As the banquet drew to a close, Shangguan Jinyu slowly awoke with Princess Julian's gentle companionship. Her eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings before she opened her eyes, revealing a trace of confusion and lingering terror.
Princess Julian's hand rested lightly on her back, conveying comfort and strength with tenderness. Shangguan Jinyu tightly grasped the princess's hand in return, as if it were her only anchor in this troubled world. Her heart pounded like a drum, each breath accompanied by a subtle tremor in her body, but she took a deep breath, striving to calm the storm within.
At that moment, Princess Julian's gaze inadvertently flicked to a corner of the banquet hall, where she spotted Ma Lang standing alone. His figure was upright yet out of sync with the surrounding hustle and bustle. His deep eyes concealed unknown secrets, and his tightly pressed lips revealed a hint of barely perceptible determination.
Princess Julian sighed internally, noting the inexplicable connection and resonance between these two introverted youths, who both seemed to fear crowds.
She softly explained the events to Shangguan Jinyu and continued, "Jinyu, it was Ma Lang who found and rescued you. You should thank him properly." Upon hearing this, Shangguan Jinyu followed the princess's gaze and saw that lonely yet resolute figure.
A complex mix of gratitude and shyness welled up within her, leaving her hesitant. Ultimately, she summoned her courage and walked slowly towards Ma Lang, each step feeling as if it were treading on her own heartbeat, heavy yet determined.
However, when she finally stood before him, she could only silently lower her head, hands clasped tightly, unable to utter a complete sentence.
The guests around them had also noticed this scene and gathered, showering Ma Lang with praises for his bravery. He merely smiled faintly, without saying much, and turned to leave the uncomfortable setting.
Watching Ma Lang's departing figure, Shangguan Jinyu felt a strange sense of loss. She knew she should express her gratitude, but her extreme social anxiety prevented her from bridging that gap.
After the banquet, Princess Julian approached to thank Ma Lang. She smiled and said, "Ma Lang, you were truly amazing tonight! Apart from your sister, my close friend, you only spoke to the two most beautiful girls at the banquet. That's the highest praise. And thank you for saving Jinyu. If anything had happened to her, I wouldn't know what to do with myself." Her words were sincere, tinged with a bit of playfulness.
Ma Lang politely replied, "Thank you for your kind words, Princess." His tone was calm and humble, without any trace of arrogance.
After exchanging farewells, Ma Lang's sister and friends left laughing, not accompanying him home. After all, the capital city was safe, and they trusted him to take care of himself.
However, in a corner, Lucien's casual remark carried a hint of sarcasm: "Our hero Ma Lang is actually walking home alone. What a delightful pastime!" Nearby, Zhen Liu, who had caused a great commotion and was now feeling desolate, heard this and a glimmer of darkness flashed through his eyes.
"It's all because of this Ma Lang that I'm in such a mess. I'll teach him a lesson!" he thought to himself.
Unaware of all this, Ma Lang enjoyed the tranquility and freedom of the night.
The evening breeze gently blew, carrying a hint of intoxicating wine and floral scent, making him feel exceptionally comfortable and content. Immersed in his own world, he was completely oblivious to the impending danger.
Meanwhile, at the edge of a secluded forest ahead, Zhen Liu lurked silently in a dark corner, clutching the fire element staff, a secret artifact passed down in his family. Like a lurking viper, he waited patiently for Ma Lang's arrival.
As Ma Lang walked by, Zhen Liu struck without warning. A blazing column of fire, resembling a raging dragon, surged towards Ma Lang.
Caught off guard, Ma Lang was hit directly.
Fortunately, at this critical moment, the mysterious golden energy in his consciousness surged abruptly, transforming into an invisible shield that barely blocked the fire's assault.
Even so, the powerful impact knocked Ma Lang off balance, causing him to stumble and fall.
