Dawn.
In the Black Horn Region's wilderness, a merchant caravan bustled with activity, organizing goods on their wagons.
After a night's rest, the caravan members shed the fatigue of yesterday's journey, brimming with energy.
"Be thorough! Secure those goods properly!" a hawk-nosed elder barked loudly, overseeing the work.
"Damn Skinflint Huang! I'm a guard, not a porter!" a young guard muttered under his breath, disgruntled.
"Quiet!" The middle-aged man beside him glanced at the hawk-nosed elder and the burly man behind him, relieved they hadn't noticed. Patting the youth's shoulder, he said earnestly, "Don't talk reckless. Finish this job, and we won't take his commissions again."
"Mm." The youth, sensing the man's concern, pursed his lips and fell silent.
"Look! Someone's there!" a voice from the caravan suddenly shouted.
The abrupt cry startled the guards, who drew their weapons before following the sound. In the sky, silhouetted against the rising sun, a black figure appeared, a glint of gold on its shoulder.
Fear gripped the group, their eyes wide with dread. Only a Dou Wang or stronger could take to the skies. In the Black Horn Region, killing needed no reason—a powerhouse like that could dispatch them as easily as slaughtering a chicken.
Before they could react, the figure plummeted like a bird with broken wings, crashing from the heavens.
Bang!
The black figure smashed into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The caravan members exchanged glances, swallowing hard, none daring to approach.
Cough, cough… A fit of coughing rose from the settling dust, prompting the group to retreat further.
"My lord, are you alright?" Little Golden Dragon gazed at Xiao Bai's ashen face, its pupils tinged with worry.
"I'm fine," Xiao Bai said, waving a hand. But as he spoke, a flush of red surged across his face.
Pfft!
A mouthful of blood, shimmering faintly with five-colored light, sprayed out, landing on the ground. Tiny lightning arcs crackled, instantly withering and blackening the grass.
"You call this fine?" Little Golden Dragon panicked, snarling, "That damned thing! When I grow stronger, I'll grind its bones to dust!"
"I'm really okay now. I just need some rest," Xiao Bai said, breathing heavily. "By the way, where are we?"
Seeing a hint of color return to his pale cheeks, Little Golden Dragon relaxed slightly. Scanning their surroundings, it looked lost, spreading its claws helplessly. "I have no idea!"
Then, spotting the nearby group, it called to the hawk-nosed elder who seemed in charge, "Hey, old man, where is this?"
The caravan finally got a clear look at the fallen figure: a tattered black robe, disheveled black hair, and a pallid face, clearly gravely injured. Most striking was the golden creature on his shoulder—familiar yet alien, like something from a tale.
Dragon! A real dragon! Not some beast with dragon blood!
Their eyes widened, staring at the golden gleam. To think they'd see a living dragon!
"Hey! I'm talking to you! Gone dumb?" Little Golden Dragon, irked by their fixed stares, recalled the fire salamanders' glares in the magma depths. It waved a claw impatiently.
"R-Replying to Lord Dragon, this is the Black Horn Region!" The hawk-nosed elder, jolted by the dragon's glare, stammered hastily.
"Still in the Black Horn Region?" Xiao Bai exhaled softly, relieved. He'd feared the spatial shift might have flung him to another region, which would've been a hassle.
"No need to be nervous. We mean no harm," Xiao Bai said gently to calm the elder. "Please, tell me, where exactly in the Black Horn Region are we?"
"Replying to milord, this is the territory of Black Seal City, about a hundred miles from the city itself," the elder replied, bowing respectfully.
"Black Seal City?" A flicker of recollection crossed Xiao Bai's eyes.
He vaguely recalled a faction called Eight Gates stationed there, led by someone named Yuan Yi, a Dou Huang—though he couldn't remember the exact star level.
"Judging by your preparations, you're heading to Black Seal City, right?" Xiao Bai asked, noting their ready-to-move setup.
"Milord is perceptive! Our caravan's destination is indeed Black Seal City."
"Good. Mind giving me a lift?"
