Chapter Forty-Two: Assassination

Within a hidden realm on the northern snowfields, the vast, empty Crimson Gold Dragon Palace was occupied only by two old men, both dressed in white and appearing quite advanced in years.

“What? Xiaomeng is injured? Xue Bo, are you certain?” The speaker was a man with white hair and beard, his features gentle and kind. By appearance alone, he could have passed for a middle-aged man. He wore a long white robe embroidered with seven-pointed snowflakes, draped with a cloak adorned with gemstones and agates of every hue—an aura of natural authority emanated from him, demanding respect without intimidation. The elder at his side, in contrast, wore much plainer attire: a Han-style robe embroidered with six-pointed snowflakes, signifying his rank just below that of the clan chief.

“Clan Chief, according to the news brought back by my third son, the young lady was injured while shielding a young man named Hua Feng from an arrow meant to slay gods. Fortunately, her unique Sevenfold Absolute Physique and the power you left within her body kept her safe for now—her life isn’t in immediate danger. But the longer this goes on, the greater the threat to her. Even though the arrow was loosed by one of Chiyou’s demon generals, rather than Chiyou himself, and its power was much diminished from its original might,” Xue Bo explained.

The Snow Lord was silent for a moment before asking, “Xue Bo, where are they now?”

“At the edge of the Bass Triangle in Australia, on a small island.”

“Instruct your third son to bring Xiaomeng back into our hidden realm. You and I cannot leave, so we must trouble your third son with this task. I am grateful. Xiaomeng has been away for so many years—I owe her millennia of care. This time, I cannot allow her to be in danger again, no matter what,” the Snow Lord said, his voice heavy with emotion.

“You honor me with your words, Snow Lord. I will see to it immediately.” With that, Xue Bo withdrew from the hall, leaving the Snow Lord alone, staring into the void. “Another collapse of time and space is about to begin. How quickly the years pass. I wonder if those old friends of mine are still in this world. Perhaps, before long, we will meet again.” Closing his eyes, he entered a meditative state, casting aside further worries.

After Hua Feng collapsed from exhaustion, he remained unconscious well into the night. Yunmeng, entrusted by Grandmaster Zhang to the care of the female Jurchen who had accompanied them, was also unconscious, but for now seemed to be in no immediate danger.

Due to the magnetic field and the fact that they were already within the detection range of the extraterrestrial radars, Dan Qiusheng abandoned the idea of electronic communication with the Chinese mainland. Grandmaster Zhang’s Daoist transmission arts were also ineffective over such great distances, but fortunately, Yinglong had a means of sending messages to headquarters via aquatic creatures.

After dinner, Yinglong, dressed in flawless white, approached the water’s edge. Dipping his fingers into the water, he softly summoned with the secret language of the dragon clan. Soon, a group of flying fish arrived, received the message, and swiftly scattered. Before long, the dragons would be informed of the latest situation through these flying fish, and news would be relayed to the Dao Alliance and the Chinese Cultivators Association.

The silent night descended quietly. At this moment, they were still thirty kilometers from the Australian mainland. Standing atop the highest points, those with keen eyesight could already make out the faint silhouette of the distant coast.

Once everyone was settled, Yinglong gathered Dan Qiusheng, Grandmaster Zhang, and Shen Qiu, calling them to a slope outside the cave to discuss their next course of action.

“In my view, we should send a small team ahead as a vanguard to probe the strength of the extraterrestrials. This will help us secure more favorable conditions for the forthcoming rescue. Although we have a fair number of Yuan Emperor-level cultivators, their abilities vary widely. If we’re not careful, we could easily find ourselves at a disadvantage,” Yinglong said. “What do you think?”

“Now that both Hua Feng and Miss Yunmeng are severely injured, we must proceed with caution. My suggestion is that Senior Yinglong and I conduct the reconnaissance ourselves. With our abilities, we can make a round trip of fifty kilometers in about two hours without alerting the extraterrestrials,” Dan Qiusheng proposed. “What are your thoughts, Grandmaster, Commander Shen?”

“We need someone to stay here and oversee operations, as well as protect the wounded. I think it best if Commander Shen and I, along with the other Yuan Emperor-level cultivators from each sect, remain to safeguard everyone. That is the most prudent course,” Grandmaster Zhang replied after some thought.

“I will defer to the wisdom of my seniors. I am willing to stay and protect the Heroic Chief and Miss Yunmeng,” Shen Qiu added respectfully.

After everyone had voiced their opinions, Yinglong nodded. “Very well. That settles it.”

“No time should be wasted. Let’s set out immediately!” Dan Qiusheng was determined to act quickly and decisively, aiming to achieve their goals with the utmost speed. Seeing no objections from Yinglong or the others, he turned and vanished into the night, with Yinglong disappearing just as suddenly in pursuit. Shen Qiu began his patrol of the island’s sentry posts.

No one noticed the shadow that had been lurking since the beginning, eavesdropping on the entire conversation. After Dan Qiusheng and the others left, a twisted smile crept across the shadow’s face—a look of mad glee, like one reveling in the success of a secret plot.

Once the others were gone, the figure in black emerged from the shadows and strode straight toward the entrance of the cave where Hua Feng lay. Two disciples of the Agricultural School, both at the Yuan King level, stood guard at the entrance.

“Thank you for your hard work, brothers. Has the Heroic Chief awakened?”

“Deputy Commander Zhou, not yet.”

“Very well. You keep watch—I’ll go in and check on him.”

With that, the man addressed as Deputy Commander Zhou entered the cave. Hua Feng lay quietly on the carefully prepared bed, a crystalline aura enveloping his body.

“Are you about to advance, Heroic Chief? My apologies, truly. For the sake of my wife and children, I have no choice but to follow their orders and end your life here.”

A flash of cold light—a dagger wreathed in true qi appeared in Deputy Commander Zhou’s hand. Step by step, he approached Hua Feng, murderous intent radiating from his every pore.