Chapter 63: Five-Colored Radiance
Chapter 63: Five-Colored Radiance
People needed face the way trees needed bark. With the man saying that to him, the fatty immediately slammed the table and stood up. The food on the table shook wildly. I lightly touched the corner of the table, and the cups and plates instantly steadied.
The fatty roared, “I XXX—! You pretty-boy. Just a little ass-seller, acting like some hero in here. If you want someone to get out, then you fucking get out yourself. Don’t try to show off in front of me!” As he spoke, he even pulled a short blade from his chest and waved it around to bolster his courage. One look told me this guy had no real skill at all.
Seeing that the other party not only didn’t leave but also insulted him, frost immediately settled over the man’s face. He said coldly, “You brought this on yourself.”
His body flickered in a strange blur, and he appeared in front of the fatty in an instant. He raised a palm and slapped straight down at the fatty’s crown, red light flashing in his palm. When the fatty cursed him just now, I had actually felt a kind of satisfaction. Instinctively, I yanked the fatty sideways and pulled him two chi away.
The man’s palm swept past the fatty’s bloated belly—crack. The wooden table in front of me turned into splinters across the floor.
This guy didn’t move unless he meant it, and when he did, he went straight for the kill. Smiling while hiding a blade. His battle energy was strong—he should have been around the level of a Light Knight.
The entire tavern abruptly went dead silent. You could hear a pin drop. Everyone looked this way.
The fatty staggered back several steps, trembling. “You… you…”
The man didn’t even look at him. His sharp gaze swept toward me. Although the table had shattered and the area was a mess, within one chi of me there wasn’t a single splinter. I said, “It was just a few crude words. Why take his life, brother?”
I understood myself that this was easy to say when it wasn’t happening to me. If someone had cursed me like that, I would have already killed him.
The man didn’t get angry. The frost melted into a warm smile. “Brother, you’ve got good hands.”
I turned to the shivering fatty. “Why aren’t you leaving? Waiting to die?”
Only then did the fatty react. He let out a strange yelp and bolted. Where he had been standing, a small puddle was left behind—he had been so scared he pissed himself. No ability, yet his mouth stank like that. It was a wonder how he had lived this long.
The man called out, “Server, clean this up. Bring another table. I want to drink a few cups with this brother here. All damages are on me.”
Because of the man’s shocking display, everyone else backed off a little. Even those mercenaries carrying blades and swords spoke much more softly. No one wanted to provoke a powerhouse like this. Life was precious.
The server quickly swapped in a new table and brought refined pastries and wine. Ke Lan stayed quiet, sitting there and drinking the fruit juice in her cup.
The man lowered his voice to me. “This little brother is called Bai Li Xiao.” He pointed at Ke Lan. “This is my friend, Miss Ke Lan. May I ask brother your honored name?”
Bai Li Xiao? So, just like Ke Lan had said, his surname really was Bai Li. That was a rare surname.
All at once I thought of someone and asked, “My name is Xue Yan. Brother’s surname is Bai Li—then Bai Li Ku, how are you related to him?”
A look of admiration appeared on Bai Li Xiao’s face. “That is my elder brother.”
My heart jolted. He was actually the younger brother of Bai Li Ku—the youngest of the three Dragon Cavalry Generals, the one who rarely showed himself. Bai Li Ku was extremely famous in Dragon God. He had become a Dragon Rider at only sixteen, and at forty-two he had become a Dragon Cavalry General. He probably wasn’t even fifty yet. People often said that in another ten years, Bai Li Ku’s skill would surpass the other two Dragon Cavalry Generals and make him Dragon God’s number one.
And he had a younger brother this small. That was truly unexpected.
“I’ve long admired your brother’s great name. I didn’t expect he had such a young brother.”
Bai Li Xiao lowered his voice. “I’m the youngest child in my family. Of our generation of six children, my elder brother is the most accomplished. I came here mainly to take Ke Lan-mei out to clear her head. We grew up as neighbors. Seeing her look unhappy lately makes me feel bad too. I happened to have nothing to do, so I accompanied her for a walk.”
Ke Lan was unhappy? Was it because of me?
“Oh, so that’s how it is. Brother Bai Li isn’t a local, then.”
Bai Li Xiao was very talkative. We chatted for a long time.
“Brother Bai Li, I still have something to do. I’ll be going first.”
Bai Li Xiao had drunk a bit too much. He swayed as he stood. “I’ll see you out. Where are you staying, brother? Another day we can drink together again.”
“I haven’t found lodging yet. But I’ll be leaving here soon.”
Ke Lan, who hadn’t spoken the entire time, suddenly stood up. Her gaze was like a sword trying to pierce through me. She said coldly, “Lei Xiang, stop pretending. Even if you turned to ash, I’d still recognize you.”
My heart shook violently. I hadn’t expected that even with the hat on, she could still recognize me.
I lowered my voice. “Miss Ke Lan, did you mistake me for someone else? I’m not Lei Xiang. My name is Xue Yan.”
Ke Lan shoved Bai Li Xiao aside, reached up, and grabbed for the hat on my head. She didn’t know martial skills; to my eyes her movement was slow. But for some reason, seeing the tears flickering in her eyes, I didn’t dodge.
The hat fell at once. Ke Lan trembled as she said, “It really is you.”
Facing the girl who had once loved me, I truly didn’t know what to say. I forced a bitter smile, put the hat back on, and said in a low voice, “Better not to meet than to meet. Ke Lan… I’m sorry. Take care.”
After that, I turned and headed for the tavern’s front door.
“Hold it.” Bai Li Xiao’s voice came from behind.
I turned back. “Sorry, Brother Bai Li. I didn’t mean to deceive you. It’s just that…”
Anger faintly showed on Bai Li Xiao’s face. “You’re the one who made Ke Lan heartbroken?”
I froze, not knowing how to answer.
Ke Lan said coldly, “Bai Li-ge, our business doesn’t need you meddling.”
I sighed and continued walking out. Bai Li Xiao shouted behind me, “Stop!”
I ignored him and went straight out of the tavern. Bai Li Xiao wanted to chase after me, but Ke Lan held him tightly. Afraid of hurting her, he couldn’t force it.
Because of Ke Lan, and because of my talk with Bai Li Xiao, I had absolutely no desire to fight.
The moment I stepped out of the tavern, a fat body slipped out of the alley beside it and called softly, “Sir, sir.”
I focused my gaze. It was that fatty from inside the tavern. Why hadn’t he left? What was he doing here?
I didn’t like him at all. I frowned. “What are you calling me for?”
The fatty smiled awkwardly. “Just now, thanks to you yanking me. Otherwise I probably would’ve been slapped into a pile of minced meat by that kid.”
I had only acted on instinct. Honestly, I hadn’t been trying to save him at all.
I waved him off. “They haven’t even left yet. If you don’t leave now, you really want to die?”
The fatty glanced at the tavern door in fear and trembled. “This little one is called Wan Shi Tong. If you ever need anything, just come find me. I’m going.” He turned to run.
“Wait.” That name, Wan Shi Tong, caught my interest.
He turned back blankly. “Do you still need something?”
I nodded. “I have something I want to ask you. Let’s find a place to talk.”
He hesitated, then said, “Alright.” He led me away from the tavern.
I followed him through streets and alleys until we reached a residence. He stopped and said awkwardly, “This is my place. It’s a bit crude. You…”
I gave a short sound. “It’s fine. I’ll ask a few things and leave.”
The moment I stepped into his so-called home, I nearly turned around and ran out. Even I, lazy as I was, wasn’t like this. There wasn’t even a place to step—junk everywhere, dirty clothes thrown around. The smell didn’t even need mentioning.
I frowned. “Let’s talk in the courtyard.”
The fatty said embarrassedly, “It’s too messy. I live alone, I’m used to it.”
I didn’t bother tangling with him. “Do you know anything about the Five-Colored Radiance that’s been appearing at White Smoke Mountain lately?”