"Unwilling?" Xiao Bai's brow furrowed as the elder hesitated. Shaking his head, he added, "If you're not—"
"Willing, willing, absolutely willing!" The elder cut in, nodding frantically like a pecking chicken, his face plastered with a fawning smile. "It's our immense honor to travel with milord. How could we refuse?"
"…" Xiao Bai blinked. He'd meant to say it was fine if they were unwilling, but the elder's groveling expression suggested he feared Xiao Bai might wipe them out in a fit of displeasure.
"Thank you," Xiao Bai said with a nod, walking to a cargo wagon and sitting cross-legged.
"Milord, how can you sit out here? Please, take the carriage up front!" The elder hurried over, urging.
"No need." Xiao Bai opened his eyes slightly, his tone calm. "Go about your business. Just ensure no one disturbs me."
"This…" The elder hesitated, feeling the weight of Xiao Bai's deep, tranquil gaze. Biting his lip, he bowed. "Then I'll get to work. If milord needs anything, just call."
"Alright." Xiao Bai nodded, closing his eyes again.
The elder retreated.
Once out of earshot, the burly man trailing him spoke softly, "Huang, about that—"
"I won't agree!" The elder, as if anticipating the man's words, cut him off loudly, glancing covertly at the black-robed figure on the wagon. In a low voice, he added, "We'll decide everything back in the city, with the higher-ups."
On the wagon, Xiao Bai seemed oblivious to the elder's actions.
"My lord, that old man's scheming something," Little Golden Dragon's voice came through a transmission from Xiao Bai's sleeve.
"You revealed yourself in front of them, and I'm heavily injured. It's no surprise they're getting ideas," Xiao Bai said nonchalantly. "But whatever they're planning, it'll come down to strength. Let's see who this 'higher-up' they're deferring to is."
"Master, you'd better stay sharp," Little Golden Dragon said, half-teasing. "We nearly capsized back there!"
"Those ugly lizards—beat the small ones, and the big ones come. Beat the big ones, and an even bigger one shows up!" it grumbled. "If we'd been strong enough to take down that Dou Zun-level one, who knows if an even bigger one would've appeared!"
Xiao Bai inwardly sighed. Who could've predicted this underground trip would be so perilous? But the dragon had a point. If they'd defeated that suspected Dou Zun salamander, the next might've been a Ban Sheng.
"We don't have Xiao Zhu's jade token anymore. If we run into another big one…" Little Golden Dragon shuddered, recalling the ordeal. If that ancient salamander hadn't inexplicably refrained from using spatial power, they'd likely be buried in the magma.
"Relax. You think Dou Zuns grow on trees, popping up everywhere?" Xiao Bai said, exasperated, eyeing the jittery dragon. "We'll rest in Black Seal City. Once I've recovered a bit, we'll head back to the Jia Ma Empire."
"Not returning to Jia Nan Academy? Xiao Zhu probably knows you used the jade token by now," Little Golden Dragon said, puzzled by Xiao Bai's plan.
"No," Xiao Bai said, shaking his head. The smiling faces of two women flashed in his mind. "Once we reach Black Seal City, I'll send them a letter to let them know I'm safe."
___
While Xiao Bai thought of the two women, someone else was grappling with them.
At the base of the Heaven Incinerating Qi Refining Tower, Su Qian looked helplessly at Xun'er and Xiao Yi Xian, their faces etched with anxiety.
Moments ago, he and the Qian-Bai Elders were sealing the lower space when the two girls rushed in, claiming urgent business. He'd guessed their purpose and let them enter.
"Great Elder, please open the entrance. I need to find him!" Xun'er's voice trembled, but her tone was resolute.
Su Qian sighed, shaking his head. "I can't let you go down."
"Why not?" Xiao Yi Xian said urgently. "Xiao Bai just faced danger. We have to find him!"
"We've already looked for him," Su Qian said, his cloudy eyes tinged with sorrow and regret. "Earlier, I sensed a presence, likely a Dou Zun, and I—"
"Wait… you said a Dou Zun presence?" Xun'er's eyes reddened, her delicate fists clenching as she interrupted, incredulous.
"Indeed." Su Qian knew that oppressive aura well, having felt it from the dean during his Dou Zun breakthrough.
