Sigh
Xue Zi Ye snuggled into the lynx fur like a small animal wrapped in golden fleece. She glanced up at his ever-smiling face, lost in thought. “Actually, to live your life entirely for one person... that’s not so bad. Miao Feng, do you feel happy?”
“Mm.” Miao Feng smiled. “Before I met the Holy Leader, no one needed me.”
Xue Zi Ye nodded, closing her eyes. “I understand now.”
As if utterly exhausted, she curled up in the golden lynx fur and quietly fell asleep against his chest. The snow kept falling endlessly, swirling down like soft feathers, covering them both completely. The riders and horses cut through the blizzard like a streak of lightning, tearing across the vast white landscape.
Miao Feng glanced down at the sleeping woman in his arms, and a faint unease crossed his brow.
Yes, he suddenly remembered… he had indeed seen her before.
The wind howled stronger, the snow fell heavier.
After a night of galloping, they had crossed the Kizil Desert. In the snow ahead, faint tracks of wheels and footsteps began to appear—he knew they were approaching Uliyasutai, where they could find a place to rest and feed the horses.
Dawn broke slowly, and the snow-filled night seemed endless.
Miao Feng was also beginning to feel fatigued. His grip on the reins grew weaker, and as his other hand relaxed, the woman in his arms nearly slipped from the horse.
“Huh?” Xue Zi Ye awoke groggily, opening her eyes to find that her rider had fallen asleep. Yet, his body remained upright, still holding her protectively, guiding the horse forward.
She sighed softly and reached up to pull his fallen hood back into place. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something stir on the ground, as if something was rising beneath the snow—
Was it an illusion?
She focused, but there was nothing. The eight horses continued galloping, though the horse carrying the two of them began to slow, its breath labored, unable to keep pace with the others.
It was in that moment of lagging behind that saved them.
Shhhk—
Xue Zi Ye suddenly saw the horse in front of them split cleanly in two!
A long blade emerged from beneath the snow, rising to meet the charging horse. With a single sweep, it sliced the galloping steed in half! The horse let out a pitiful cry, its blood spraying across the snow, blooming like a sinister red flower.
Xue Zi Ye gasped, but before she could scream, her body was suddenly lifted into the air.
A long blade shot up from beneath the snow, piercing through the horse she was riding, straight through the saddle!
Miao Feng, though seemingly still asleep, reacted in an instant. Without even opening his eyes, he caught her and pulled her up, lifting them both a full meter above the horse. In mid-air, he twisted, landing them safely on the back of another horse. Before she could finish her scream, they were back on the ground.
“Chasing Lightning?!” He muttered, staring at the horse impaled in the snow. His eyes narrowed in concentration.
The precision of that strike, killing a galloping horse in one blow—this must be the work of Chasing Lightning, one of the eight elite riders from the Asura battlefield!
Every year, Tong, the commander of the Asura battlefield in the Grand Light Palace, selected one assassin to train for eight consecutive years, forming the legendary “Eight Riders”: Chasing Wind, White Rabbit, Shadow Step, Chasing Lightning, Flying Dart, Bronze Sparrow, Morning Dove, and Rouge. Each was a top-tier assassin, directly under Tong’s command, and the most elite in the Asura battlefield.
Could it be that now...
Before he could finish the thought, his horse reared in panic. A faint, almost invisible streak of light skimmed across the snow. A soft crack followed, and the horse’s legs were sliced cleanly at the knees. The horse let out a dying wail and collapsed to the ground.
In the blink of an eye, Miao Feng pressed his palm against the horse’s head and propelled himself forward like an arrow, stabbing his sword into the snow!
It was the first time Xue Zi Ye had seen him fight. But she couldn’t see the man, nor the sword—only a flash of red light, like fire igniting along the blade. Where the sword struck, the snow instantly melted, revealing a human figure beneath.
“So, it is you,” Miao Feng’s sword pinned the man’s arm to the ground, preventing him from escaping back into the snow. His voice was cold. “Whose orders?”
“Heh.” The masked man sneered, and with a sudden jolt, severed his own left arm!
Snow exploded, obscuring the man’s figure.
“Useless,” Miao Feng scoffed. Even with comrades providing cover, the blood from the severed arm would leave him easily traceable in the snow.
He followed the blood trail, plunging his sword into the snow once more—this time, he was certain he had pierced Chasing Lightning’s chest. But as soon as he lunged a mere meter forward, his instincts screamed. He whirled around, sword in hand, just as another assassin’s weapon shot toward him!
Shh—
An almost invisible wire emerged from the snow, looping around Xue Zi Ye’s throat. Miao Feng’s sword sliced through the wire just in time, but simultaneously, a short arrow launched from beneath the snow, aiming directly for Xue Zi Ye’s heart—the assassins had split their forces to attack both of them!
