Chapter 2: The Storm is Brewing

As night deepened, the bustling Penglai Palace gradually quieted down, and the chirping of insects began to rise all around. Apart from the guards on patrol, most people had already fallen asleep.

Located behind the main hall of Penglai Palace, a luxurious and elegant pavilion stands against the mountain, surrounded by clear water. This magnificent pavilion is a forbidden place for servants, because it is the bedroom of the Penglai Sword Maiden.

Apart from the maids responsible for the Sword Maiden's daily life, no men were allowed to set foot in the palace. Of course, Lin Zixuan and Lu Zhongming were exceptions.

Inside the palace, the floor was covered with expensive and comfortable carpets, and eight tasseled palace lanterns cast a soft glow throughout the entire palace. On the palace walls hung several precious landscape paintings that could be passed down through generations, adorned with pearls and jade, making the entire palace appear magnificent and splendid.

Behind the exquisite mica screen, the snow-white bed curtains were lifted, revealing the flawless, naked body of Qin Yuning, the Sword Maiden of Penglai, writhing gracefully on Lu Zhongming's body within the brocade curtains.

Qin Yuning was covered in fragrant sweat. Her full and round breasts swayed up and down with the undulation of her graceful waist. The two rosy points on her fair and firm breasts showed a stunning beauty.

If it were an ordinary man, faced with such a beautiful woman's advances, he would probably have already ejaculated prematurely. In such a sensual moment, the difference between martial arts skills is no different.

However, Lu Zhongming was no ordinary man. He was naturally energetic and had once been able to sleep with three women each night for five consecutive days without failing. Although he was now nearly forty, his virility remained undiminished. Tonight, after a long night of passionate lovemaking with this stunning beauty, he held back his ejaculation. On the contrary, the Penglai Sword Maiden, who was regarded as a goddess by countless men, had already lost her virility twice under his powerful virility.

Qin Yuning's cheeks flushed a rosy red. Looking at the man beneath her, she felt his penis was hard as iron. Seeing him close his eyes in pleasure and make soft, rapid breathing sounds, she knew he was at his limit.

Qin Yuning chuckled, "What's wrong? Why are your eyes closed? Are you afraid that if you open them and see me, you'll immediately surrender?"

Lu Zhongming opened his eyes upon hearing the sound, panting as he forced himself to remain calm, saying, "Palace Master is joking. Let alone being routed, I could easily hold out for another half hour."

"Is that so?" Qin Yuning looked at him with seductive eyes. "Then I'll see if you can last half an hour. If you can't, I'll punish you by forbidding you from using this bed for three days."

After saying that, she leaned down and pressed her fragrant lips to Lu Zhongming's big mouth. Her breath was sweet and her delicate tongue continued to tease the man's desire during the passionate kiss.

Lu Zhongming immediately felt overwhelmed. Qin Yuning's lips and tongue were fragrant, soft, and smooth, and he could hear her alluring moans. As she hugged him tightly, her pair of beautiful breasts pressed against his chest, full and smooth. Most irresistible was her round and firm buttocks, which were moving up and down faster and faster. The series of sensual attacks left him no time to catch his breath. "Ah, Palace Master, take a break..." "What's wrong? It's only just begun, and you're already giving up? That won't do."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Zhongming felt the beauty on his body moving even faster. In just a few breaths, he finally let out a loud roar, and his penis, hidden deep inside the sword maiden's honey hole, throbbed wildly, ejaculating in a complete mess.

Qin Yuning felt the precious thing inside her throbbing wildly and hard as a rock. She trembled all over, leaned against Lu Zhongming, hugged him tightly, and panted heavily.

"It's all your fault, you shot everywhere, making me lose it too." After the climax, Qin Yuning got off Lu Zhongming and saw his chest heaving as he panted heavily. She playfully slapped him a few times.

Lu Zhongming came to his senses, smiled, and said, "Although I couldn't last even half an hour, I still managed to make the Palace Master lose face once, so I can consider it making amends. I didn't say anything about the lunchbox the Palace Master mentioned earlier, how about that?" "You wish! I never go back on my word."

Lu Zhongming gave a wry smile: "Palace Master, in the month or so since I left the palace, I haven't stopped thinking about you every single night. Let alone three nights, I couldn't even bear one night."

Qin Yuning's blush hadn't faded yet, and she looked stunningly beautiful. "Who told you to make such a boast? This is the price you have to pay. Three days will pass quickly, and besides, we still have plenty of time tonight..."

"If that's the case, then I'll just have to spend the next three nights tonight."

Qin Yuning chuckled, "Alright, I'd like to see how you're going to use it, hmm... hmm..."

Before she could finish speaking, Lu Zhongming had already regained his strength, flipped over and pressed down on Qin Yuning, kissing her fragrant lips fiercely.

Soon, the two embraced and kissed passionately on the bed.

Qin Yuning's sweet kisses quickly aroused Lu Zhongming's desire. He lay on top of the beauty, placing her two long, beautiful legs on his shoulders, and then gently thrust his hips forward. The beauty beneath him let out a soft moan, and Lu Zhongming's thick, hard penis once again entered her narrow, moist honey hole.

Lu Zhongming thrust forcefully, watching the Penglai Sword Maiden, revered as a goddess by countless men, moan incessantly as he fucked her, filling him with immense pride. "Thump thump thump thump..." "Ugh...it's going in too deep...uh-huh..."

In the spacious bedroom, the sounds of flesh colliding and the passionate moans continued until late at night, when the sky gradually brightened and the noise subsided.

