Chapter 21: Chapter Twenty-One: Lord Longying, Save Me!

A gentle breeze stirred the strands of hair before his forehead.

Dou Changsheng held the Hero Sword in his arms, standing calmly on the yellow mud path.

This was a scene Dou Changsheng had encountered not long ago—now the roles were reversed.

Soon after, three figures hurried toward him.

These three figures were disheveled, dusty and filthy, utterly ragged.

Dou Changsheng’s eyes instinctively narrowed, for the appearance of the three men was vaguely familiar to him.

The lead man wore a black robe, his body gaunt, as if devoid of flesh, skin stretched taut over bones; his hair was dry and colorless, especially his face—sunken eye sockets, collapsed cheeks, elongated and skeletal, like a skull.

This attire and these features immediately identified the man to Dou Changsheng.

Beside him, one of the two other figures wore a purple robe—a tall, burly man whose purple robe flapped violently in the wind, exuding an imposing aura, especially with the broadsword he held in hand.

The blade was thick, the blade length about six feet, the hilt wide enough for two hands to grip.

The final man, clad in blue, had a thick beard, three long strands hanging down, fluttering in the wind.

His hands hung naturally at his sides; clearly visible were black silk gloves, which, under the sunlight, gleamed with metallic luster—clearly woven from metal threads, impervious to fire and water, invulnerable to blades and spears.

Though these three looked ragged, their bearing was exceptional, unmistakably not ordinary men.

All were Qi Refining cultivators, each having reached this realm for some years.

When Dou Changsheng noticed the targets, the trio naturally spotted him too.

Gazing from afar at the boy holding the long sword, their expressions darkened—blocking the road in public meant enemy, not ally.

The gaunt black-robed cultivator stepped forward, untied the bundle on his back, and tossed it to the blue-clad middle-aged man, his face grim, his entire body radiating deathly energy like a corpse, his lips twitching as he spat out a cold word: “Go!”

As he uttered the single word, his black robe instantly swelled, as if an endless gale erupted from within.

In an instant, it extended three inches beyond his body.

Qi Refining energy surged forth like a mighty river, like burning flames, overwhelming and arrogant.

This sight filled onlookers with shock.

Even his own companions—the purple-robed giant and the blue-clad middle-aged man—showed astonishment in their eyes, faint traces of fear visible.

Qi Refining energy leaving the body was something every Qi Refining cultivator could do, but shaping it into a surrounding aura required an immense volume of energy.

The black-robed cultivator’s display contained more than ten times the Qi Refining energy of the others.

More Qi Refining energy meant greater strength—a simple, unadorned truth.

Even though Dou Changsheng had prepared himself, he was still momentarily stunned by this display.

His own Qi Refining energy was only slightly greater, but he had consumed a thousand-year Earth Pearl; this black-robed, gaunt cultivator had achieved this through pure cultivation.

Dou Changsheng looked down on him in the future because he was a Hero List champion, a child of heaven.

The Hero List was not unique to one nation—it listed elite warriors from all nations under heaven.

The Four Great Nations, the grasslands, and countless smaller states competed fiercely for these one hundred and eight slots; every name on the list was a rare prodigy among ten thousand.

Though Da Jin was a great nation, only a dozen or so of its warriors made the list.

In the future, Dou Changsheng, at the Qi Refining realm, would rise to the Hero List—his rank would not be high, but even so, it would demonstrate his extraordinary combat power, rare in the world, surely due to other extraordinary encounters; currently, Dou Changsheng did not believe he could reach it.

Truly impressive.

Dou Changsheng sighed inwardly.

He stepped forward, drawing the Hero Sword, and slashed forward.

The slash was swift as a falling star, like a rainbow piercing the sun; Qi Refining energy surged forth like a bursting river, exploding from the tip of the Hero Sword, and in an instant, the three-foot blade aura extended to ten feet.

This slash was the Fearless Sword Art.

The second sword.

A Qi Refining realm sword technique.

Its power was immense, dazzling and brilliant.

The roaring Qi Refining energy of the arrogant black-robed cultivator gathered all his strength and slammed forward.

His Qi Refining energy transformed into a monstrous beast, fangs bared, claws extended, roaring ferociously.

The blade aura pierced the beast, instantly tearing it apart, obliterating all resistance like dry grass before a storm.

The black-robed cultivator’s Qi Refining energy began to vanish inch by inch, like snow melting under the sun, offering no resistance whatsoever.

His energy was abundant but crude, low in quality, hollow in appearance; as long as energy was concentrated into a single point, it could be shattered.

The future Dou Changsheng’s evaluation, already flowing automatically through his mind the moment he slashed.

Just as future Dou Changsheng had judged, chasing only quantity of Qi Refining energy appeared impressive but was in truth weak and fragile.

The Three Yuan Return Qi Scripture was a supreme technique; the Qi Refining energy it produced vastly surpassed ordinary energy, and combined with Dou Changsheng’s current outburst—his Qi Refining energy was nearly equal—the black-robed cultivator was effortlessly crushed.

Pierced through the chest by the ten-foot blade aura, his internal organs vanished, blood evaporated; the black-robed cultivator’s eyes filled with confusion before his corpse collapsed heavily to the ground.

Dou Changsheng raised his hand, twirling the Hero Sword in a graceful flourish, elegant and pleasing to the eye.

Before mastering basic sword techniques, Dou Changsheng would never have possessed such ability; even if he forced it, it would have been clumsy and ugly.

The Hero Sword Array was truly a masterpiece—Qi Refining energy consumption was reduced, and power increased; with an ordinary rusty longsword, the blade aura would have reached at most seven or eight feet, never exceeding ten.

Dou Changsheng turned his gaze to the purple-robed giant, took a step forward; the giant instinctively gripped his broadsword tighter and growled: “Run!”

“I’ll hold him off.”

“Take the military pay back to Chen Family Fortress.”

“Tell the True Person—I did my best.”

After speaking these words, the purple-robed giant seemed to expel all his fear, no trace of dread remaining.

He could die, but his wife and children would receive rewards; as a lone cultivator, he had endured decades of hardship, and he would not let his son suffer the same.

The blue-clad middle-aged man did not hesitate—he bolted forward.

Dou Changsheng did not even glance at him—he was not alone; he had allies.

The moment the blue-clad man moved, Zhao Manren burst from concealment, intercepting him directly ahead.

The blue-clad man’s eyes filled with despair—the boy was so powerful, his companion could not possibly hold him; if he was delayed even a moment, death was certain.

But the despair vanished quickly, replaced by joy.

He cried out urgently: “Lord Longying.”

“Save me!”