Wanderers Among Nations

"Tomorrow, I shall finally leave this Miluo Kingdom and enter the Black Domain Great Plains!"

Beside the roaring bonfire, Yun Zimo whispered in contemplation. After days of travel, his handsome face, now weathered by the journey, reflected the flickering firelight. Flames danced in his eyes, stirring up waves of memories...

"I have finally left the Jia Ma Empire. Once I cross the East Ridge Plains, I will be in foreign territory."

Having traversed the Tagor Desert and successfully cleared the Black Mountain Fortress, Yun Zimo pulled out a map to check his position. After confirming his direction, he set off once more.

Half a month ago, feeling that his foundation had been sufficiently tempered under the beatings of the Snake-Person Tribe elders, he had decisively chosen to continue his journey. After giving his final instructions to Gu He, he had "escaped" the Snake-Person Holy City under the cover of night and pressed eastward.

After a brief exchange of blows with the Dou Emperor guarding the Black Mountain Fortress, he had made a smooth exit. After several twists and turns, he had finally stepped beyond the borders of the Jia Ma Empire.

Once clear of the border, Yun Zimo suddenly stopped. After a moment of thought, he sat cross-legged. Before long, the aura around his body began to plummet until his energy vortex was completely empty, and the Dou Crystal representing his Dou King realm gradually faded into nothingness...

Clenching his now-empty palm, Yun Zimo smiled faintly and confidently continued his trek forward.

"Yo, traveler, what can I get for you?"

In a bustling border town, Yun Zimo, draped in a black robe, silently entered a lively little inn.

"A premium room, and bring a few small dishes first."

Yun Zimo's voice was hoarse and aged, and the hand he used to produce a silver coin appeared sallow and withered.

"Coming right up! One premium room!"

The waiter shouted toward the kitchen. Yun Zimo observed the hall briefly before taking a seat beside a group of men who appeared to be merchants.

"...His Majesty has already dispatched troops to suppress the rebellious Alchemist Guild. All the sects, large and small, have 'volunteered' to join the fray. I reckon the Alchemist Guild is finished this time..."

"...Things haven't been peaceful in the Black-Corner Region lately. The black sandstorms on the plains have been abnormally frequent..."

"..."

Yun Zimo sipped his tea, quietly eavesdropping on the various reports. This city, a crossroads for many nations, was a hub for merchants and mercenaries, making it the most reliable place to gather intelligence.

"Traveler, here is your food!"

"Many thanks..."

Yun Zimo casually tipped a silver coin, and the grateful waiter retreated with a knowing smile.

Sitting cross-legged on the bed in his room, Yun Zimo's chest rose and fell rhythmically, drawing the free-roaming energy of heaven and earth into his skin and blood with every breath. As the energy circulated through his meridians, his flesh greedily absorbed it, while the useless impurities were expelled through his pores.

"I am almost back to being a Dou Practitioner!"

Seven stages in a single day—how many youths just starting their cultivation journey would be terrified by such a speed?

As the first light of dawn appeared, Yun Zimo pushed open the door with a creak. Just as the sun began to crest the city walls, he left the city and headed southeast.

After traveling for less than an hour, Yun Zimo's footsteps faltered. He stopped. Across the vast, endless plains, villages and towns were scattered like stars, and the surroundings seemed perfectly ordinary.

"Such keen perception..."

A gloomy-faced youth in grey robes clapped his hands as he strolled forward.

"I never expected that an old man like you, a mere Dou Practitioner, would be able to detect our setup."

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Several figures burst from the ground, moving swiftly to surround Yun Zimo.

"Poison Wolf Mercenary Group."

The grey-robed youth donned his Dou Qi Armor and offered a polite bow.

"Please hand over your valuables, and you might avoid unnecessary suffering."

Seeing Yun Zimo gently remove his black robe and store it in his storage ring, the grey-robed youth's eyes lit up. He had stumbled upon a high-value target!

"I am a Dou Practitioner who dares to travel alone. Aren't you afraid of capsizing in the gutter?"

Yun Zimo tightened his cuffs and said softly.

"Heh, true, traveling alone is a bit suspicious, but you're right about one thing—you are just a Dou Practitioner!"

The youth, who had been stalling for time to build up his strength, waved his hand, and the group swarmed forward.

"Even if you have some powerful background, who would ever know what happens in this desolate wilderness!"

"What I meant was, that is not..."

Yun Zimo's mutterings were drowned out by the shouts of battle. Soon after, amidst layers of dust, the dull thuds of flesh hitting flesh, accompanied by terrified screams, echoed across the empty plains...