……

Early in the morning, Lin Zixuan instructed his servants to prepare provisions and water bags for the boat. Once everything was ready, he went to pay his respects to Qin Yuning. "Young Master, Madam is washing up; please wait here for a moment."

The one who spoke was Xing'er, one of Qin Yuning's personal maids. This little maid was petite and pretty, two years younger than Lin Zixuan. She had been sold by her parents when she was very young, and Qin Yuning, seeing her pitiful state, ordered her to be bought. There were more than twenty maids like Xing'er in Penglai Palace. Qin Yuning had always been generous to them, not only paying them more than twice the standard salary on the mainland each month, but also allowing them no restrictions on their future after they turned sixteen. If they wanted to marry, they would receive a generous dowry. Such treatment was unimaginable in the outside world.

"No need to trouble yourself. Xing'er, just tell my mother that I'm going to Longhu Peak to catch a lark and I'll be back in a couple of days."

Penglai Palace is built against the mountain, on the largest main island of the Penglai Archipelago. Besides the main island, there are more than a dozen smaller islands surrounding it. The archipelago is characterized by continuous high mountains, with Longhu Peak situated on the most remote island. The island's mountains are uniquely shaped, with steep peaks and jagged rocks, making them extremely difficult to climb. Furthermore, the peaks offer no rare treasures, so even the palace's herb gatherers are too lazy to set foot on them, resulting in a deserted landscape.

Longhu Peak is difficult to climb, but for someone with Lin Zixuan's exceptional lightness skills, it's naturally not a problem. Moreover, when he was a child, he often went up the mountain to catch birds and down to the lake to catch fish with Lin Tianhao, so he was more familiar with it than anyone else in the palace.

Upon hearing Lin Zixuan mention catching a lark, Xing'er's eyes lit up: "Young Master is catching a lark, I wonder who he's going to give it to? It shouldn't be Young Madam, he's already given her one. Could it be for Sister Wan'er?" "Oh, how did you know?"

Xing'er wrinkled her small nose, snorted twice, and said smugly, "Of course I know. Sister Wan'er and Young Master are so close, who else would Young Master give a gift to if not her?"

Although Xing'er was Qin Yuning's personal maid, she was also in charge of Lin Zixuan's daily life. The two were very familiar with each other, and Lin Zixuan always treated her very well. Xing'er was unlike other servants; she dared not overstep her bounds in terms of words or actions when facing Lin Zixuan.

Lin Zixuan pinched her cheek and said, "You're so smart. Alright, I need to hurry up and get up the mountain. Tell my mother later."

"Okay, okay, I'm not a child anymore, stop pinching my cheeks." Xing'er slapped away his mischievous hand and said angrily.

Lin Zixuan laughed and left. "Young Master, be careful going up the mountain." "Understood."

Lin Zixuan did not intend to waste time. He wanted to leave the palace first and then take a boat to the sea. Longhu Peak was not far away, and the boat trip would take less than half an hour. The reason he was in a hurry was because the lark had a schedule, and timing was very important if he wanted to successfully catch the little lark.

Larks are small in size, with fiery red necks and long, glossy tail feathers, making them exceptionally beautiful and beloved by many. They are also highly intelligent, capable of traveling thousands of miles a day. Larks raised by humans can even understand some human speech and carry out simple commands from their owners, making them a coveted and spiritual bird among countless women.

However, they are extremely rare and very difficult to catch. "Young Master, the ship is ready; we may board."

At this moment, a servant came to report to him.

Lin Zixuan nodded and said, "Okay, let's set off now."

The people of Penglai Island have always relied on boats for travel. The island has more than a thousand boats of all sizes, a prosperity that gradually developed after the Penglai Sword Maiden became famous throughout the world.

The previous palace mistress, Lin Zixuan's maternal grandmother, suffered from a long-term illness and was unable to manage palace affairs. Coupled with the early death of Lin Zixuan's maternal grandfather, Penglai Palace's influence on the continent significantly diminished. When Qin Yuning debuted, she shouldered the heavy responsibility of Penglai Palace's resurgence.

Later, when Qin Yuning was traveling in mainland China, she met Lin Tianhao. Six months after they met, Qin Yuning discovered that she was pregnant. So she returned to Penglai Island with Lin Tianhao and they got married.

Qin Yuning had always hoped that her husband could help her expand the Penglai Palace business. However, after Lin Zixuan was born, Lin Tianhao stayed on the island all day, lazy and idle, doing absolutely nothing of substance, spending his days running around with his son. After repeated attempts to persuade him failed, Qin Yuning began to regret her decision, wondering why she had been so blind to have chosen such a man.

Until one day, Qin Yuning was preparing to send a ship full of precious jade coral and seven-star shells to the capital. It was a big deal and extremely important to Penglai Palace at the time. Qin Yuning asked her husband to travel with her because she was exhausted from the long journey and needed someone she could trust to share the burden. However, Lin Tianhao refused without hesitation.

That time, Qin Yuning finally had a big fight with him and stormed out of the palace. Unexpectedly, on the seventh day after entering the Yangtze River, they encountered a robbery by gangsters in the middle of the night. More than thirty guards were killed or wounded that night. Despite her internal injuries, Qin Yuning defeated the eight top experts who attacked at that time.

Outsiders only saw her impressive victory over eight top masters, unaware that Qin Yuning had also suffered serious internal injuries. She had endured the pain until after returning to the palace to treat them. From then on, Qin Yuning no longer held any hope for Lin Tianhao. "Young Master, we've arrived. Dragon Lake Peak is just ahead."

The servants' reminders brought Lin Zixuan back to reality. The sea breeze blew, and he felt a slight tightness in his chest.