He instantly snapped out of it, breaking out in a cold sweat. Hastily, he activated the family's meditation and breathing technique, channeling the golden energy to quickly metabolize the alcohol in his body. At the same time, he employed the Misty Footsteps technique, his figure weaving and dodging like a ghost amidst Zhen Liu's continuous attacks.
Zhen Liu was stunned by Ma Lang's agility. He couldn't believe his eyes and exclaimed, "How can this be! You actually blocked my attack!" His voice betrayed his position.
Ma Lang retorted furiously, "Zhen Liu, not only did you dare to kidnap the granddaughter of the Alliance's Chief Advisor, but you also attacked a descendant of the gods unprovoked. You will be severely punished!"
Zhen Liu's expression turned eerie, with a hint of madness. He grinned viciously and said, "No one will know if I kill you! Why did you have to meddle?" With that, he swung the artifact again, launching a more fierce attack on Ma Lang. The originally pure red of the fire element attack was tinged with a strange black, mysterious and gorgeous, but vastly more powerful.
Sensing something was amiss but unsure of the cause, Ma Lang decided not to hold back.
He looked at Zhen Liu coldly and summoned the previously disassembled and reassembled lightning element spear from his consciousness, its body flashing with dazzling lightning.
Taking a deep breath, he executed the spear technique "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix," which he had learned from his grandfather after being inspired by the story of Zhao Yun from the Three Kingdoms period. He didn't know where his grandfather had acquired it.
To his surprise, this ordinary spear technique seemed to have undergone a shocking transformation in this world. The lightning element spear in his hand appeared to turn into countless birds, the spear shadows fluttering like birds returning to their nest.
Each strike contained powerful lightning energy, assailing Zhen Liu with destructive and pure yang force.
What astonished him even more was that when the technique was pushed to its limit, a faint image of a white-robed figure with silver armor and a silver spear appeared in the air.
The apparition and Ma Lang's spear shadows complemented each other, as if it were a heroic spirit traveling through from ancient times. The spear technique seemed to be imbued with magical power, and wherever the spear shadows passed, the sound of phoenix chirping echoed, as if a hundred birds were singing in unison, leaving Zhen Liu utterly defenseless.
The strange black tinge in the fire element seemed to encounter a nemesis and was dispersed, reducing its power to its previous level.
Zhen Liu shouted in horror, "Impossible! This is a soul-level secret technique that communicates with heroic spirits! Have you reached the Secret Realm already?"
Ma Lang looked at Zhen Liu coldly, without answering his question. He stepped closer to Zhen Liu, continuously attacking and switching the sharp spear tip to the handle to knock him down. Only when he had Zhen Liu under his foot did he coldly say, "Consider yourself lucky..."
Then, he shouted for help: "Help! Zhen Liu is trying to kill me in retaliation!" His voice was miserable and urgent, as if he were the one being beaten.
He didn't want to reveal his abilities so soon, especially since he had only just begun to understand them himself. As the saying goes, it's easy to defend against open attacks but hard to guard against hidden ones. It was better to play it safe and keep a low profile. As for killing to keep someone quiet, Ma Lang didn't have the courage for that yet.
So, pretending to be cowardly was the only option. Even if Zhen Liu spoke the truth, who would believe that a newly awakened, seemingly crazy young master could possess such strength? It would only be seen as a desperate attempt to deflect blame.
In fact, even without his cries for help, the sound of disordered footsteps had already reached them. The Dao Sect's enforcement team quickly surrounded the scene.
Captain Blackthorn led the way, rushing over with a furrowed brow. He scrutinized the two of them sternly and asked, "What's going on here? Why are you two young masters involved again? Don't you know that fighting is not allowed within the capital?"
Zhen Liu had completely broken down by now, dare not to rise from the ground.
Ma Lang, on the other hand, struck a pose as if he had just gotten up and said to Blackthorn, "Thank you for the enforcement team's timely arrival. Thanks to a mysterious cultivator who passed by and saved me, Zhen Liu's retaliatory murder attempt failed. As for why he's retaliating, you can ask Princess Julian. She can vouch for me..."