Trying to run? Seeing the grey-robed Dou Master turning to flee, Yun Zimo stomped on the ground. A square stone brick instantly appeared in his hand, and in the next heartbeat, it was hurled with a sharp, piercing whistle.

"Bang!"

Hearing the sound behind him, the Dou Master knew he couldn't dodge it, so he gritted his teeth and turned to block it head-on. Unexpectedly, the moment he raised his arms, the immense force from the brick caused excruciating pain. His Dou Qi Armor shattered instantly, and both his arms were left a mangled, bloody mess.

"You... you are not a Dou Practitioner!"

The youth's face was filled with horror, but he dared not stop. He endured the pain and turned to flee, terrified of being caught by such a monster.

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Two more piercing sounds rang out. The grey-robed Dou Master's legs gave way. The agony from two bloody holes was slowly eclipsed by despair. Looking at his subordinates falling one by one, the Dou Master knew it was over...

"A mercenary group led by a Dou Master—as expected, there isn't much worth taking here..."

After stripping the scattered corpses bare, Yun Zimo spoke with a hint of disappointment before walking toward the Dou Practitioner captain, whose limbs had been broken and who was wailing incessantly.

"Don't, don't kill me! I... I am an outer sect disciple of the Golden Goose Sect! My teacher is a Dou Grandmaster! If you dare to kill me, my teacher will never let you off!"

The grey-robed youth no longer possessed a shred of his former elegance; he squirmed in terror with his mangled body, roaring in desperation, terrified that the smiling devil before him would deal a lethal blow.

"The Golden Goose Sect..."

Without sparing another glance at the spiteful youth, whose skull had been pierced and pinned to the ground by a slender wooden stake, Yun Zimo tossed the looted sundries into a low-grade Storage Ring.

He condensed a mist in his hands and scattered it before him. After stepping through it to wash himself, all the bloodstains and grime vanished from his body. A refreshed Zimo took out an immaculate black robe and set off once more, though his direction had shifted slightly from his original plan.

Raging flames ignited, and all the evidence of his sins was burned to ash within the firelight...

"Have you heard? Lang Xiaotian, an outer sect deacon elder of the Golden Goose Sect, was killed at the post house!"

"Really? Damn, that was a Dou Grandmaster!"

"Of course it's true. The higher-ups of the Golden Goose Sect are furious and have ordered a nationwide manhunt for the killer. But... hehe, I really hope they can't even find a single hair!"

"..."

Inside a teahouse in the Imperial Capital of the Golden Goose Empire, Yun Zimo heard the news. A trace of coldness flickered across his aged, wrinkled face, yet his heart remained completely calm. After all, who would suspect an ordinary, elderly Dou Practitioner?

"Useless trash!"

Golden Goose Sect, Outer Sect.

The brocade-clad elder violently flung a scroll; the messenger who was struck knelt on the ground, trembling and not daring to raise his head.

"So many people couldn't even catch one person! What use are you to me!"

"I give you half a month to catch the killer. If you fail, you will all be fed to the Golden Eagles!"

Just as the Golden Goose Sect was frantically conducting their search, Yun Zimo had already left the Imperial Capital and was slowly making his way toward the border of the Golden Goose Empire.

Along the way, Yun Zimo used his re-cultivated body to challenge various obscure experts who had clawed their way up through life-and-death struggles, exposing all the issues he had previously overlooked.

"If I reach the Dou King realm this way, my foundation will be flawless!"

Yun Zimo continued southward in this manner. Whenever he encountered highwaymen, he would ask for their affiliations before they died, then quietly slip over to their bases to help them fulfill their "dying wishes"...

Discussing the Dao, robbing the road, and preaching the Dao!

Yun Zimo told himself that the path of a wandering hero was simple and fulfilling.

The Golden Goose Empire, the Mulan Empire, the Chu Yun Empire, the Xinglan Empire...

However, what Yun Zimo did not expect was that his impulsive actions would leave behind an enduring folk legend across this Northwest Region: the Black-Robed Messenger walking the mortal world, meting out justice for the suffering...

"Finally, I have returned to the Dou King realm."

Dou Qi Wings manifested behind Yun Zimo once more, though this time the wings were remarkably solid. The dark stars that had once dotted them were now gone; the pure white left wing and the cyan-glowing right wing hovered behind him like physical objects, and as they vibrated slightly, the aura of wind and clouds flowed between them.

"The final stop: the Black-Corner Region!"