Chapter 174: 163 Heart Above

Time passed bit by bit.

The wind grew hotter, even the mist from the waterfall became stuffy and oppressive.

Ding Yu’s pants stuck to him, completely soaked through.

He waited for more than ten minutes again.

By this time, it was completely past noon, around 12:30.

A wealthy spectator took out a pocket watch from the West to confirm the current time.

Then looking at the Dangshan Tiger, a slight mockery inevitably appeared in their heart.

“Perhaps the Golden Wing Pavilion never intended to fight him, they were just playing and teasing him?” someone guessed.

“Let’s go, there’s nothing to watch.”

“Disperse, it’s boring now.”

After watching so many times, everyone had actually figured out what kind of person the Dangshan Tiger was.

This guy was just a martial arts fanatic and a fierce man.

Previously, he continuously ambushed caravans and attacked passing groups just to provoke Wushan Prefecture into sending experts.

Now that his goal was achieved, the result left him greatly disappointed.

Recently, the Dangshan Tiger didn’t even bother robbing anyone.

Just the other day, a rather large caravan hired official soldiers at a high price for protection, but nothing happened in the end.

It could be seen that Ding Yu didn’t care about the amount of wealth at all.

Shangguan Qingrong and Shangguan Hao also watched Ding Yu from the shadows.

Both were traveling incognito, disguised in private clothes, and wore specially made leather masks to alter their appearance.

All this was to avoid being discovered.

“The envoy from the Golden Wing Pavilion surely won’t come. He’s not that stupid. This Ding Yu has previously won several times in a row, with terrifying strength. Even if he comes, it would be a death wish.

Simply seeking death without any benefit, such a deal is not worthwhile,” Shangguan Qingrong stated solemnly.

“No. I instead think the Golden Wing Pavilion should come. As a grand organization of the Eastern Sect, they wouldn’t be afraid of a mere Ninth Grade,” Shangguan Hao retorted.

“You don’t understand, the larger an organization, the more they need to weigh gains and losses. If they treat everyone as a rival, that large organization will eventually become small and then completely disappear.”

Shangguan Qingrong answered.

“Moreover, that new envoy previously annihilated the Huang family, although his methods were extraordinary, his hard power is far from being a match for the Dangshan Tiger.”

Shangguan Hao didn’t speak again. He wanted to go up once more and let Ding Yu know that Wushan Prefecture was not without someone to fight!

But… recalling the terrifying scene from the last engagement, his fighting spirit was quickly suppressed by strands of fear.

That kind of invincible power was simply….

Swish.

Suddenly, a splash of water sounded from Hanshan Pool.

Ding Yu stood up sharply, jumped into the water, and walked step by step towards the shore.

“It seems the Golden Wing Pavilion dares not challenge.”

He walked to the shore, his expression desolate.

The emptiness in his heart resurfaced once more.

It was a kind of emptiness where he couldn’t find a target in the world, lacked nothing, and didn’t know what to do.

He didn’t know how to fill it.

But he knew when he was fighting, when he was striving forward, that emptiness would disappear.

“Let’s go. This Wushan… there’s no one worth my glance here anymore….”

In the forest, Xu Xin and Sun Xiaohui both sighed in their hearts.

They knew this time, Ding Yu was truly, thoroughly in despair.

Despair towards everyone in Wushan Prefecture.

The three said no more, turning and walking away into the distance.

Just then.

Shh!

A flying knife with a silver glow shot towards Ding Yu.

The flying knife wasn’t fast, and there seemed to be something pierced on the blade.

Snap.

Ding Yu caught the tip of the blade accurately, holding it suspended mid-air.

Frowning, he looked at the piece of cloth impaled on the blade.

He quickly took it off.

The cloth had a hastily written message.

’Unexpected incident today, will fight another day.—Golden Wing Pavilion.’

The flying knife’s launch attracted a lot of attention, but strangely, most people didn’t see where the knife came from.

Only a very few experts realized the person who threw the knife was hidden among the crowd.

But which one specifically, was unknown.

Spectators were surrounding in all directions, at least dozens.

Moreover, since everyone’s attention was previously on Ding Yu and the other two, even experts couldn’t distinguish the source of the knife.

“Message from the Golden Wing Pavilion?” Ding Yu’s eyes flashed with a hint of hope.

But soon, that hope settled back down.

“Trying to trick me again? Heh… losers will always be losers…. boring.”

He tossed the cloth away, not bothering to say more, and turned to leave quickly.

“Big brother!”

Xu Xin and Sun Xiaohui saw this and hurriedly followed.

“Maybe something really did happen?” Xu Xin said in a deep voice. He also saw the writing on the cloth.

“I’m not foolish enough to be deceived a second time.” Ding Yu said coldly.

“As for truly having an issue? A highly secretive intelligence organization, having an incident at such an opportune time?

Is there really such a coincidence in the world?”

He snorted in disdain.

The other two understood as well, indeed, there couldn’t be so many coincidences in the world.

Bang!

Suddenly, a muffled sound in the distance captured everyone’s attention.

By the pool in the forest, everyone looked over from afar.

The three of Ding Yu did the same.

From the direction of Wushan Prefecture in the west, a certain area was billowing with thick smoke.

The column of black smoke was clearly visible, even from a great distance.

“What is that place…?” Ding Yu frowned.

“Golden Wing Pavilion just sent a message saying something’s happening, and now it happens immediately… maybe…..” Xu Xin said gravely.

“Could it be that this is the reason Golden Wing Pavilion didn’t come to the meeting?” Sun Xiaohui said.