He hadn't expected the depths to harbor such a powerhouse alongside the Fallen Heart Flame. Stunned briefly, he'd dismissed the elders and summoned the Qian-Bai Elders from the library to investigate, cautiously checking for Xiao Bai.
Regrettably, they found no trace of him. After discussion, they sealed the tower for now.
Xun'er, seeing his nod, staggered as if struck by lightning, her face drained of color, her expression one of terror.
"Xiao Bai… gege!"
A soft, dazed murmur carried boundless grief and longing. Suddenly, an unnatural flush spread across her jade-like face.
Pfft!
"Xun'er!" Xiao Yi Xian, already fraught with worry, caught Xun'er as she spat blood and collapsed, her heart pounding with fear at Xun'er's uncharacteristic distress. "Could it be… Xiao Bai, he…"
"Xian'er, I regret it," Xun'er said, her hollow eyes fixed on Xiao Yi Xian, murmuring as if to herself. "I shouldn't have given him only a Dou Zun-level spatial jade token. I should've given him Father's token. Even if it exposed Xiao Bai's gege existence, what does that matter compared to his life?"
"Don't you think so?"
Her question seemed directed at Xiao Yi Xian, yet also at herself.
Xiao Yi Xian gripped Xun'er's clothes tightly, her vision nearly darkening. The world seemed to crumble as tears welled, her voice hoarse and choked. "Xun'er… don't scare me…"
"Don't cry… don't cry." Xun'er's face twisted into a strange expression, neither smile nor grimace, her beautiful eyes filled with deathly chill. Her voice was like a frigid wind from the netherworld. "A mere Dou Zun? His life isn't worth a single strand of my Xiao Bai's gege hair."
"No matter who struck, I'll make them regret being born!"
Su Qian, initially concerned by the girls' distress, froze at Xun'er's words. Her tone… dismissing a Dou Zun like that? What kind of background does she have?
"Open the seal. I'm going down," Xun'er said, standing with a face of cold indifference.
"This…" Before, Su Qian would've refused outright—a Dou Zun's presence could overwhelm Jia Nan Academy. But now, he hesitated, conflicted.
"Girl, you mentioned giving Xiao Bai a Dou Zun-level spatial jade token, and you rushed here sensing it was used, right?" Qian Mu, one of the silent Qian-Bai Elders, spoke up.
"Correct." Jia Nan Academy had treated her Brother Xiao Bai well, so Xun'er suppressed her impatience and nodded slightly.
"Then you needn't worry. Xiao Bai is likely fine," Qian Mu said with a faint smile, drawing everyone's gaze.
"Why?" The deathly chill in Xun'er's eyes thawed slightly, a glimmer of hope emerging.
A low-tier cultivator using a Dou Zun's spatial jade token had near-zero chance of escaping a true Dou Zun, unless it was crafted by a nine-turn Dou Zun, whose mastery of space could evade lesser Dou Zuns. Such power bordered on transcending the ordinary Dou Zun realm.
Xiao Yi Xian bit her lip, her ears perked, eyes locked on Qian Mu, her heart pounding. She didn't care about the why—she only wanted to hear that Xiao Bai was alive. That was her greatest wish.
"I have a guess about what struck in the magma depths. Without your jade token, Xiao Bai would've been in grave danger," Qian Mu said. "But with it, he likely escaped."
"Please, Senior, elaborate!" Xun'er's heart surged with immense relief, and she bowed respectfully.
"Long ago, the dean once mentioned a type of magical beast in these depths, resembling lizards, living in the magma," Qian Mu explained. "These fire salamanders are numerous down there. The dean encountered a Dou Zun-level one and, worried, I asked if they posed a threat to the academy. He said they dwell deep in the magma and rarely surface, so there was no need for concern. Thus, only a few at Jia Nan Academy know of them."
"So, it was a Dou Zun fire salamander that acted this time?" Xun'er's eyes glinted with icy venom.
"Exactly. Though their clan is formidable, they have a weakness: even at Dou Zun level, they can't wield spatial power as freely as other races."
"Really?" Xun'er and Xiao Yi Xian's eyes lit up instantly.