Miao Feng’s sword was still entangled in the wire, and the short arrow was already hurtling toward its target. There was no time to block it with his sword, so he turned his body at the last moment, using his shoulder to take the blow.
Xue Zi Ye gasped, watching in horror as the arrowhead pierced through his shoulder, blood turning a sickly green.
“No matter,” Miao Feng’s expression didn’t change. “Stay still.”
“The arrow is poisoned!” Xue Zi Ye immediately reached into her robes, pulling out a bottle of white powder and quickly applying it to his wound.
That arrow… could it be from Flying Dart? Miao Feng’s heart sank. Were all eight of the Riders here?
There was no time to think. In an instant, he thrust his sword back into the snow, drawing a rapid circle.
Ding—the sound of metal clashing rang out. His sword had struck something buried in the snow. Suddenly, the snow burst open, and a masked figure leaped out, brandishing a long sword meant to slay horses, aiming it straight at Miao Feng’s head!
"Bronze Sparrow's Golden Slash!"
The force of that strike was terrifying. Miao Feng, anticipating Bronze Sparrow's blow, swiftly darted to the side, avoiding a direct confrontation. His movements were ghost-like, slicing through the snow mist with lightning speed. His sword traced a brilliant arc in the air, appearing for just an instant before vanishing again.
In the split second their forms crossed, Bronze Sparrow collapsed, while a faint red streak flashed across Miao Feng’s sword.
He didn’t dare stray too far. After landing the strike, he immediately returned to Xue Zi Ye’s side and whispered, “Are you alright?”
“I’m… I’m alright,” Xue Zi Ye replied softly, her hand instinctively covering the cut on her throat. She gazed at Miao Feng’s sword in awe—infused with his inner energy, the ordinary steel blade glowed with a red light, as if it were set aflame.
In that instant, Miao Feng seemed like a completely different person. The calm, unruffled aura he once carried, which couldn’t even disturb a butterfly, was now replaced by a fierce and overwhelming killing intent. The smile remained on his face, but it was no longer gentle—it was the cold, death-defying grin of someone who would face the gods themselves.
He truly was one of the Asura battlefield's top experts, on par with Tong!
Xue Zi Ye struggled to breathe in the cold wind and snow. Her face had grown pale again, and her body was starting to sway. Miao Feng, surveying the surroundings with the corner of his eye, was deeply concerned. He knew she wouldn't last much longer without another infusion of energy, but with enemies still lurking—five of the Eight Riders yet to reveal themselves—there was no room for carelessness.
All around them lay the bodies of horses, strewn about with their guts spilled open, a grisly scene.
“Chasing Wind, White Rabbit, Shadow Step, Morning Dove, Rouge… come out,” Miao Feng plunged his sword into the snow and spoke slowly. A layer of killing intent gradually covered his usually smiling face. He crossed his hands over the hilt of his sword and began pushing it deeper into the ground, inch by inch. “I know Tong sent you—don’t make me pick you off one by one. Come at me together!”
Xue Zi Ye froze in shock, gasping quietly—Tong? Did Miao Feng just say that Tong was the one who sent these assassins?
She stood there, feeling the cold seep into her bones.
The sword sank into the snow, but it was as though flames were igniting along its blade. The surrounding snow quickly melted, and within moments, a circle three meters wide had cleared around them.
“Heh, might as well all come out,” a cold voice suddenly echoed from beneath the snow. “At this rate, he’ll melt all the snow anyway.”
The ground shifted, and five shadows emerged silently, surrounding the two of them in the center.
The pressure of their killing intent was so intense it nearly froze the air.
“Master Xue.” Just as Xue Zi Ye was on the verge of collapsing, she heard Miao Feng call to her in a low voice. A hand pressed against her back at the Ling Tai acupoint, and inner energy quickly flowed into her body. Her eyes widened in shock—how could he still find the composure to heal her in such a situation?
The five assassins clearly noticed the sudden shift but, unsure of what Miao Feng was doing, hesitated to attack immediately for fear of losing their advantage.
Miao Feng channeled as much inner energy as he could, sending it throughout Xue Zi Ye’s meridians, ensuring that she would have enough strength to escape even if they were separated. Using sound transmission, he whispered, “In a moment, I’ll distract all five of them. You must run to Uliyasutai.”
She bit her lip and nodded silently.
“I’ll follow shortly,” Miao Feng added.
“He’s replenishing her energy! Attack now!” Chasing Wind, finally realizing they were stalling for time, let out a cold sneer. In an instant, the five shadows vanished, and a storm of killing intent surged toward them!
“Go!” Miao Feng shouted, shoving Xue Zi Ye away with one palm as he drew his sword from the snow. His head shot up, and with one swift motion, he slashed through the air, shattering the void with a single blow!
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