Volume Three: Rising Fame Chapter Twenty-One: A Thread of Sky

The days passed uneventfully. When Li Yu grew tired of sitting in the carriage, he would ride his exotic beast for a change. The only downside was that, along the way, they passed by two equally magnificent grand cities, but could only gaze at them from afar, unable to explore their streets.

Now, they were approaching the last of these colossal cities. Beyond it, with just two more days’ journey, they would reach the border where Qingshan County met the neighboring regions.

“Teber City…”

Li Yu hadn’t expected that the final city would be this one.

“What troubles you?” Qing Yangde, having finished his inspection of the troops, came over as usual to check whether Li Yu was diligently cultivating, and happened to overhear his mutterings.

“It’s nothing. But why are the people in the prison carts behind us still following along?” Li Yu shook his head. At the rear of the procession, a line of prison carts dragged along bandits, their bodies muscular but now visibly withered after days in chains.

“There was supposed to be a handover. But the clan said they were sending an investigation team, so we might as well bring them along ourselves,” Qing Yangde explained.

They exchanged a few more idle words. As Qing Yangde departed, he cheerfully reminded Li Yu to devote another two hours to his cultivation whenever possible.

Li Yu was left speechless. Leaning against the edge of the carriage, he massaged his brow.

“What’s wrong, young master?” Xiaocui asked from the side.

Li Yu opened his mouth, hesitated, then replied, “It’s nothing. I just feel that Brother Yangde is too insistent. It’s as if I’m being forced to study…”

“But you’re already so impressive at learning, young master,” Xiaocui said softly. “You’re the fastest learner I’ve ever seen.”

‘That’s because I have cheats!’ Li Yu thought, but he only smiled with quiet confidence.

Ever since he had received the eighth-grade reward—the Sun-Moon Lotus Core—the flow of time between the otherworld and Blue Star had shifted from equal to a ratio of one to ten. His efficiency at clocking in his training had soared; with ‘double experience’ and a wealth of ‘basic proficiency’ points, he poured all the gains into his cultivation in this world.

Not to mention the Body-Refining Pill, which was practically a cheat code unto itself. After using it regularly, Li Yu came to realize that, among all the rewards he’d drawn, this one was the most extraordinary.

At first, he thought his growing intelligence was due to advancing cultivation. Only later did he understand that the pill’s simple promise of ‘comprehensive enhancement of physical attributes’ encompassed an enormous range: physique, perception, and other seemingly intangible yet very real qualities!

“I don’t know why, but I can’t help feeling something is amiss…”

Li Yu gazed into the distance. If memory served, there was a path ahead that was unavoidable—it couldn’t be bypassed no matter what.

“What did you say, young master?” Xiaocui asked curiously.

Li Yu’s words, murmured as if in a dream, were drowned out by the hoofbeats of the exotic beasts and went unheard.

He waved his hand dismissively. “Nothing, I’ll do some cultivation.”

…

From afar, the Qinyang Army’s five thousand troops could be seen—all mounted on exotic beasts. These, the Azure Oxen, were eighth-grade beasts: taller and more robust than ordinary cattle, uniquely bred by the Qing Clan. Don’t be fooled by their unassuming name or their herbivorous nature; when it came to battle, the Azure Oxen would show just how formidable they truly were!

“How do you all see it?” The speaker’s face was still concealed, even their figure shrouded in disguise.

This was the group that had trailed the Qinyang Army at a distance ever since they’d left the county city.

“We’ve all agreed on the route, haven’t we?” said another, their voice neither distinctly male nor female. “They’re definitely headed to Teber City. That narrow pass ahead is our best chance.”

“We can’t mobilize more men at short notice—only a few deathsworn…”

“Let’s do it! We all just send in some deathsworn anyway. If it works out, the payoff is worth it!”

With that, the group dispersed.

Elsewhere, in the opposite direction, beneath the shade of a flourishing tree, a figure stood among the shadows—so well merged with the darkness that he was nearly invisible even at close range.

“My lord?” someone addressed him.

Behind him were dozens of men clad in black.

“You all know your orders?” the man asked.

“Ensure the young master’s safety. Bring him back,” came the hoarse response.

Ming Yan’s gaze remained fixed on the distant prison carts. Only after a long pause did he say, “That narrow pass ahead is the best place to make a move. We’ll get there ahead of time and prepare.”

With a flash, he vanished, and the dozens of black-clad men, all at least eighth-grade cultivators, dispersed. Their target: the narrow pass.

…

“Two hours more and we’ll reach the narrow pass,” Qing Yangde said gravely. “Send another squad ahead. We can’t avoid this place—we must ensure security.”

“General, is it really necessary? Our movements have been so unpredictable,” the adjutant inquired after passing on the orders.

They hadn’t even left Qingshan County’s territory, yet Qing Yangde had acted as if guarding against thieves—marching urgently day and night, only to halt abruptly for rest at odd intervals.

Now he was more cautious than ever, dispatching three waves of scouts just for one narrow pass.

Qing Yangde’s eyes were deep with meaning. “Disaster often strikes closest to home,” he said. The Qing Clan had once suffered devastating losses on the eve of the Grand Assembly, and that too had happened right within Qingshan County. Three young combatants—all candidates—had perished.

This year’s Grand Assembly was more critical than ever. After accepting this mission, Qing Yangde had even spread misinformation to make outsiders believe the group was traveling in separate parties.

That way, even if some wanted to strike, they’d hesitate, worried their actions might alert the others and cause them to lose their window of opportunity—giving him time to react.

‘Even if only Li Yu is with me, he alone is worth all this caution!’

Qing Yangde glanced backward. He knew his own strengths and limitations—his talent was modest, but his military instincts were sharp. From the frequent skirmishes at the front, he could deduce that the pressure on the Qing Clan was mounting.

They desperately needed a pillar—someone to anchor them, even if that person didn’t bear the Qing surname.

Fortunately, the scouts’ reports all indicated the route was secure. The last team had even gone through the pass and returned, which allowed Qing Yangde to breathe a little easier.

At that moment, the army neared the narrow pass.

Inside his carriage, Li Yu gazed about with curiosity. All the soldiers were eighth-grade cultivators—ordinarily, cliffs and precipices would pose little hindrance. Why must they pass underneath here?

He soon understood. On either side, the walls rose like freshly hewn blades, towering into the clouds, their length stretching beyond sight in both directions.

Perhaps only a fifth-grade cultivator could travel along the ridges above.

Before long, after a brief rest, the army pressed on—toward the crevice that was the narrow pass.