"Yun Chen silently swore an oath in his heart and strode away.
As for the black-brown horse, it had already breathed its last, and there was no need for him to worry about it.
A gentle breeze blew across the clear, cloudless sky.
Yun Chen increased his pace along the imperial highway.
With his cultivation base, covering a thousand li in a single day was a breeze for him.
After walking for a while, he encountered a caravan.
Needing to ask for directions, Yun Chen leaped forward and blocked the path of the caravan.
With a long saber strapped to his back, he had a handsome face, though he looked travel-worn—a clear sign that he had been journeying for a long time.
The caravan came to a halt. Eight men were mounted on horses; all eight were practitioners in the Spirit-Guiding Realm, each exuding a fierce aura and clearly formidable fighters.
At their head was a burly man wielding a wolf-tooth mace covered in spikes. A single blow from that mace would likely smash a person to pulp.
Initially, this group had been somewhat tense to see someone dare to block their way.
However, upon seeing that Yun Chen was merely a youth of seventeen or eighteen, they all relaxed.
The burly leader asked, "Do you need something?"
"Greetings, brother. I would like to ask, how long does it take to get to Dayan Mountain from here, and which way is closer?" Yun Chen cupped his fists in greeting.
Lin Yuchu wanted to kill him.
Now that Lin Tao had been killed by him, once Lin Yuchu received the news, she would inevitably dispatch someone even more powerful than Lin Tao to intercept and kill him.
For safety's sake, he planned to head straight for Dayan Mountain and become a disciple there first.
"This place is very far from Dayan Mountain. Without a horse, it will take about half a month!" the man said. "I suggest you go to Xuefu City first and take a beast-drawn carriage from there. Not only will it be much more convenient, but your safety will also be better guaranteed."
Chapter Fourteen: Messengers of Hell
Yun Chen naturally knew of Xuefu City, but he had never been there.
Ever since joining the Tianyang Sect, he rarely ventured out, and the place he visited the most was actually a small town like Qingyang.
Thinking of this, Yun Chen hurriedly cupped his fists and said, "Um, big brother, could I—"
Before Yun Chen could finish, the burly man interrupted, "Apologies, little brother. We are indeed heading to Xuefu City, but I'm afraid we can't take you along. All our carriages are loaded with cargo, and even the ones without cargo already have people in them, so we can't accommodate you. If you don't mind the trouble, you're welcome to follow our caravan."
Each of these men had only one horse. If they added Yun Chen, he would have to share a mount with someone, which would drastically reduce the horse's speed, forcing the entire caravan to slow down—something the leader had no wish to see.
As for letting Yun Chen ride in a carriage, those belonged to his employer, and not even he had the authority to make that decision.
Hearing this, Yun Chen was immediately quite disappointed.
Just as he turned to leave, a very melodious voice drifted from the carriage at the front: "Young hero, if you don't mind, you may share this carriage with me."
The voice was crisp and clear, like a tinkling mountain spring, bringing an involuntary sense of tranquility to anyone who heard it.
"Then I thank you, Miss!"
Yun Chen quickly expressed his gratitude.
Seeing this, the burly man cast an envious glance at Yun Chen.
This fellow really had incredible luck to be able to share a carriage with the young miss.
With that, Yun Chen walked over to the foremost carriage, pulled back the door curtain, and stepped inside.
The space inside the carriage was quite decent, capable of accommodating four or five people. It featured a small bed, a tea table, a simple bookshelf, and even a small stool.
At the moment, a young woman dressed in a cyan gauze dress was sitting quietly on the bed. She wore a veil that obscured her features, but her eyes were lively, shimmering like deep autumn waters dotted with tiny specks of starlight.
A faint, pleasant fragrance permeated the carriage.
"I don't know this young hero's name yet," the young woman said, gazing at Yun Chen with a hint of curiosity.
It was precisely because Yun Chen was so young, and yet had boarded the carriage without the slightest hesitation, that she held him in higher regard.
