A semester had passed in the blink of an eye. The thought of Liu Ruyan's imminent return stirred a rare excitement in Xiao Yunlong, a man typically known for his iron-willed resolve.
However, as soon as he returned to his bedroom, his phone rang. It was a long, peculiar-looking number.
Xiao Yunlong glanced down, his expression instantly hardening. The number was highly unusual; it was only ever used for urgent, critical matters.
"What's happened?" Xiao Yunlong pressed the answer button immediately, his voice sharp.
"Liu Ruyan might be in trouble!" the voice on the other end was direct, cutting to the chase, its tone hoarse and low.
"What kind of trouble? Don't you have people there?" Xiao Yunlong retorted.
The caller replied, "We just received intel from our scouts. All flights from the Imperial Capital Airport to the Southern Border have been temporarily grounded. You know what that implies, don't you?"
Xiao Yunlong's brows furrowed as he demanded, "Are you saying the Imperial Capital is finally moving against Ruyan?"
"Not necessarily the Imperial Capital. You're well aware of the current situation in the Northern Territories. According to our information, someone doesn't want you to return to the Northern Territories smoothly. They intend to use Liu Ruyan as leverage to threaten you!"
The caller paused, then let out a cold laugh. "Of course, the ability to control the entire Imperial Capital Airport with a single command, and even the railways are under their control, indicates considerable influence. Our intelligence suggests they'll make their move very soon!"
Xiao Yunlong's brow furrowed in deep thought. "The priority now is for you to get Ruyan out. The Imperial Capital is their center of power. If they're determined to act, you won't be able to resist them."
"I know that, of course. But the flights are grounded..."
"Take a boat!" Xiao Yunlong interrupted directly. "You must depart immediately for the nearest port, secure a vessel, and make your way south!"
"Taking a boat is feasible. It'll be slower, but we can certainly secure a vessel. And if we can block our signals, they'll have a hard time finding us. Besides, at sea, we can handle any unexpected situations!" the caller replied after a moment's consideration.
"Then hurry and act. I'll explain the situation to Ruyan later and give her the rendezvous code. Also, remember to send another ship for support. If anything unexpected happens at sea, we'll still have a chance to escape!" Xiao Yunlong instructed.
"Alright, I understand!" the caller nodded.
As Xiao Yunlong was about to hang up, a thought struck him. "Right, when you reach the port, discreetly spread the word that the ship will dock at the Southern Border port in three days."
"You mean you want to lure them to the Southern Border?" the caller asked.
Xiao Yunlong narrowed his eyes, a glint of killing intent flashing within them. He sneered, "They dare to lay a hand on my woman? I'd like to see if they have the guts to follow us to the Southern Border!"
After hanging up, Xiao Yunlong immediately called Liu Ruyan again, informing her about the grounding of flights and trains to the Southern Border.
Liu Ruyan was not foolish; she understood immediately upon hearing the news.
Although her semester had been largely peaceful, with no unexpected incidents, she knew it was because someone was secretly protecting her and resolving any potential trouble.
After all, Liu Ruyan had begun practicing martial arts in Sucheng and possessed considerable talent, already being a master of the Huajin Grandmaster realm. Her senses were far more acute than those of ordinary people.
However, Liu Ruyan had never revealed her martial prowess. Even now, with three distinct colored streams of qi faintly swirling above her head, having one foot in the Sanhua Juding Martial King realm, she showed no inclination to boast.
To avoid causing unnecessary trouble for Xiao Yunlong, she had rarely left the campus.
"I understand, Yunlong. I've memorized the code. Don't worry, I'll protect myself!" Liu Ruyan said on the phone.
Xiao Yunlong nodded. "Don't worry too much. I've arranged for all our forces in the Imperial Capital to discreetly protect you. We'll meet at the Southern Border port in three days!"
"Yes, see you in three days!" Liu Ruyan smiled sweetly, filled with anticipation.
After hanging up, Xiao Yunlong calmed himself and walked out of the room as if nothing had happened.
Xiao Yunlong had considered flying directly to the Imperial Capital, but he knew it would cause a massive uproar and potentially lead to unforeseen consequences.
