Burning Flowers, Swaying Moon, Asking About the Past - Striding Like a Tiger, Soaring Like an Eagle, Kindling Spirit Light to Slay

That morning, the weather was clear and mild. Out in the countryside, flowers breathed fragrance and willows flaunted their charms, a riot of purple and crimson amid spring's boundless splendor. Yet on this secluded woodland path outside Yangshan County, voices clamored, and no one had any heart to admire the beauty of the mortal world around them.

Naturally, no one noticed that, as the unlucky youth was surrounded, a pink swallowtail butterfly rested on a tender wildflower not far away at the edge of the woods. Whenever a breeze swept past, the butterfly swayed with the flower's stem; sunlight caught its gently stirring pink wings, setting rainbow colors flowing across them.

Perhaps this was merely an ordinary sight in the green fields of spring. But just as poisoned blades began to show amid the surging crowd, that strangely colored butterfly spread its wings and fluttered down from the flower. The instant it touched the ground, it transformed into a slender young maiden of misty, enchanting grace!

Having taken human form, the maiden flitted away into the distance like a butterfly threading through flowers, leaving only a faint phantom trail behind her.

Meanwhile, Xing Yan remained unaware, merely hesitating over whether he should use magic to disperse these ordinary people. By now, the concealed assassins had pressed close, nearly within striking distance. Looking at their target, so close at hand, a gleam of delight appeared in their eyes:

Ha! In the end, this boy is still just a fledgling!

No sooner had the thought arisen than the daylight abruptly darkened before their eyes, as though the Heavenly Hound had swallowed the sun.

Sensing the change, those harboring treacherous intentions looked up. They had barely glimpsed a vast dark cloud blotting out the sun when a great rush of wind sounded, and