He turned to look at Ding Yu. “Do you want to go take a look?”

“Not interested.” Ding Yu withdrew his gaze. “Pack up and let’s leave this damned place as soon as possible. I don’t want to stay here a moment longer, this filthy place makes me feel sick.”

The other two were speechless; since the boss said so, they had no choice but to follow.

The three figures sped up and quickly headed out of the woods.

Boom!!

Suddenly, there was another muffled sound, and another column of smoke rose from the same area.

This time, the commotion was even bigger than the last.

The onlookers, mostly martial artists, were already driven by curiosity and rushed towards the direction of the loud noise, trying to catch the spectacle.

Ding Yu, who was about to leave, finally frowned this time.

He gazed into the distance, silent for a moment.

“Maybe you’re right, something big is happening. Let’s go take a look!”

The two companions had solemn expressions, having never witnessed such commotion before.

*

*

*

Ten Thousand Miles Manor.

The fire consumed the front half of the manor.

In the public area, assassins from the Golden Wing Pavilion were fiercely battling groups of masked people clad in sea blue outfits.

The Golden Wing Pavilion members mainly wore black and white outfits, whereas those in sea blue attire had the Sea Dragon emblem on their backs.

It was a dark blue, serpentine dragon pattern.

The fact that they dared to use a dragon as their symbol showed the profound and solid backing of the Sea Dragon.

“In Buddhist myths, the golden-winged roc naturally preys on dragons, but unfortunately, today’s roc has aged and can no longer flap its wings….”

Outside the manor’s gate, a person stood with hands behind their back, gazing at the rising smoke in a trance.

This person was slightly rotund, donned in a dark blue brocade robe, with silver-white metallic gloves on their hands.

Their face was also covered by a grim sea blue mask.

Judging by the mask’s shape, it had antlers, fangs, and long whiskers; it was dragon-shaped.

Inside the manor, the sound of wails accompanied the snapping and collapsing of wooden beams.

Bao Ning, stationed inside the manor, was leading his experts in a desperate resistance.

Initially, they were holding up well, using a large stock of hidden weapons from the Golden Wing Pavilion to inflict significant damage when thrown.

However, once these precious and exquisite hidden weapons were all used up, the Sea Dragon experts began to enter for close combat.

The Golden Wing Pavilion had already suffered great losses and had not yet replenished, and now facing the newly arrived Sea Dragon experts, they immediately retreated repeatedly in defeat.

Soon, some of the crucial defensive mechanisms in the front half of the manor were all blown up by the Sea Dragons piling explosives in one go.

Fortunately, the Great Spirit strictly controlled the flow of cannons, or else they would not have been able to hold out until now.

Even so, Bao Ning and others inside the manor were immensely shocked.

Because explosives were also exclusive to the military and were strictly prohibited for use by any armed forces.

Yet the Sea Dragon dared to openly wield such a powerful weapon….!

Weren’t they afraid of the Snow Rainbow Pavilion of the military holding them accountable!??

Although the Eastern and Western Sects were strong, the world was still maintained by the Spirit Court. Currently, the Imperial Tutor had the deep favor of the Spirit Emperor, his influence spreading across the land, representing the Spirit Emperor himself.

That was why the power was vast.

But now…..

The fire gradually spread to the back side of the manor.

The dead fighters from the Golden Wing Pavilion grew fewer and fewer; assassins fell to the ground, unable to rise.

“What a pity…” Xue Chengyu sighed, “This manor has a century-old history, hasn’t it? It’s a shame to see it destroyed like this, even I feel a pang of regret in my heart.”

He turned and looked towards a certain spot in the forest.

“You’ve been here for quite a while but haven’t shown yourself; are you watching me? Looking for my flaws?”

There was a moment of silence.

A black silhouette with a hat slowly emerged from the forest.

The figure lifted their head, revealing a Golden Wing Pavilion mask decorated with black and silver lines.

It was none other than Zhang Rongfang, who had arrived long ago.

“You discovered me a long time ago?”

He gazed at the person opposite him.

It was as if the burning Ten Thousand Miles Manor wasn’t part of his territory at all.

“Yes, I have exceptionally keen senses, just like the Snake King you encountered last time,” Xue Chengyu smiled.

“I’m quite curious, why aren’t you running away?” He had a hint of confusion in his eyes.

It wasn’t an act, nor a joke; it was a genuine expression.

He was genuinely puzzled; as a Ninth Grade Spirit Envoy of the Golden Wing Pavilion, facing someone of his Merfolk-level Super Grade, he actually didn’t flee?

Did he not know how strong a Super Grade was?

Or did he believe he had extra cards to play, or perhaps help on the way?

Xue Chengyu was genuinely perplexed.

To break through to a Super Grade, he had taken forbidden drugs, shortening his lifespan, and then spent over a decade searching for Ming Fei.

He finally managed to step into this realm.

It was precisely because the gap between Super Grade and Ninth Grade was far larger than ordinary people imagined.

That’s why he was curious.

If the process up to Ninth Grade was about continuously uncovering one’s innate potential.

Then beyond Super Grade, it was about using drugs and special methods to stimulate and enhance one’s physique.

Only when one had enough talent before reaching Ninth Grade, along with nurturing the body to an extremely high degree, did they qualify to take drugs to break through to Super Grade.

Otherwise, upon consumption of the drugs, the stimuli reaction would be too much, resulting in immediate death.

Without experiencing hell, how could one savor ultimate bliss?

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep