60: Chapter 60 The Long Journey

The sun was high in the sky, and its warm light spilled onto the long street paved with bluestone slabs, coating it in a layer of gentle golden light.

On both sides of the street, restaurants and teahouses with carved beams and painted rafters stood in tight rows. Gold-leafed characters on vermilion plaques shimmered brightly, and wine flags and tea banners fluttered gently in the breeze, dispersing the mellow aroma of wine and the sweet scent of tea.

But now, time seemed to freeze at this moment. The sunlight still fell, yet it held not a hint of warmth. The air was thick with a tension so oppressive it made people gasp for breath.

After an unknown amount of time—perhaps a flash, perhaps an hour—a majestic aura suddenly erupted from the end of the long street!

Immediately following, four equally powerful auras trailed close behind. The five auras were like five towering mountains standing across the end of the long street. The sweeping pressure made the legs of everyone on the entire street go weak, nearly causing them to collapse to the ground.

In the next instant, the crowd receded like a tide, spontaneously and frantically moving to both sides of the street, pressing themselves against the walls with their heads bowed. The center of the originally wide street was instantly cleared into a straight path, and at the end of that path, a group of people walked slowly forward.

Walking at the very front was a man about fifty years old. He wore a bright yellow Nine-Dragon Imperial Robe. The five-clawed golden dragons embroidered on the robe were lifelike, their golden scales flashing with dazzling light under the sun, their whiskers flying and eyes wide open.

He had a tall, straight posture and a resolute face. Between his brows was a natural domineering air of a ruler of the world. His deep eyes seemed to contain the stars and the sea; wherever his gaze swept, it carried an endless pressure that made people dare not look him in the eye.

Though there were a few strands of silver at his temples, they only added to his imperial composure and majesty. This man was the current Emperor of Great Xia, a peerless powerhouse who had stood at the Peak of the martial path and dominated the top of the Heaven List for many years—Xiao Xuanyue!

Following closely behind Xiao Xuanyue were four elders with white hair and beards. Though their faces were aged, they were full of vigor. Their eyes were cloudy but occasionally flashed with a sharp light, faintly exuding a heart-palpitating sense of oppression. These fourth-stage Peak royal clan elders and enshriners were the foundation of the Xia royal family.

Xiao Xuanyue had originally been in the Imperial Study. Earlier, he had vaguely sensed a powerful surge of blood Qi erupting within the Imperial City, but before he could sense it carefully, that blood Qi abruptly dissipated as if it had never appeared.

At first, he didn't take it to heart, assuming it was some Martial Artist achieving a Breakthrough or an accidental outburst. He had merely casually ordered his subordinates to send someone to investigate briefly.

But the moment a scout returned with an urgent message reporting that something had happened to the Crown Prince, Xiao Jingyuan, Xiao Xuanyue's expression changed drastically, and he could no longer sit still.

The Crown Prince was the heir to the nation, concerning the foundation of the state and the royal Legacy. He immediately set aside his affairs and summoned the four remaining fourth-stage Peak royal elders and enshriners, rushing to the scene without pause.

When the group stepped onto the long street and saw the scene before them, even Xiao Xuanyue, who was used to great storms, couldn't help but have his pupils shrink as imperial fury instantly surged within him.

In the center of the street, the once high-spirited and lofty Crown Prince Xiao Jingyuan now lay slumped on the cold bluestone slabs like a pile of mud.

His bones were shattered, his limbs twisted at bizarre angles, his chest caved in, and his flesh was a mangled mess. The originally magnificent Crown Prince's robes were soaked in blood, clinging to his broken body.

He lay on the ground at his last gasp, blood constantly spilling from his mouth. His aura was weak to the extreme, liable to vanish at any moment. He no longer looked like an heir to the throne; he was clearly a dying man.

In front of the Crown Prince, a young figure sat quietly. Dressed in a plain long robe, his face was strikingly handsome and his eyes were calm without a ripple. He just looked indifferently at the dying Crown Prince on the ground with a detached expression.

Seeing this scene, Xiao Xuanyue and the four elders behind him turned pale with rage, absolutely furious.

