Hundred-Level Guardian, Dragon Venerable, Yasuo!

Star Luo Empire, Norse Province, Suo Village.

On ordinary days, Suo Village was filled with an incredibly peaceful aura. The villagers were harmonious, amiable, and gentle, and the scenery was exceptionally beautiful—a place that could almost be described as a "paradise."

But tonight, Suo Village had lost its former tranquility. Thick smoke rose from all directions, flames flickered everywhere, and the air was filled with countless desperate pleas for mercy and cries of pain. The loudest noise, however, came from the group of cloaked thugs in dark attire who were slaughtering wantonly.

In a corner of Suo Village, a middle-aged man and a relatively young woman gazed reluctantly at the black-haired little boy before them.

"Xiao Ying, listen carefully. In a moment, you will escape through this tunnel. Once you're out, head straight north. Don't look back. Run as far as you can, and never, ever come back!"

The middle-aged man pointed at an extremely hidden tunnel beside him. His tone was unusually stern, carrying a hint of finality that brooked no argument, but even more so, it was filled with endless worry and reluctance.

"If I leave, what about you, Father and Mother?" The black-haired boy's voice was choked with sobs, which instantly made the middle-aged woman—his mother—burst into tears.

The woman shook her head and hugged the boy tightly. Three breaths passed.

"Xiao Ying, I'm sorry. Mom loves you forever. You have to listen to your father. Run far away, find a place to live safely, and never come back."

Compared to the man, the woman was more decisive and resolute. She shoved the little boy into the tunnel, then closed the hidden lid. In an instant, darkness swallowed the boy.

In the darkness, the boy rubbed his sore back from the fall, but he couldn't afford to care about that. Inside the tunnel, he could faintly hear his parents' voices—or rather, their final cries in life. He fumbled for the ladder, climbed up, and quietly opened a crack to take a look.

That single glance became a scene he would never forget for the rest of his life. Not far away lay two figures he knew all too well. Yes, those two figures were his parents. Blood seeped from their bodies, staining a large patch of ground red.

The two corpses were facing in the boy's direction. He could clearly see the smiles on his parents' lips and the trace of worry between their brows as they died. The boy felt a sharp sting in his nose, and tears streamed uncontrollably down his cheeks. But he didn't rush out. Instead, he kept replaying his parents' words in his mind.

One of the men standing by the corpses suddenly spoke: "Clan Leader, are these two the last people in the village?"

Hearing this, a burly man lifted his foot and stomped the heads of the two corpses until they burst. Then he pulled off his cloak and said, "Are you sure? No one else can know about this purge operation. If you're certain, bring those evil soul masters over and kill them. Then we'll stage it as a massacre by evil soul masters, with our Xiao Clan arriving to help—but too late."

As the burly man finished speaking, another person ran over from a distance, clutching a blade in his arms. As he ran, he shouted, "Clan Leader, I found the sword you wanted."

The boy in the tunnel took in every scene unfolding before him. His eyes were bloodshot now. Witnessing his parents' deaths with his own eyes, and seeing their heads crushed, ignited an endless hatred in his heart. But he still restrained himself with iron will, his fists clenched so tightly that blood seeped through his fingers without him even noticing.

He knew the sword in the burly man's hand. It was the ancestral blade passed down through generations of Suo Village—Autumn Water!

The man drew the sword, brandished it a couple of times, then sneered with disdain: "This is the legendary divine sword of Suo Village? The quality isn't bad, but for us soul masters, it's still too trashy. All that effort planning this purge operation was a waste."

With that, the burly man snapped the sword in two and tossed it carelessly to the ground.

"Search again. This trip can't end like this. Dig three feet into the ground if you have to, but find that legendary divine sword."

"Yes, Clan Leader." With that, the group scattered again.

At that moment, the boy knew he couldn't stay any longer, or he would lose his chance to escape.

Suddenly, the clouds parted. Under the moonlight, the boy finally saw the burly man's face clearly. He knew who he was. In the end, he took one last deep look at the burly man, then groped his way through the darkness along the small path and left.

Six years later.

At the gates of Spirit City.

"Xiao Feng, do you really have to leave?" Bibi Dong looked at Feng Xiao before her, her face full of worry.

Feng Xiao merely smiled faintly. "Master, don't worry. I'm just going out for a stroll and to find suitable companions on the continent. At most a year, maybe two or three. Once I've found the partners I have in mind, I'll come back."

"Then let me send someone to accompany you?" Bibi Dong really wasn't at ease letting Feng Xiao go out alone.

"Relax, Master. One of my old subordinates has already arrived on the continent. He'll be here soon. Traveling with him, safety won't be an issue."

Hearing this, Bibi Dong breathed a sigh of relief. "Since that's the case, I won't say more. But are you sure it's okay not to tell Nana?"

Feng Xiao shook his head. "Better not. If I tell her, she'll either refuse to let me leave no matter what, or she'll insist on following me. As the Holy Maiden, it's better for her to stay at Spirit Hall."

"Alright then. Take good care of yourself."

"Mm."

Suddenly, from a bamboo grove not far ahead, a mournful flute sound rose. The sound gradually drew closer, accompanied by a golden dragon-shaped gust of wind. A seven-foot-tall black-haired swordsman with hints of gold in his hair appeared silently.

The swordsman's face bore endless traces of hardship. His beard was unkempt, and his eyes held an indescribably deep gaze. Across the bridge of his nose was a scar weathered by time.

At his waist hung a long blade with a red hilt and a gold scabbard. He walked toward Feng Xiao with steady, measured steps.

"Travel with the wind, but keep your guard up behind!"

"I'm not late."

This man was none other than the guard arranged by the system for this journey—a hundredth-level god-level powerhouse, the Dragon Venerable—Yasuo!

Looking at this incredibly handsome man, Feng Xiao nodded lightly. "You're not late. The timing is just right."

At that moment, a black-haired youth walked out of Spirit City. This person was none other than Suo Ying. He looked up at the sky and silently thought to himself: "Six years. Father, Mother, I'm sorry for not heeding your words. I'm going home. Going back... to take revenge!"

"Suo Ying, over here!"

Feng Xiao called out to Suo Ying, then turned to look at Bibi Dong. "Master, everyone's here. We'll be off now."

Bibi Dong was startled. She had thought Feng Xiao was going alone, but it turned out there was another person. Still, she didn't ask further. She simply looked at Feng Xiao with deep eyes and said, "Be careful in everything. Nana and I will be waiting for you to come home."

"Alright!"

As the first rays of dawn bathed the earth, Feng Xiao and his two companions set off on their journey.