One had to know that lone travelers rarely boarded a caravan's carriages unless they were extremely confident in their own abilities.
"Yun Chen!" Yun Chen gave a slight cupped-fist salute.
"Mm." Shen Yan'er gave a slight nod. Seeing that he did not actively ask for her name, she said nothing more.
In the blink of an eye, three hours passed.
"Miss, ahead is First-Line Gorge. Shall we rest for the night, or press on immediately?" The burly man's inquiry came from outside the carriage, and the vehicle came to a halt.
"Let's rest for the night!" Shen Yan'er replied.
Because they were stopping to rest, Yun Chen also climbed out of the carriage.
Seeing Yun Chen emerge from the carriage, envy appeared on the faces of quite a few people.
As guards, they had no qualification to share a carriage with the young miss.
Who knew where this fellow had gotten such good fortune.
Some people were already pitching tents, and Yun Chen looked ahead.
Ahead were two massive peaks with a narrow path winding between them; that must be the so-called First-Line Gorge.
The afterglow of the setting sun cast its rays, making the earth look as though it were draped in a translucent gown—breathtakingly beautiful.
"Young Hero Yun, First-Line Gorge is the territory of the bandit Jiang Liuer. Jiang Liuer is said to be a powerhouse in the Early Origin Opening Realm and holds a formidable reputation within a radius of a hundred li. The reason we aren't passing through by night is not only because this is Jiang Liuer's territory, but more importantly, rumor has it that he keeps a terrifying breed of insect that only appears at night. If we try to pass through at night and have the misfortune of running into Jiang Liuer, I'm afraid this caravan will be doomed!" Shen Yan'er had also stepped out of the carriage. Seeing Yun Chen looking toward First-Line Gorge, she took the initiative to speak.
Yun Chen nodded slightly.
A powerhouse in the Origin Opening Realm could indeed dominate a region.
One had to realize that even among top-tier major sects like the Tianyang Sect, there were not many powerhouses in the Origin Opening Realm.
"Is there really no one who comes to eliminate this bandit?" Yun Chen asked with some confusion.
For bandits who specialized in plundering homes and robbing caravans, wouldn't the army of the Daxia Nation normally step in directly?
Knowing what Yun Chen meant, Shen Yan'er explained, "This Jiang Liuer is incomparably cunning. Every time experts arrive, he vanishes without a trace. The moment those experts retreat, he comes back out to wreak havoc."
Yun Chen did not press further.
The tents were quickly set up, and some guards proactively started a bonfire.
After eating, the guard captain assigned a tent to Yun Chen.
Naturally, they wouldn't have Yun Chen sleep in the carriage with Shen Yan'er all night.
"Brother, what's your name?" Seeing that it was getting late, a young guard walked up to Yun Chen and asked on his own initiative.
This guard looked quite young, probably only fifteen or sixteen, yet the aura about him was very sharp, clearly having experienced quite a few things.
"My name is Yun Chen!"
"Brother Yun, I have to say, you've got incredible luck to be able to share a carriage with the young miss. Hehe, you probably have no idea how many scions of noble families, young masters of high-ranking officials, and heirs are dying to share a carriage with the young miss."
"Right, let me tell you, our young miss is the personally designated direct disciple of the First Pavilion Master of Tianjian Pavilion. Once she returns to Heiyan City this time, she will go straight to Tianjian Pavilion to study."
This young guard was clearly the friendly, outgoing type and didn't hide anything from Yun Chen, spilling all the details about the caravan and the cyan-robed woman.
Only then did Yun Chen learn that the cyan-robed woman was named Shen Yan'er, and she was also the daughter of the head of the Shen family in Heiyan City. Now, she had even become the disciple of the First Pavilion Master of Tianjian Pavilion, making her a renowned figure in Heiyan City.
The young guard was named Tieniu, and he had been out on his own for a few years, following the guard detail and taking on guard missions.