The current period was highly sensitive, and the situation in the Northern Territories was critical. The priority was to stabilize the Northern Territories before entering the Imperial Capital.
Furthermore, there were still unresolved issues in the Southern Border, particularly the deep-seated threat of the Miaoyin Sect. When the former lord of Canggu Ridge was dying, he had mentioned setting a grand scheme, and Xiao Yunlong suspected this scheme might be related to the Miaoyin Sect.
If the Miaoyin Sect were not completely eradicated, they would undoubtedly pose a significant threat in the future.
After lunch, Xiao Yunlong used the Southern King's Seal for the first and last time, ordering the generals of the Southern Border to find clues related to the Miaoyin Sect at all costs.
The entire Southern Border camp sprang into action. Although Southern King Lu Zhengtong had planned a celebratory banquet for that evening, Xiao Yunlong declined, his mind preoccupied with Liu Ruyan's safety, leaving him with no mood for celebration.
To Xiao Yunlong's relief, the ships sailing at sea remained peaceful for the next three days.
According to the sailing schedule, the ship was due to arrive at the Southern Border port at midnight on the third day.
The night wind howled, and dark clouds gathered in the sky, soon giving way to a torrential downpour, making the night even more turbulent.
Xiao Yunlong, accompanied by Zhuge Wushuang, Tu Fu, and other trusted subordinates, drove away from the Southern Border camp after dinner, heading directly for the southern seaport.
Southern King Lu Zhengtong had offered the assistance of the camp's elite guards, but Xiao Yunlong refused, deeming it unnecessary.
At ten o'clock that night, Xiao Yunlong and his entourage arrived at the Southern Border port. Due to the prior lockdown and strict control measures implemented with the Southern King's decree, all ships had already berthed within the harbor. Any vessels arriving after ten o'clock were strictly forbidden from entering privately.
Xiao Yunlong opened the car door and stepped out, standing on the dock with his hands behind his back, gazing out at the vast, misty expanse of the sea.
The rain poured down, and the sea churned, but it could not dampen Xiao Yunlong's clothes, as a thin layer of internal energy shielded him.
Zhuge Wushuang, Tu Fu, Tang Bowen, Jun Bufan, and Pan Chaofeng stood behind him, all silent, patiently waiting.
At half-past eleven that night, a white light appeared on the dark, deep sea ahead. The light grew larger, and soon the silhouette of a ship emerged.
"They're here!" Xiao Yunlong spoke, a rare smile gracing his lips.
The ship cut through the waves, quickly entering the harbor. Two slender, graceful figures appeared on the deck.
"Yunlong..." Liu Ruyan, wearing a coffee-colored woolen coat, waved and shouted from the deck.
However, at that very moment, a series of whistling sounds pierced the air from all directions. Immediately after, masked figures in black, breaking through the rain, descended from the sky.
In the blink of an eye, black-clad figures stood on the decks, masts, and rooftops of the ships surrounding the dock.
In total, there were thirty-six of them.
Three figures moved with lightning speed, appearing behind Xiao Yunlong and his group in an instant!
"I didn't expect you to actually chase us all the way to the Southern Border. You've got quite the nerve!"
Xiao Yunlong shouted coldly, slowly turning around, his gaze fixed on the three figures before him.
Among the thirty-six black-clad figures, all were masters. The weakest among them was at the peak of the Huajin Grandmaster realm, with half being Sanhua Juding Martial Kings. Furthermore, the strongest were these three, who had one foot in the True Essence realm – super experts.
The man in the center of the three black-clad figures sneered, "There's no place in this world we wouldn't dare to go, let alone this mere Southern Border. Xiao Beiwang, I don't want to waste words with you. Someone doesn't want you to go north. If you cripple your own cultivation right now, we can spare your life!"
Xiao Yunlong grinned coldly and said, "Did the people who sent you not tell you about my strength beforehand?"
"We naturally know you're skilled, but we don't necessarily have to kill you!"
The central black-clad man pointed at Liu Ruyan on the deck and said coldly, "We know you care deeply about that woman. If we capture her, and then order you to go east, I'm sure you wouldn't dare to go north!"
Xiao Yunlong's gaze sharpened, his entire body radiating killing intent. He roared, "You dare to try and touch my woman? Today, all of you shall die!"