When he was very young, Lin Zixuan thought his father was the most fun person in the world. He could always find new ways to take him out to play. At that time, his favorite thing to do was to follow him around all day.

As he grew older, Qin Yuning took him in and forbade his father from coming to see him. In Qin Yuning's words, he was a good-for-nothing who had no sense of responsibility, no sense of duty, and was lazy and useless. He was the most useless man in Penglai Palace.

Living with Qin Yuning, and influenced by her, Lin Zixuan began to mature. His father, who was once the closest person to him, became a despicable figure, and Lin Zixuan even felt ashamed to call him "Dad".

That day, in front of all the guests, Qin Yuning showed no mercy: "Take your broken sword and this stupid dog, and never set foot on my Penglai Island again."

Despite the disdainful looks from countless guests, the man patted him on the shoulder with a grin and said, "Dad's gone now, son. You'll have to take good care of your mother from now on."

Then, amidst the mocking gazes of the guests and palace servants, the man, carrying a bundle and the two things Qin Yuning loathed most—a rusty, broken sword and the silly dog ​​that never left his side—sauntered away. His shamelessness was unparalleled.

At that moment, Lin Zixuan felt that if there were a crack in the ground, he would rather crawl into it than have anything to do with that person.

Qin Yuning gritted her teeth in resentment and said, "What a coward! I'm going to find a man a hundred times better than him and make him regret it."

Before I knew it, three years had passed since that person was driven away.

Lin Zixuan climbed ashore, gathered his gear, and immediately headed up the mountain.

He felt a lump in his throat when he thought of that person. Although Lin Zixuan desperately wanted to sever ties with him, he realized that many of his skills were things he had taught him when they were children. The method of catching larks was one of them.

Three years ago, Lin Zixuan successfully obtained a lark egg using the method he had been taught, and gave it to his fiancée, Sima Jin'er. Now, he intends to use the same method to obtain another one to give to Wenren Wan.

Lin Zixuan had not set foot on Longhu Peak for three years. The changes here were quite different from three years ago. Lin Zixuan first carefully identified the tree species around him, determined the route, and then proceeded cautiously.

Adult larks are extremely difficult to catch. Lin Zixuan's goal is to find unhatched eggs or young larks, as they can be raised to be intelligent and would be much more valuable than wild adult larks. Moreover, adult larks are incredibly fast. If they cannot be captured within a short distance, once they take to the sky, their speed can only be described as lightning fast.

Lu Zhongming is one of the three great martial arts masters of the Nine Provinces Kingdom. There aren't many people in the entire Nine Provinces Kingdom who are stronger in martial arts or have better lightness skills than him. But when Lin Zixuan asked if he could catch a lark, Lu Zhongming laughed and said, "Even with unparalleled lightness skills, it would be difficult to catch a lark in flight. Even your Uncle Lu here would probably only be able to chase after it and eat its dust."

It's easy to imagine how difficult it is to catch an adult lark.

Lin Zixuan moved quickly. He first observed the types of trees to determine which areas might be the lark's foraging grounds, and then he also had to find water sources. By combining these methods, he had a chance to find the lark's habitat.

Since the lark builds its nest in a different location each time, Lin Zixuan has to find a new one.

Longhu Peak is over a thousand meters above sea level, and many places are steep and dangerous. However, Lin Zixuan's lightness skills, personally taught by Qin Yuning and Lu Zhongming, allow him to easily leap several meters, making the climb not difficult.

This time, however, Lin Zixuan wasn't as lucky as before. He searched for nearly three hours without finding anything, though he did encounter quite a few poisonous snakes and insects. He found a clean, large rock, rested there, and ate the dry rations he had brought. The mountains and forests were rich in food if one was willing to work, but Lin Zixuan preferred light rations and didn't plan to hunt or eat wild game unless he ran out of food.

After resting for a while, Lin Zixuan continued up the mountain.

As evening approached, he had reached the mountaintop. Looking down from the summit, he saw a winding blue lake, resembling a giant blue dragon meandering into the sea—that was Dragon Lake.

Suddenly, Lin Zixuan's expression froze as he saw a wisp of smoke rising from the lakeshore.

There are people down below!

Lin Zixuan hesitated, unsure whether to continue searching for the lark or go down to investigate. But soon he decided to go down and see. It was getting late, and he feared he wouldn't find the lark anytime soon. He might as well go down and see who had come to this desolate mountain.

By the time they reached the bottom of the mountain, the sun had already sunk halfway down. In the distance, Lin Zixuan could see a person sitting not far from the lake shore, with a campfire burning in front of him, seemingly roasting something.

The man seemed to have seen him, and suddenly froze. Lin Zixuan, however, could not make out his features clearly. When he got closer, the man suddenly grinned and said, "Oh, son."

If it weren't for that familiar, nonchalant tone, Lin Zixuan would hardly believe his eyes.

His beard covered half his face, his clothes were old and worn, his trousers were rolled up high, and he wore a pair of straw sandals covered in mud. He looked like a farmer who had just finished working in the fields, no, he was even worse than a farmer.

Lin Zixuan never imagined that she would run into him under such circumstances, and she never expected that when she met him again, he would be in such a sorry state.

"Son, you've come at the right time. I just finished grilling this fish, so you can have it." The man waved loudly to Lin Zixuan.

Lin Zixuan looked at him, remaining silent.

The man urged repeatedly, "Come here! Didn't you love eating the fish I grilled when you were little?"

Lin Zixuan stared at him and said, "Have you been hiding here for the past three years?"

"What do you mean 'hiding'? I'm staying here." The man corrected him. "This place is wonderful, with beautiful mountains and clear waters. In my spare time, I can hunt and fish. Life is free and comfortable."