The moment I asked, he perked up and looked smug. “Of course. Anything that happens around here—there’s nothing Wan Shi Tong doesn’t know.”
I nodded. “Good. Tell me about it.”
The fatty said, “Lots of people are asking about this. It started about three months ago. I don’t remember the exact day. That night, the sky in Baiyan Mountain’s direction suddenly lit up—five-colored cloud-glow appeared, even more dazzling than a rainbow. Beautiful. Tons of people in the city saw it.
“I heard a jeweler say it was an auspicious sign. That Five-Colored Radiance was actually the miasma of a treasure about to surface, rising into the sky. It was clearly coming out of White Smoke Mountain.
“Then it was over. In just a few days, countless people went into the mountain searching for treasure, but they all came back empty. To be honest, I went too—didn’t even find a ghost.”
I thought for a moment. “So there really is a treasure?”
The fatty scratched the back of his head. “Whether there’s really a treasure, I can’t say. But people came from all over, wanting to explore Baiyan Mountain and try their luck. A treasure that can raise those colorful miasma clouds wouldn’t be ordinary. Plenty of people want it.
“And I’m telling you—the court issued a notice declaring Baiyan Mountain a forbidden zone. No unrelated persons allowed in. They even sent an elite light cavalry regiment to patrol the foot of the mountain. If even the court takes it this seriously, that proves a treasure really appeared.
“But Baiyan Mountain’s been sealed for almost two months. The court’s troops still haven’t withdrawn. Looks like they still haven’t found the real treasure.”
I nodded. “Did the Five-Colored Radiance appear only once?”
The fatty shook his head. “No. It appeared four times total. The last time was seven days ago. And each time it was more beautiful than the last—always from Baiyan Mountain.
“When it appeared, the year-round clouds around Baiyan Mountain’s mid-slope lit up and turned into miasma cloud. That scene—I’ll never forget it. Too beautiful.”
I asked, “Do you know what people from Dragon God came to look for it?”
The fatty thought. “Not sure exactly who. But I’ve seen traces of giant dragons near Baiyan Mountain. So probably lots of Dragon Riders came. I haven’t heard any sign of the Three Great Dragon Cavalry Generals coming, though. For just treasure hunting, it probably doesn’t need those three old gentlemen to show up.”
“That’s all? Any other news?”
The fatty said, “Other news… let me think… Oh, right. There’s also a rumor. Some people say what’s going to appear at Baiyan Mountain is a divine artifact left behind on the continent by the gods.”
I frowned. “Divine artifact?”
He nodded. “Yeah. I don’t know who started it, but a lot of people believe it. It’s gotten pretty wild. Lots of people—especially mercenaries—believe it’s a divine artifact left by the gods. If anyone gets it, they’ll have the power of a god.”
I gave a disdainful laugh. “Even if there really is a divine artifact, ordinary people can’t just use it. So what if you get it? Besides, with Dragon Riders there, they have no hope at all.
“Thanks for telling me. In the future, watch your mouth. Look at who you’re talking to. Not every time someone will save you. Remember: disaster comes from the mouth.”
The fatty kept agreeing.
I left Wan Shi Tong’s place and found a random inn to stay at. There was still some time before night. I needed to adjust my state first, then I’d night-scout Baiyan Mountain. Since Dragon God took it this seriously, there probably was something good. And if only Dragon Riders came, then after I transformed into four wings, I could still handle them.
When I woke again, the night was already very deep. I quietly left the inn. The city gates were closed, so I had no choice but to find a spot, transform into a four-winged fallen angel, and fly out of the city. Soon enough I reached the foot of Baiyan Mountain.
Baiyan Mountain was still as beautiful as ever. Even in the dead of night, you could faintly make out those year-round clouds. It was quiet, as if there were no people at all.
I cautiously landed on a large tree. With my sharp senses, I knew there was no one nearby. Since there were only Dragon Riders here, even if they discovered me it wouldn’t matter. I didn’t know where the treasure was, so I decided to go first to the place where I had cultivated last time.
