techniques for two reasons: first, I feared your body could not withstand them, and second, I feared your impetuous nature might lead to great disaster. After observing you for this period, I have found that among all the Wind Sword Sect disciples, only you possess the ability to learn the Wind Riding Technique. Therefore, I have decided to pass this ancient art onto you."

Wind Sword Sect? Wind Riding Technique? This is interesting. If I master it, will I also become a happy wind man?

Thinking this, I felt an inexplicable sense of anticipation. Wait, why was I so happy about becoming the person I hated? Were people's criticisms truly from the heart?

"Thank you, Master. I will spare no effort!"

Without any preparation, Suma immediately began teaching me.

The core of the Wind Riding Technique is "Wind Force." Only by learning how to find Wind Force can one gradually control and utilize wind power.

Finding Wind Force is an extremely dangerous and difficult task. This is because, at the beginning, one must undergo trials on the windiest mountain peaks, and one must do so naked to sense it.

Wind is an invisible natural phenomenon. While it might feel insignificant or even pleasant when it blows normally, it's different on a mountain peak.

The wind here is extremely cold and fierce, unbearable for ordinary people, especially if exposed for a whole day. Cold and dampness can enter the body, leading to various illnesses. Doing this every day, without finding Wind Force, is very dangerous.

Even if you find Wind Force, it doesn't mean you have mastered the Wind Riding Technique. This is because Wind Force is easiest to find in strong gales. Afterward, you must search for it in progressively weaker winds, until you can utilize Wind Force even in the absence of any breeze. This makes it extremely dangerous and, at the same time, extremely difficult.