Lin Zixuan showed a look of disdain, wanting to say something sarcastic, but for some reason, he didn't say anything.

After a long pause, he finally said, "You're just planning to hide here like this and not go out?"

"I already said, it's a place to live. Why would your father need to hide? Hmm, it's almost done grilling, it smells so good." The man leisurely grilled the fish, and at the end, he took a deep sniff.

To be honest, the fish the man grilled was indeed very fragrant; Lin Zixuan hadn't smelled that familiar aroma in a long time. However, at this moment, his feet seemed rooted to the spot, and even the most fragrant smell couldn't arouse his interest in the slightest.

He said coldly, "Yes, it's about living here. You had a better environment before, but you didn't appreciate it. Your mother gave you chance after chance, but you only disappointed her and never made her happy even once. Now you live here like a country bumpkin. I can only say that all of this is your own fault."

The man paused for a moment, then said, "This is an adult matter; you're just a kid who doesn't understand."

Lin Zixuan hated this kind of tone from men the most, and immediately sneered: "Yes, I don't understand. I only know that Mother was devoted to you back then, so why couldn't you obey her just once, even just once, and stand up like a man? How could you have been kicked out by Mother?"

"Everyone has their own ambitions, you can't force them, you don't understand." The man still acted as if he had no heart.

Even at this point, this person still hasn't repented. Lin Zixuan was so angry that he laughed instead: "That's right, everyone has their own ambitions and you can't force them. Now that Mother has Uncle Lu taking care of her, she's living a much more comfortable life than before. Uncle Lu is not like you. He is one of the three great martial masters of the Nine Provinces Kingdom, personally appointed by the Emperor, yet he is completely obedient to Mother."

"Oh, that's good." The man nodded and said nothing more.

Seeing his expression, Lin Zixuan's face turned ashen, and the last glimmer of hope in her heart was finally shattered.

Several familiar barks came from afar. Lin Zixuan looked toward the source of the sound and a dark shadow flashed by like a shadow. Then a large black and white dog pounced on Lin Zixuan.

"Wangcai!" Lin Zixuan hugged the big dog with delight.

Wangcai, with its tongue lolling out and a distinctively bitter and resentful face, excitedly nuzzled against Lin Zixuan. Although Qin Yuning had never liked this silly dog, it was fair to say that Lin Zixuan had ridden on its back all day long, even before he could walk, making it Lin Zixuan's best childhood companion.

It's rare for an ordinary dog ​​to live as long as Wangcai, so Lin Zixuan was both surprised and happy to see his good friend again. "By the way, son, what were you doing at Longhu Peak?"

The man finished grilling the fish, but instead of eating it himself, he whistled at Wangcai, who immediately ran off and snatched the fish into its mouth.

"Catch the lark," Lin Zixuan said indifferently.

The man said "Oh," then raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "Who is it for? Jin'er or Wan'er?"

"It's none of your business," Lin Zixuan said irritably.

The man chuckled, "Of course it's related, because I have one on hand. It's a fledgling, and it's very obedient. You can take it back; it's not of much use to me anyway. Larks are almost extinct on Dragon Lake Peak these days, and they're very hard to find."

After saying that, the man let out a sharp whistle, and a moment later, a fiery red shadow darted out of the woods.

A small, fiery red bird perched quietly on the man's shoulder, its long tail feathers drooping down, its jewel-like eyes fixed on Lin Zixuan.

The man said "Go," and the little lark actually flew to Lin Zixuan's left shoulder and looked at him curiously.

This unexpected joy shocked Lin Zixuan. He stroked the little lark's soft feathers and could imagine how happy Wenren Wan would be when she saw this beautiful gift.

A sudden gust of cold wind blew by, and Lin Zixuan came to his senses, only to find that a thick fog had risen by the lake. Not only that, the weather, which had been clear just moments before, had suddenly darkened, and dark clouds were rapidly gathering.

Lin Zixuan then noticed that the man's expression had changed; his previous laziness and nonchalance had vanished. As the fine raindrops sprinkled on his face, the man abruptly turned around. "Follow me, run!"

Perhaps it was the man's heavy tone that made Lin Zixuan sense something was amiss, and she did not object.

The man ran very fast, weaving left and right through the dense woods, with Lin Zixuan close behind. Qin Yuning had once told him that the man's martial arts skills were rudimentary, but his agility was quite impressive. Now it seemed that it was more than just impressive; Lin Zixuan was running at top speed and almost couldn't keep up with him several times.

Finally, a small wooden house appeared not far away.

Once inside, the two looked out through the small window and saw a vast expanse of fog and rain, blurring the lines between heaven and earth. Luckily, they had run fast; had it been any later, they would have been soaked to the bone.

The wooden house is very simple, with a small table and a bamboo bed taking up most of the space.

Thunder and lightning began to rumble outside, and torrential rain poured down. At that moment, the small wooden house felt to Lin Zixuan like a small boat on the sea, which might fall apart at any moment.

The little lark suddenly seemed startled, jumping up and down restlessly. Wangcai, on the other hand, leaned forward, revealing its sharp fangs, and let out a series of deep roars.

Lin Zixuan suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, and a strange, inexplicable fear began to grow in his heart.

Just then, a heavy sigh came from the man. "They've finally arrived, but they've come at the worst possible time."

The man stood up, walked to the corner of the room, where the rusty iron sword leaned against the wall. He gently took the rusty sword in his hand and then came to Lin Zixuan's side.

"Whatever you see later, ignore it." The man looked ahead. "Escape. Escape as fast as you can, to the deepest part of the forest. Never look back."