Wan Shi Tong said there were patrols—why was there no movement? Did they all go to sleep at night?
I fixed my direction and quietly flew over. As I took off, I spread my dark power across my body. Thick black fog poured out, making me look like a cloud as I drifted toward Baiyan Mountain.
Only from above did I notice—at the foot of the mountain, deep in the dense forest, a large force was hidden. But they were all infantry. Wan Shi Tong that dead fatass—what “elite light cavalry regiment”? There wasn’t even a single horse. If I barged in rashly, I’d definitely cause unnecessary trouble.
Because my disguise was excellent, I wasn’t afraid of being recognized. I hovered and observed for a while. Almost every hundred meters, there was a small squad hidden. Higher up, above the forest, there were even more troops gathered, ready to support at any moment.
Under Dragon God’s defense like this, trying to sneak in on foot was basically impossible.
Fortunately, the soldiers only defended the mountain’s foot. I carefully skimmed over their heads and landed on the mountainside.
I recalled the location where I had cultivated a year ago, judged the direction, and with a whoosh jumped to treetops, tapping along the tips as I moved rapidly. I stayed alert at every moment. My keen senses could detect movement within five hundred meters. After searching, I finally found that small hillside. The cave was still there, and there was no movement inside.
White Smoke Mountain was huge. How was I supposed to find the Five-Colored Radiance? When I was high in the sky earlier, I hadn’t sensed anything strange at all. Forget the Five-Colored Radiance—I hadn’t even seen a single Dragon Rider. Looks like they all rested at night.
I beat my four wings and rose without a sound. Since the entire Baiyan Mountain was almost completely covered by towering trees, I decided to fly low and search thoroughly.
Breaking through the thick fog, I reached the upper portion of Baiyan Mountain. My clothes were already damp from the heavy mist, and the temperature was clearly much lower.
Since Wan Shitong said the Five-Colored Radiance came from White Smoke Mountain, it should be somewhere on this peak. I beat my wings and sped up, circling Baiyan Mountain again and again. With my eyesight and low-altitude flight, almost everything on the mountain surface was in full view.
I searched all the way to the summit and still found nothing unusual. I sat on the peak as wave after wave of cold wind swept over. I had to circulate my dark power to protect myself.
Where was it? I had basically searched all of Baiyan Mountain, yet there wasn’t a single clue. If there was nothing here, why did Dragon God still station so many people below? Was it to mislead people?
Only then did I understand—I had been fooled. If any mountain in the surrounding range emitted Five-Colored Radiance, from far away it would look like the whole region was glowing. Baiyan Mountain was the highest peak here, so naturally people assumed it was the source. And with Dragon God’s massive troop deployment at the foot, no one would pay attention to elsewhere.
Just then, in the distant range to the left, several streams of colored mist suddenly rose into the sky from the mountains. The mist grew thicker, and the horizon brightened at once. My spirits lifted—this had to be the so-called Five-Colored Radiance. If I hadn’t been on Baiyan Mountain’s summit, it wouldn’t have been easy to see where that miasma cloud was coming from.
I was just about to go investigate when the energy inside my body suddenly surged. Just like when Su Lu berserked, the heart-protector mirror once again began separating from my Berserk Battle Energy, trembling madly inside me. My heartstrings were pulled into rapid throbs.
I was shocked and hurriedly circulated dark power to suppress it. This time was different. I was transformed, and my dark power was far stronger than before.
Yet to my horror, the heart-protector mirror’s urge to break free was also far stronger than last time. It thrashed through my body, slamming repeatedly at my chest as if it wanted to burst out through my ribs. And the thing provoking it seemed to be exactly that increasingly dense five-colored miasma cloud.
Could it be that the Heart-Protecting Mirror was connected to the Five-Colored Radiance?
Even as I tried with all my strength to stop it, its impact grew stronger with each strike. The meridians in my body felt like they were about to tear apart. I could feel myself barely holding on.
Enough. If it was meant to be mine, it would be mine. If it wasn’t, forcing it was useless. I gradually withdrew my dark power and protected my heart meridians.
At once, a strand of golden light appeared at my chest. The heart-protector mirror, in pure energy form, slowly seeped out of my body. The golden light grew brighter and brighter. In no time, its energy had fully escaped, like a golden heart had run out of my body. It gradually reshaped into the heart-protector mirror’s form, but its golden glow didn’t weaken at all.
The Heart-Protecting Mirror began to tremble, humming as if it were thrilled. Then—whoosh—it shot into the sky and hurled itself toward the direction of the Five-Colored Radiance at an astonishing speed.
My heart jolted. I beat my wings and chased after it. No matter what, I had to see what was going on. Even if I couldn’t keep the Heart-Protecting Mirror, I still had to know what its connection to the Five-Colored Radiance was.
Deep down, I still had selfishness. It was the heart-protector mirror that had dragged me back from the brink of death. I had already developed a strange attachment to it. I truly didn’t want to lose it like this.
The heart-protector mirror carried a streak of gold, shooting like a meteor toward the source of the Five-Colored Radiance. Great—now I didn’t need to search. The heart-protector mirror became my best guide.
Its speed was terrifying. Even at full speed, I was gradually left behind. I chased and drew closer and closer to the Five-Colored Radiance —
Suddenly, several clear dragon roars rang out from the forest below. Four giant dragons rose from four different directions, intercepting the heart-protector mirror’s route. Two were red dragons, one was a blue dragon, and one was a green dragon. Each dragon carried a Dragon Rider in heavy armor with a long spear.
The heart-protector mirror’s golden light had clearly drawn them. I was several hundred meters behind it, wrapped in black fog, so they didn’t seem to notice me. I didn’t want trouble either. I abruptly stopped and watched to see whether they could stop it.
The four dragons spewed out dragon breath nearly a meter thick, sealing off the heart-protector mirror’s path.
The heart-protector mirror didn’t care at all. It charged forward along the same route, and the four streams of dragon breath couldn’t slow it in the slightest.
The green Dragon Rider reacted the fastest. His wind-aspected dragon was a bit smaller, but its movement speed was startling. He shifted sideways and cut directly in front of the heart-protector mirror. His four-meter-long dragon spear snapped out, carrying a green battle energy as he tried to flick the heart-protector mirror away.
This Dragon Rider’s spearwork was truly good. He actually managed to catch it dead-on at such insane speed.
Clang.
The crisp sound spread through the sky. The heart-protector mirror went from extreme speed to a dead stop in an instant. The shift from motion to stillness was eerie. It sat on the Dragon Rider’s spear tip. The four Dragon Riders were clearly delighted and immediately closed in.
My heart sank. Was the treasure really going to be taken by them just like that?
Just as I was hesitating whether to intervene, the heart-protector mirror’s glow suddenly weakened. The golden light that had been lighting up the area shrank violently, from a three-chi radius down to one chi.
And within the compressed golden light, white lightning-like arcs twisted irregularly. One red Dragon Rider suddenly shouted, “Not good—fall back!”
But he realized it too late. The heart-protector mirror’s golden light turned into a blinding white glare and exploded outward from itself.
The burst was so bright that even the distant Five-Colored Radiance looked dim by comparison. I hurriedly folded my wings in front of me to block the light. Even so, that explosive energy wave still blasted me backward several hundred meters.
If even I was thrown like that, those Dragon Riders who were right beside it… they were probably finished.
When the shockwave dispersed, I spread my wings again and looked. The four Dragon Riders had been flung in four different directions. Their dragons had spewed massive amounts of blood to protect their riders as they plummeted downward.
The sky was filled with flying dragon scales and shattered pieces of Dragon Rider armor.
Luckily I hadn’t tried to forcibly keep the heart-protector mirror. That must have been its true power—terrifying.
I shook my head and looked toward where it had gone. A point of gold was already disappearing into the night. I panicked and hurriedly beat my wings in pursuit.
After chasing for a while, the golden point vanished completely. What was the heart-protector mirror doing?
Luckily, the Five-Colored Radiance still indicated the direction. I slowed down, steadied my breathing, and flew toward the Five-Colored Radiance .
As I drew closer, the rising glow suddenly twisted a few times. The light flared brighter, as if it were thrilled. My heart tightened. The heart-protector mirror had already reached its destination and merged into the Five-Colored Radiance .
My curiosity drove me forward. I flew over a ridge and finally found the source. The Five-Colored Radiance seemed to be drifting out of a mountain hollow. I drew my wings in and dove down.
The trees in the hollow were abnormally tall, as if they had nearly a thousand years of age. If I could find this place, the Dragon Riders who had arrived months ago could certainly find it too.
To avoid tangling with them, I sealed all my pores, suppressed my aura, and carefully drifted onto the tallest tree to look down.
At the center, surrounded by towering trees, was a clearing. In the clearing stood three humans in armor. Behind each of them lay a giant dragon.
All three stared intently at a cave about thirty meters ahead. The cave entrance was the source of the Five-Colored Radiance . Dense colored mist was constantly seeping out.
These dragons were different from the ones I had seen before. They were far larger—one white dragon, one yellow dragon, and one cyan dragon. Each was more than twice the size of an ordinary giant dragon.
Especially that cyan dragon. Not only was it the largest, but it also had an extra, slightly curved horn on its head. Its scales shimmered with a faint glow. It looked exceptionally beautiful.
My heart sank. Could this be a legendary Dragon Clan elder?
The cyan dragon suddenly lifted its head and said, “Li Feng, it seems companions were attacked. I’ve already lost my sense of them.”
A dragon that could speak human words—definitely not ordinary. That made my suspicion even firmer.
The human in cyan armor before it snorted. “Thank you, Elder Qinglin. It must be related to that beam of golden light that just shot into the cave. What exactly is in here? Even with our combined strength, we still can’t get in.”
Hearing his voice, I was secretly shaken. Such deep battle energy. Even though I was several hundred meters away, his aged yet thick voice still made my ear bones ache.
This was not something a Dragon Rider could possess. Even when I had met Lan Di Si—one of the Three Great Dragon Cavalry Generals—I had never felt this kind of suffocating pressure.
My mind stirred, and I immediately understood who these people were. They were likely members of Dragon God Empire’s Sacred Dragon Cavalry—meaning all three humans below had the strength of Dragon Cavalry Generals.
These people were absolutely not opponents I could handle. Any single one of them could destroy me. Only they could have such overwhelming strength.
So Dragon God had actually summoned them here. That meant the thing inside this cave was extremely important.
The human in yellow armor beside him said, “Uncle Li, it seems a divine artifact truly exists here. Since we can’t enter, why not collapse this place to ensure the enemy can’t obtain it? What do you think?”
His voice sounded even older than the cyan-armored warrior’s, yet he called him “Uncle.”
Li Feng said, “With our strength, we still can’t collapse it. I’ve tested it. The rock here isn’t especially hard by nature, but with this five-colored energy protecting it, it has become incomparably tough.
“If we want to collapse it, we’d need all members gathered, and Big Brother Tian Yun would have to command and unleash Star Dragon Rain. Only then would there be hope.”
The warrior in white armor said, “Uncle Li, is it necessary? If Father leads us to unleash Star Dragon Rain, then the entire Baiyan mountain range would likely be destroyed. I’m afraid it would cause panic.”
My heartstrings trembled. What? They could destroy the entire Baiyan mountain range? What kind of power was that?
Li Feng’s tone carried a bit of approval. “Exactly. That’s why I haven’t been able to decide. Big Brother won’t agree either. Let’s try again. Perhaps with the combined strength of three people, there will be some effect.”
From the looks of it, Li Feng was the leader here. I didn’t know just how strong he was, but that cyan Dragon Clan elder alone was already likely beyond me.
Dragon God was using forces this terrifying to explore the object in this cave. There was no room here for beastmen or demons to meddle.