Just as Tieniu was still pondering something, the ground suddenly began to tremble.
Tieniu jumped to his feet in a flash, and Yun Chen stood up right along with him.
Not only that, but dozens of guards gathered together in the very first instant, looking ahead with extreme tension.
From over there, the sound of galloping horses was rolling in.
The hoofbeats were so dense that the number of riders was clearly quite large.
The guard captain had already walked to the very front, and the huge wolf-tooth mace strapped to his back was now gripped tightly in his hands.
The rest of the men also drew their weapons, standing by in strict battle readiness.
Finally, as the riders drew closer, everyone could clearly see the horsemen.
Those people wore uniform attire and ghost masks on their faces, giving off a chilling, ghastly vibe beneath the night sky.
"Not good! It's the Messengers of Hell!"
The moment he saw these people, the guard captain's expression changed drastically.
Chapter Fifteen: Xuefu City
Under the cover of night, a total of a hundred-odd horses thundered over and came to a halt right in front of the caravan.
Atop their steeds, figures wearing ghost masks were sizing up the members of the caravan.
Tieniu was extremely nervous, standing amidst the large crowd right beside Yun Chen.
"What's the deal with these Messengers of Hell?" Yun Chen asked Tieniu beside him.
He had never heard of any Messengers of Hell.
At that moment, Tieniu's body was trembling slightly, and cold sweat had already broken out on his forehead, which showed just how much pressure the four words "Messengers of Hell" put on him.
Hearing Yun Chen's question, he hurriedly explained, "The Messengers of Hell are violent outlaws, and it's said that this group of bandits roams between major nations!"
"Unlike other highwaymen, once they target you—whether you're a sect, a noble clan, a mountain village, a merchant group, or a caravan—you will be wiped out completely, down to the last chicken and dog!"
"It's just that inside the Daxia Nation, Messengers of Hell rarely appear. I only heard about them by chance from the captain, who said that if we ever ran into these people, none of us would likely live to see tomorrow's sun. Brother Yun Chen, it looks like we're dead for sure tonight!"
Tieniu's tone revealed deep despair.
Yun Chen's expression also suddenly turned solemn.
He hadn't expected the Messengers of Hell to have such a formidable background.
His gaze fell upon those figures, and sure enough, he found that every single one of these fellows exuded a sharp aura, with intensely heavy killing intent—clearly not ordinary bandits.
The members of the caravan were filled with utter despair at this moment.
They knew that encountering the Messengers of Hell meant there was zero chance of survival.
What left Yun Chen somewhat puzzled was that Shen Yan'er still hadn't gotten out of the carriage, as if she had no idea the caravan had run into the Messengers of Hell at all.
"Big brother, we're in luck! To think we'd run into so many fat sheep here!" a member of the Messengers of Hell laughed with a cackle.
If their boss hadn't given the order yet, they likely would have already struck and wiped all these people out.
"Don't make trouble! Pass straight through First-Line Gorge!"
The leader of the Messengers of Hell let out a cold snort, then squeezed his horse's flanks with his legs and pulled the reins. With a shout, his horse charged straight toward First-Line Gorge.
The remaining members of the Messengers of Hell also chuckled and left the area.
"Consider yourselves lucky this time!"
The Messenger of Hell who had spoken earlier threw out that parting remark.
Before long, the hundred-plus men had left the area, plunging straight into First-Line Gorge.
This caused the guard captain to heave a heavy sigh of relief. Even though it was the dead of night and the weather wasn't hot, he was drenched in cold sweat.
"What are the Messengers of Hell doing running into Daxia territory?"
"Judging by their direction, they should be heading toward Xuefu City."
"God knows which faction is about to have bad luck. Sigh, any faction that crosses paths with the Messengers of Hell almost invariably meets total destruction."
The survivors spoke up one after another.
Tieniu nearly collapsed straight to the ground.