He paused, then added, "Also, no matter what happens next, don't tell anyone, because no normal person would believe it."

Lin Zixuan tried his best, but his whole body was still trembling. All his courage shattered when he came into contact with that thing.

Through the thick rain and mist outside the small window of the wooden house, two bright red lanterns stared intently into the house.

With a deafening roar, the wooden house turned to ashes in an instant.

◆Chapter 3: A Shocking Turn of Events at Longhu "Palace Master, it's windy outside. Let's go inside to avoid catching a cold."

Looking at the wind and rain outside the pavilion, Qin Yuning shook her head slightly, her beautiful face showing undisguised worry. "I'm a little worried about Xuan'er. The rain is so heavy. It's okay if he stays on the boat, but if he can't get down the mountain in time, I'm afraid he'll catch a cold."

Lu Zhongming immediately comforted him, saying, "Xuan'er has practiced martial arts since childhood and is very healthy. Palace Master, you don't need to worry too much. Besides, he might already be on the ship right now."

A bolt of lightning ripped through the dark sky, as if signaling a message, followed by a series of lightning strikes, and then a deafening roar echoed through the heavens.

Lu Zhongming looked at the gloomy sky, a hint of confusion on his face.

"Speaking of which, this rainstorm came so suddenly, without any warning, and the wind and rain were accompanied by such thick fog, it was simply unprecedented."

Qin Yuning suddenly remembered something and said somewhat uncertainly, "When I was a child, my father mentioned that since our ancestors built the palace on Penglai Island, roughly every hundred years or so, a storm would appear without warning, with lightning and thunder, accompanied by a thick fog that would linger for a long time. It's somewhat similar to the situation we're facing now. My father said that it was a strange phenomenon caused by the Dragon King going out to sea."

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhongming laughed, "Dragons are just legends left by our ancestors. Who on the continent has ever actually seen a dragon? The so-called dragons on the Western Continent don't count; they're just large lizards. Even the so-called flying dragons are just large lizards with wings, completely different from the dragons described by our ancestors."

Just then, the old butler, Uncle Hua, rushed over.

"Your Highness, the fishermen outside say that the tide rose as soon as the rainstorm started, and the sea level is now very high, already reaching the shore. Even when the tide is high in the past, it never reached the shore. The fishermen have never encountered such a situation before, and they are all panicked. Many small fishing boats have been capsized and sunk into the sea. Currently, only the larger boats in our palace are still stable."

Qin Yuning frowned slightly upon hearing this. "Uncle Hua, tell everyone not to panic. The palace will make arrangements after the storm passes." "Yes, Madam, this old servant will go and comfort them."

Lu Zhongming muttered, "This is truly strange. Could it really be the Dragon King emerging from the sea?" He laughed at his own thought, "How could that be?"

Qin Yuning looked at the howling wind and rain outside the pavilion, lost in thought.

◇◇◇ "Roar!"

Just as the cabin turned to splinters, two shadows, one large and one small, collided in mid-air. "Clang!"

The sound waves, like metal clashing, instantly dispersed the wind and rain, and a strange circular rainless band appeared on the ground. The two shadows suddenly separated, and Lin Zixuan, who had been knocked to the ground by the two consecutive loud sounds, froze when he saw the scene before him.

Its massive body, nearly ten zhang long, was covered with layers of black scales, and a strong, fishy smell wafted from it. Its four giant claws were strong and powerful, and two long whiskers fluttered in the wind. Its two giant horns on its head were forked, with one side broken off. At this moment, it had red eyes like lanterns on its head, revealing a fierce glint in them.

A fear, seemingly rooted deep within his body and innate, was triggered by the monster before him. Lin Zixuan felt as if his blood had frozen, his breath caught in his throat, a tremor ran through his entire body, and he began to shake violently. "Dragon!"

He used almost all his strength, gritting his teeth as he uttered that word.

The appearance of the dragon completely overturned Lin Zixuan's previous understanding of things. "Stand behind me."

Just then, a man's cold shout rang in my ears.

Lin Zixuan quickly stood behind the man. Only then did he notice that the rust on the longsword in the man's hand had disappeared, replaced by a gleaming luster like gold, with tadpole-like inscriptions appearing in the center of the blade.

Lin Zixuan was exceptionally intelligent and had read various classics since childhood, including the difficult texts of the Western Continent, but he had never seen such texts before.

He stood frozen in place. Just moments ago, the man seemed to have fought a dragon, at a speed almost imperceptible to the naked eye…

The man said in a deep voice.

"The Demonic Dragon, the most powerful creature in the world, a true dragon. I will entangle it. You must leave as quickly as possible, without stopping."

Lin Zixuan gritted his teeth: "I'm not afraid. If we join forces, we can definitely defeat it."

The man coldly retorted, "Don't do anything foolish. You're too weak. The power of the demonic dragon is beyond your imagination." He paused, then softened his voice, "Take good care of your mother."

Lin Zixuan stared at the man's imposing back, her throat feeling as if something was blocking it.

The black dragon opened its blood-red maw, unleashing a deafening roar like a thunderclap from a clear sky. Lin Zixuan felt a sharp pain in his ears, and the next moment he heard the man shout, "Go!"

Lin Zixuan exerted all his strength and ran wildly, channeling his true energy beyond his previous peak state, fleeing into the forest.

The sharp sound of metal clashing came from behind. Without turning around, he knew that the man was already fighting the demonic dragon. The demonic dragon roared with rage. Lin Zixuan had already run a hundred feet away, but he could feel the heat behind him growing stronger and stronger. He couldn't help but turn around and look. The scene before him shocked him greatly.

