Panic surfaced on Lian Pingchao's face. He hurriedly tried to sense his Literary Palace, but could not find it. His Literary Qi was gone as well. Every ounce of his scholarly power had vanished.
"Fang Yun!"
Lian Pingchao ground his teeth, his face twisted with fury, and shouted Fang Yun's name with almost every scrap of strength in his body.
Moments later, the anger on his face turned to regret.
Had I known this would happen, I never should have opposed him. I should simply have followed behind him! What exactly happened to the Bloodmang Ancient Land? Why did Fang Yun possess such immense power? Had my power disappeared temporarily, or was it gone forever? There had to be a way to fix this! I could surely regain my lost power and rise above Fang Yun! Lord of Bloodmang? I would never believe such a claim! What right did a mere Hanlin Academician have to call himself the Lord of Bloodmang?
With these thoughts running through his mind, Lian Pingchao strode toward Qingyang City, but after only a few dozen steps, he began panting heavily.
Lian Pingchao's expression grew darker still. Without his scholarly power, he was merely a powerless old man in his sixties.
A Grand Academician could swiftly cover a hundred li, but an old man would need at least ten hours to walk that far.
Lian Pingchao gritted his teeth and said, "I rose all the way from Child Scholar to Grand Academician. Besides learning, what mattered most was my will. A trifling difficulty cannot defeat me. I still have my Lake-Containing Shell and many divine treasures. As long as I recover even a thread of Literary Qi, I can rise again like the sun over the eastern mountains..."
Lian Pingchao's voice abruptly cut off.
"Where is