Who could have imagined running into the Messengers of Hell in a place like this?
Fortunately, the Messengers of Hell seemed to be in a rush and didn't stay to slaughter them; otherwise, not a single person present would have lived.
"Boom, boom, boom, boom..."
Just at that moment, the earth trembled once more.
Everyone exchanged glances with the people beside them, looking somewhat baffled.
Before long, a massive banner standing four or five meters tall appeared in the distance, emblazoned with a black Heavenly Dragon pattern.
Upon seeing that banner, the guard captain Pan Ya's expression changed once again, and he cried out in alarm, "It's the Daxia Nation's Heavenly Dragon Guard!"
The Heavenly Dragon Guard was the imperial garrison of the Daxia Nation. They rarely showed themselves in public, and every time they did, it meant a major event was about to happen in Daxia.
Yun Chen had naturally heard of Daxia's Heavenly Dragon Guard. This was a nation-guarding elite force of the Daxia Nation; their numbers were small, but they were the cream of the crop, numbering probably only around ten thousand.
The Heavenly Dragon Guard did not ride horses, but rather Barbaric Dragon Beasts. These beasts possessed massive statures resembling elephants, with thick and powerful limbs capable of covering five thousand li in a single day—making them one of the fastest spirit beasts within the Daxia Nation.
Once the Heavenly Dragon Guard had passed, Pan Ya hurriedly shouted, "Everyone, pack up your things! We're going straight through First-Line Gorge!"
Both the Heavenly Dragon Guard and the Messengers of Hell had appeared.
No matter how daring Jiang Liuer was, he wouldn't dare to make a move against these two forces.
The people hurriedly packed up their tents and, setting off once more, charged directly into First-Line Gorge.
Sure enough, just as Pan Ya had guessed, upon entering, they did not encounter the slightest obstruction.
An hour later, the group finally made it through First-Line Gorge.
"With both the Messengers of Hell and the Heavenly Dragon Guard mobilized, it looks like something major is about to happen in the Daxia Nation," Shen Yan'er said, frowning from inside the carriage.
Yun Chen had already returned to the carriage and nodded slightly upon hearing this, agreeing with Shen Yan'er's assessment.
The rest of the journey was uneventful.
Two days later, the caravan finally arrived at Xuefu City.
Xuefu City was one of the largest cities in the Daxia Nation. Its walls stood over a hundred meters high, looming before the eyes like a massive mountain range at a single glance.
Patrolling the city walls were numerous soldiers clad in heavy armor.
At the city gate entrance, eight soldiers stood guard. Yun Chen was not sitting inside the carriage at this moment; instead, he stood at the front of the carriage, gazing at the incomparably magnificent Xuefu City.
To be honest, this was the first time he had ever seen such a massive city with his own eyes.
"That's Xuefu City up ahead!" Shen Yan'er let out an involuntary breath of relief as she looked at the enormous city.
She had somehow walked up behind Yun Chen without him noticing.
The faint, refreshing scent of a young maiden drifted over, making Yun Chen's cheeks heat up slightly.
One had to realize that he rarely interacted with the opposite sex.
Come to think of it, the only female he had interacted with in this lifetime was probably just Xiaoqing.
Thinking of Xiaoqing, Yun Chen's gaze dimmed involuntarily.
He wondered how the little girl was doing.
No, he had to seize the time to cultivate; one day, he would definitely go to Tianjian Pavilion and bring Xiaoqing back.
After paying a few spirit stones, the carriage smoothly entered the city.
Once inside, Yun Chen took the initiative to step down from the carriage.
"Miss Shen, thank you all. Without you, I truly wouldn't have been able to make it to Xuefu City in such a short time. If you ever need anything in the future, you can come find me at Dayan Mountain. If it's something I can help with, Yun Chen will not refuse." Heiyan City and Dayan Mountain lay in different directions, so Yun Chen had to part ways with Shen Yan'er and the others here.