The dragon spewed out eerie blue breath, igniting trees in its path, a blaze that even the damp rain could not extinguish. The dragon roared repeatedly, and several long sword marks were clearly visible on its massive body, its steel-like black scales sliced ​​open.

An astonishing aura erupted from the man; his expression was cold and stern, and the golden sword in his hand clashed repeatedly with the giant claws of the demonic dragon.

Lin Zixuan was shocked on the spot.

Of all the people he had ever met since childhood, the one with the highest martial arts skills was none other than Master Qingyi of Mount Shu, followed by Qin Yuning and Lu Zhongming. In Lin Zixuan's eyes, their martial arts skills were beyond the mortal realm.

However, the martial arts skills displayed by the man before them had transcended the boundaries of "humanity".

The torrential rain in the sky stopped abruptly when it was about ten feet away from the man's body. His body transformed into a phantom and pounced on the demonic dragon with ghostly speed.

A dazzling, bright light burst forth in the pitch-black twilight.

The dragon was momentarily overpowered by the man and fell into a disadvantageous position.

For a moment, Lin Zixuan was stunned by the shocking scene before him and forgot to run away.

Just then, something unexpected happened.

The dragon's icy gaze fell upon Lin Zixuan from a hundred feet away. Instantly, Lin Zixuan felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. His body stiffened strangely, and his legs seemed to be frozen in the snow and ice, losing all feeling.

The dragon's massive tail swept across, and the man blocked with his sword. Although he was unharmed, he was swept more than ten feet away. Abandoning its opponent, the dragon slammed its giant claws into the ground, and its enormous body leaped several feet off the ground, soaring towards Lin Zixuan at unimaginable speed.

The legend is true. The dragon is not like the so-called flying dragons of the West, which have wings, but its huge body can ride the clouds.

This horrifying scene made Lin Zixuan scream in his heart, "It's over!"

The dragon soared and fell in the air a few times before arriving in front of Lin Zixuan. However, Lin Zixuan was completely unable to move and could not help but lament that his life was over.

The man in the distance landed and, upon seeing this, immediately roared, "Wangcai!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a black shadow burst forth from the side of the forest, leaping high into the air and landing on the dragon's back. Without a word, its sharp claws and teeth began to lash out at the dragon.

The dragon roared furiously and turned to strike the dog on its back.

Wangcai was struck with the full force of the dragon's giant claw, instantly propelled at an even greater speed, crashing into the forest, his fate unknown. "Wangcai!"

Lin Zixuan's eyes turned red. The demonic dragon was already in front of him. It was too late to escape. Fueled by rage, Lin Zixuan drew his sword without hesitation and thrust it with all his might into the demonic dragon's eyes.

The crisp "ding" sound exploded in Lin Zixuan's ears like a thunderclap.

Facing a legendary creature like the Demon Dragon, this sword strike, infused with all of Lin Zixuan's true energy, was truly his most powerful attack. Regardless of the outcome, this strike would instantly deplete his true energy; even if it couldn't injure the Demon Dragon, it would at least repel it.

However, the dragon merely flicked its claws, and the longsword shattered instantly.

Immediately afterwards, Lin Zixuan felt his body being slammed hard by the dragon's tail. He coughed up a mouthful of blood and before he lost consciousness, he seemed to see a golden sword light, accompanied by a man's roar, flying towards him and striking the dragon.

The rain was falling steadily.

After an unknown amount of time, Lin Zixuan woke up.

It was Wangcai who licked him awake. Lin Zixuan was shocked to see Wangcai covered in wounds.

He sat up, a sharp pain shooting through his back where the dragon had struck him. Before him lay a devastated forest, but there was no trace of the dragon.

The downpour had gradually subsided, but a light drizzle continued, and all around was quiet.

Lin Zixuan struggled to pull the man's sword from a giant rock; the golden blade had once again become rusty. Most of the surrounding trees were destroyed. The mountain peaks in the distance appeared as if they had been cleaved cleanly by a massive weapon, the cut surfaces perfectly smooth.

Lin Zixuan stared blankly at all of this.

He looked at Wangcai and asked, "Wangcai, where's my dad?"

Wangcai's body was covered in wounds, the most conspicuous of which was the deep claw mark left by the demonic dragon on his abdomen.

His response was a few mournful cries from Wangcai.

Lin Zixuan felt as if all her strength had been drained, and she sat heavily on the ground.

After a while, the sharp pain in his back lessened a bit, and Lin Zixuan said to the dog beside him, "Wangcai, you stay here and don't go anywhere. I'm going to find him and I'll be back soon."

Wangcai lay on the ground and responded.

Lin Zixuan returned to the lakeside. All around was quiet. The dark clouds in the sky had gradually dispersed, and the rain had gradually stopped. It was hard to imagine that not long ago there had been a violent storm with thunder and lightning.

As darkness fell, Lin Zixuan found nothing. The man and the demonic dragon seemed to have vanished from the world without a trace.

He returned to the cabin, which had been reduced to rubble by the dragon's roar. The ground was a mess, but Lin Zixuan was still not giving up. He searched the ground for a long time and found only a small blue bundle.

He opened the small bundle, which contained only a simple item: an elegant wool coat and two paintings.

Lin Zixuan recognized the coat; it was made by Qin Yuning herself after they got married, taking many days and nights to complete.

Lin Zixuan unfolded one of the paintings. The painting was viewed from top to bottom. In the painting, Lin Zixuan was practicing swordsmanship with Wenren Wan in the garden, while Qin Yuning sat in the pavilion next to them, watching leisurely.