Five majestic surges of blood Qi instantly erupted from their bodies, shooting straight into the clouds and weaving frantically in mid-air to form a massive net of blood Qi. The overwhelming pressure swept toward Lin Qing like a tsunami.

Wherever the pressure passed, the houses on both sides of the street trembled slightly, tiles rattled, and the onlookers fell directly to their knees, their bodies shaking.

Lying on the ground, Xiao Jingyuan felt these five familiar and powerful surges of blood Qi, and a faint glimmer of light flashed in his cloudy eyes.

He struggled to turn his eyes toward Xiao Xuanyue's group, certain that with his Father Emperor and the top powerhouses of the royal family arriving, Lin Qing was doomed today. Even if he died, he would see Lin Qing buried with him.

But this faint hope of his did not last long.

Just as the five surges of blood Qi pressure were about to fall on Lin Qing, Lin Qing slowly raised his eyes and suddenly erupted with his own blood Qi!

Crimson blood Qi soared into the sky like a bloody canopy, instantly sweeping out and covering more than half of the Imperial City. Wherever the crimson blood Qi passed, the sky and earth changed color, and the air seemed to be torn apart, carrying a world-destroying dominance and ferocity.

The majestic blood Qi woven by Xiao Xuanyue and the other four was unexpectedly fragile before this crimson blood Qi, instantly shattered and completely dissipated!

Seeing this, the faint light in the eyes of Xiao Jingyuan, who was lying on the ground, was completely extinguished. He finally understood that even if his Father Emperor personally led the top powerhouses of the royal family, they were simply no match for Lin Qing.

With his final breath cut short, Xiao Jingyuan lost all signs of life, dying right there on the bustling street.

Lin Qing gave a faint glance at the now lifeless Crown Prince, slowly stood up, his posture still straight. His crimson blood Qi slowly retracted as he turned and walked toward the other end of the long street with a composed pace and a lonely, proud back.

Xiao Xuanyue stood in place, his face so dark it could drip ink. He stared fixedly at Lin Qing's departing back, his hands clenched into fists until his knuckles turned white, but in the end, he did not dare to strike.

The strength Lin Qing had just displayed far exceeded his expectations. Even if he was number one on the Heaven List, combined with four fourth-stage Peak powerhouses, they were absolutely not Lin Qing's match.

Ultimately, he could only watch helplessly as Lin Qing departed calmly.

Lin Qing returned to the inn where he was staying and packed his bags simply, without the slightest lingering attachment.

When he walked out of the inn's gate, a simple carriage was already waiting at the entrance. The driver sat at the front in silence, clearly arranged by the Seventh Prince.

Lin Qing didn't ask questions; he went straight in and sat down. The carriage started slowly, its wheels rolling over the bluestone road with a low sound, swaying as it headed toward the border of Great Xia, gradually moving away from this bustling Imperial City.

Time flowed by, and in the blink of an eye, it was the beginning of the month again.

Unexpectedly, the tragic death of the Crown Prince of Great Xia on the streets of the Imperial City was like a stone sinking into the ocean, causing no ripples within the country.

The imperial court was calm; the royal family issued no related decrees, and there was not a whisper of discussion among the people. It was as if this world-shaking event had never happened, and everything had returned to silence.

The beginning of the month was the day the hidden dragon list was updated. This time was different from before; the Heaven List, which might not update even once in several years, was actually updated alongside the hidden dragon list!

At the top of the hidden dragon list, a name was written prominently—Lin Qing!

And on that Heaven List that hadn't changed for a long time, the top position was held by the same name—Lin Qing!

A sixteen-year-old youth had simultaneously reached the top of both the hidden dragon list and the Heaven List, becoming the number one on both martial lists in the world!

This was an unprecedented event. A sixteen-year-old number one on the Heaven List shattered the understanding of the entire Great Xia martial arts world. Everyone was inquiring about who this youth who appeared out of nowhere truly was.

By this time, Lin Qing had already left Great Xia and entered the vast and boundless Hundred Thousand Mountains.