"Very well, then take care, Young Hero Yun."
Yun Chen turned and walked into the crowd with great decisiveness, vanishing from Shen Yan'er's field of vision.
Shen Yan'er shook her head slightly, giving it no further thought.
To her, Yun Chen was merely a passing traveler.
She was about to go to Tianjian Pavilion to cultivate and was destined to be one of the illustrious figures of the future, whereas Yun Chen was already at least seventeen or eighteen and yet merely a Spirit-Guiding Realm practitioner—compared to her, a Peak Qi Condensation Realm practitioner, the difference was as vast as heaven and earth.
Yun Chen squeezed into the crowd and, following the directions Pan Ya had given him, headed toward the beast station to catch a beast-drawn carriage to Dayan Mountain.
"Are you Brother Feiyang?"
A figure suddenly blocked Yun Chen's path.
Chapter Sixteen: Dragons Do Not Dwell with Snakes
The person who blocked Yun Chen was a youth of fifteen or sixteen years old. The youth wore a dark blue robe and possessed delicate, handsome features; at that moment, he was frowning as he sized Yun Chen up.
"Yun Mengchen!" Yun Chen blurted out.
Yun Mengchen was his third uncle's son and also an outer disciple of Dayan Mountain.
The Yun family was a large clan with numerous offspring, and quite a few members of the family had joined various sects.
As far as Yun Chen knew, he also had a cousin in the Tianyang Sect, though he hadn't laid eyes on that cousin ever since his own cultivation base was crippled.
As for the Yun Mengchen before him, he had joined Dayan Mountain a few years ago. Because they hadn't seen each other in years, and Yun Chen's appearance had undergone some changes, Yun Mengchen wasn't entirely certain whether the person before him was indeed his cousin Yun Feiyang.
"It really is you, Brother Feiyang!" Yun Mengchen exclaimed in pleasant surprise.
"Hmph, what Brother Feiyang? Just a rejected disciple of the sect! Mengchen, you are destined to be a proud figure who becomes an inner disciple of Dayan Mountain. It's best you have as little to do with trash like this who even his own sect discarded!"
A voice came from behind, causing Yun Chen to knit his brows slightly.
"Brother Ziyue!" Yun Mengchen's expression shifted slightly.
A male also clad in a dark blue robe was walking over with a young man and woman in tow.
"That's right, Mengchen. You are, after all, an outer disciple of Dayan Mountain now. Remember, don't associate with trash family members; it only lowers your own status for no reason."
"Never thought we'd run into the Yun family's former number one proud prodigy in Xuefu City. Tsk tsk!"
The remaining two chimed in as well.
Walking in the very front was Yun Ziyue, the son of Yun Chen's eldest uncle. His talent was considered exceptional, possessing an Earth Spiritual Root, and he had always been highly valued within the family. However, no one had expected that later on, Yun Feiyang would test positive for a Heavenly Spiritual Root, completely overshadowing him and stealing all his thunder. Ever since then, whenever people mentioned the Yun family, they only remembered the favored son of heaven Yun Feiyang, entirely forgetting about him, Yun Ziyue.
It was precisely because of these reasons that Yun Ziyue had always felt disgruntled inside.
He never expected that this same Yun Feiyang would actually be expelled from the sect. To Yun Ziyue, this was simply fantastic news.
His parents and Yun Feiyang's parents had never gotten along, so the younger generation constantly experienced friction and mutual rivalry. This had resulted in Yun Ziyue feeling not the slightest hint of sorrow over the downfall of Yun Feiyang's family; instead, he took a certain malicious pleasure in it.
As for the other two, one was named Yun Zhongfei, also a member of the Yun family and the fourth uncle's son. He had always been Yun Ziyue's lackey and had bullied Yun Feiyang plenty of times before Yun Feiyang rose to prominence.
The young woman was Yun Mengchen's elder sister, Yun Shanshan."