He stared blankly at the painting. He remembered the day depicted in it, but Lu Zhongming was also there that day; he and Qin Yuning were drinking tea and admiring the painting together in the pavilion. That happened a year after the man left. How did the man know about it and even paint it?

The figures in the painting are lifelike, and the technique is completely different from ordinary paintings. The richness of the colors and the realism of the figures are unprecedented. The painting style seems to be quite similar to that of the Western Continent, but it is even better.

Lin Zixuan unfolded another painting. In the painting, Qin Yuning, dressed in a white dress, sat quietly in a pavilion. The painting was extremely finely crafted. Lin Zixuan could even see that Qin Yuning in the painting was gazing into the distance with a hint of melancholy in her eyes, which was very different from her usual lively image.

At this moment, Lin Zixuan finally understood.

He loved her deeply.

These two paintings were painted by the man when he secretly went back to see them.

For some reason, Lin Zixuan suddenly remembered a sunny afternoon from his childhood. He was in the garden, and a man was letting him ride on his back, shouting excitedly. Qin Yuning, on the other hand, watched the father and son playing with a smile.

Tears streamed down Lin Zixuan's face.

He once hated that man, hated his incompetence, hated his lack of ambition. He had needlessly pushed his beautiful mother into the arms of another man, tearing apart what was once a happy family.

But now, he didn't hate men at all, because he wasn't a coward, but a real man. He only hoped to hear that cynical voice of a man again, to hear him call him "Dad" one more time.

Lin Zixuan's mind went completely blank.

He had a vague feeling that none of this was possible.

He carefully packed the small bundle away, carrying it with him along with the sword, and returned to the original spot. Wangcai looked extremely weak, so Lin Zixuan carefully bandaged it up before hurriedly carrying it away.

Wangcai was badly injured, so Lin Zixuan dared not linger. Fortunately, his injuries were not too serious, and he recovered some of his true energy. By noon the next day, he finally crossed Longhu Peak.

A clear chirping sound rang out, followed by a small, fiery red bird that flew to Lin Zixuan's shoulder.

Surprisingly, after the dragon appeared, the little lark, who had run away in fear, actually found Lin Zixuan.

The little lark hopped and jumped on Lin Zixuan's shoulder. Wangcai chirped weakly twice before quieting down. Lin Zixuan was pleasantly surprised to see the little lark, but then he fell silent again when he thought of its original owner.

The boat that Lin Zixuan came on was still there. As soon as they saw Lin Zixuan's figure in the distance, several servants on the boat immediately ran over.

When the servants saw Lin Zixuan's disheveled appearance, they were all taken aback. "Young Master, are you injured?" "I'm fine. Quickly, prepare some medicine. I need to change Wangcai's dressing." "Yes, Young Master, we'll prepare it right away."

Five or six people came with Lin Zixuan, and they were all in a flurry of activity. "Young Master, you're finally back! You have no idea how worried we were!"

"Yes, young master, yesterday's rainstorm was truly terrifying. There was lightning and thunder, and the sea level rose so high it was frightening. We were so worried about you going up the mountain alone."

Everyone was talking at once, recounting the strange phenomena of yesterday.

Legend has it that dragons can overturn rivers and seas. Lin Zixuan knew in his heart that it was caused by a demonic dragon, which had extraordinary power to influence nature.

He didn't know whether the dragon was alive or dead, but he wouldn't tell anyone, because the man had said that no one would believe him.

After changing Wangcai's wound medicine and bandaging it, Lin Zixuan, having also taken medicine after being struck on the back by the demonic dragon, felt a wave of fatigue wash over him. He closed his eyes, but various images kept flashing through his mind.

After he fell into a coma, the man must have engaged in an earth-shattering battle with the demonic dragon. He really wanted to know why the man, who clearly possessed unparalleled martial arts skills, had kept it a secret from everyone. For years, he had remained stationed at Dragon Lake Peak; how did he know that a demonic dragon would appear at Dragon Lake Peak? What was his true identity?

And this sword...

Lin Zixuan stroked the seemingly rusty longsword. He had played with this sword a lot when he was a child; apart from being a bit heavy, it wasn't anything special. However, when the man picked it up, why did it suddenly gleam like gold?

Lin Zixuan knew that this was no ordinary sword, but even the well-informed Qin Yuning called it a broken sword, which indicated that the sword had a mysterious origin.

Thinking of this, Lin Zixuan couldn't help but sigh. "Father, just who are you...?"

◇◇◇

Lin Zixuan returned to the palace late at night.

The maids wanted to inform the palace master, but Lin Zixuan stopped them. "It's late, don't disturb my mother's rest. I'll pay my respects to her tomorrow morning." "Yes, young master."

The maids were curious as they looked at the dog that Lin Zixuan was holding in his arms. Some of the maids who had been in the palace for a long time recognized the dog as belonging to the former master of the palace. They hadn't seen this silly dog ​​that liked to run around the palace for a long time since he took it away.

Lin Zixuan returned to his small building, took Wangcai to his room, and, exhausted, slept until dawn.

Early in the morning, Xing'er carried a basin of water into the room.

"It's dawn, young master, get up. Madam asked you early this morning if you were back. Oh, Wangcai, it really is you! I heard they said the young master brought you back. Oh dear, what happened to you?"

Wangcai was badly injured and had difficulty walking. The little maid chattered on and on, but Wangcai only whimpered a few times before closing its eyes and lying down again.

Lin Zixuan had just finished washing up when she heard Xing'er call out from outside the door, "Madam."

Qin Yuning, dressed in a long emerald green dress, walked in gracefully. "Your child greets Mother."

Qin Yuning's slender foot had just stepped across the threshold when her expression changed instantly. "Xuan'er, you're injured."

Her eyesight was incredibly sharp; just from the slight difference in Lin Zixuan's gait, she immediately deduced that he had injured his back.

"It's just a minor injury, nothing to worry about, Mother," Lin Zixuan quickly replied.

Qin Yuning gently stroked Lin Zixuan's back and said with heartache, "Does it hurt? I should have let Zhongming go with you." "I've taken some medicine for my injuries, and I'll be fine in a few days."

The two sat down at the table, and Qin Yuning gave Lin Zixuan a light kiss on the cheek, saying, "It's good that you're alright. I've been a little uneasy these past two days, and I've been worried about you. I'm relieved to have you back."

She then exclaimed, "Oh!" "It's that silly dog ​​again. How did it get so badly injured?"

When Wangcai saw its former mistress, it struggled to its feet and walked over with difficulty. It let out a low, mournful whimper and gently rubbed its head against Qin Yuning's long, beautiful legs.

Qin Yuning disliked this dog, saying that when it ran around, its tongue would dangle, making it a complete idiot. She never liked it and even disliked Lin Zixuan playing with it when he was little, saying that it would make Lin Zixuan stupid.

Surprisingly, this time Qin Yuning didn't kick it away. Instead, she reached out her slender hand and gently stroked its head, her eyes filled with tenderness.

There was not a trace of disgust.

Wangcai enjoyed the mistress's touch for the first time and closed his eyes comfortably.

Qin Yuning asked somewhat casually, "Xuan'er, where did you find Wangcai?"

Lin Zixuan's heart sank. He realized that Qin Yuning's seemingly nonchalant question was actually a deliberate attempt to appear casual, which precisely indicated that she cared.

Lin Zixuan was heartbroken, but he couldn't show the slightest pain on his face.

He smiled and said, "I found Wangcai on the mountain. It fell down the mountain and got injured, so I brought it back."

Qin Yuning paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Take good care of it. Wan'er will be back in a few days. Now that you've gotten a little lark, she'll be very happy. With Wan'er's beauty, there must be many young talents pursuing her at Bailu Academy. Don't think that being close to her will make you the first to get her, understand?" "Understood, Mother."

"After you recover from your injuries these next few days, and once Wan'er returns, I have an important task for you both."

In the past, Lin Zixuan would have been full of enthusiasm at the thought of doing something for his mother, but today, he simply nodded and said calmly, "Mother, don't worry, I will do my best to complete the task."

Qin Yuning patted his cheek and smiled, "That's my good son. You should get some rest today."

After Qin Yuning left, Lin Zixuan sighed in dejection.

◇◇◇

As Lu Zhongming strolled through the garden, the servants and maids along the way would stop and greet him respectfully.

He liked this feeling of being the master.

Passing through the long garden corridor and following a row of palace lanterns, an elegant pavilion comes into view. In the night, lotus flowers are blooming brilliantly in the surrounding blue lake under the glow of the lanterns.

Inside the pavilion, Qin Yuning, the Sword Maiden, sat overlooking the lake. Her emerald green dress trailed on the ground, and her slender figure resembled a goddess descending to earth. Her skin was as white as snow, and her red lips were luscious and tempting, exuding a myriad of charms. Truly, the scenery was beautiful, but the person was even more beautiful.

Lu Zhongming felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He dismissed the maids one by one and strolled away. "What is the Palace Master looking at so intently?"

Qin Yuning didn't turn around, but simply said calmly, "I didn't see anything."

Lu Zhongming noticed that she seemed rather unenthusiastic, so he said, "I heard Xuan'er came back last night, but why haven't I seen him all day?"

Qin Yuning then turned around.

"Xuan'er got a little injured while catching the lark, so I told him to rest for the next couple of days. What are you looking at?"

Lu Zhongming chuckled: "Look at you, no matter when, the Palace Master is more and more beautiful the more you look at her, even the goddesses in the heavens are no more beautiful than her."

Qin Yuning glared at him, "You call yourself a Martial Grandmaster, yet you're not serious at all."

"Emperor Wuzong is also a man. Every man, when facing the Palace Master, will fall head over heels for her."

Qin Yuning finally chuckled, "You can't expect anything good to come out of a dog's mouth."

Her smile was like a hundred flowers blooming, brightening the world. "Palace Mistress, you're so beautiful..." "You say I'm beautiful, but where are your hands touching..."

As Lu Zhongming spoke, his left hand had already touched one of Qin Yuning's long, beautiful legs through her skirt.

"You are beautiful from head to toe, Palace Master. You have no idea how much I've endured these past few days. Now that three days have passed, tonight we can..."

"Ha, a three-day deadline? It won't be until midnight tonight. You wish! And what are you doing, taking someone's shoes like that..."

As they were talking, Lu Zhongming reached under her skirt and took off one of Qin Yuning's green embroidered shoes. Through her white lace socks, he held her delicate foot in his hand and began to caress it.

His actions had dampened Qin Yuning's gloomy mood.

Moreover, Lu Zhongming quickly followed suit, removing the other embroidered shoe from under her skirt. He then held her long, beautiful legs in his arms, his hands caressing her slender feet encased in white socks and her rounded calves beneath her skirt.

Qin Yuning felt a tingling sensation in her heart as he touched her. Through the thin white socks, she could feel Lu Zhongming's masculine member hard as an iron rod on the soles of her feet.

Qin Yuning's heart pounded wildly, and her beautiful eyes almost welled up with tears.

Looking into the man's burning gaze, she knew she was probably going to be kept up until the wee hours of the morning again.