Bruno the Dragon-Qilin thundered southwest atop a cloud of fire, heading for the Heavenly Treasury Sect. Ahead, two mountains loomed like a celestial gate, their slopes bristling with palaces and pavilions.
Gavin Yue was hurrying toward the sect gate when he suddenly sensed something and glanced back—only to see Bruno carrying Quinn Shepherd swiftly up behind him.
Startled, Gavin Yue halted at once. "He’s so fast! If I try to warn my sect, he’ll probably strike me down before I finish!"
Bruno stopped. Quinn greeted Gavin politely, and Gavin returned the gesture.
Quinn smiled warmly. "Brother Gavin, why aren’t you joining the Flower-Mountain Festival? Why head back to the sect instead?"
Gavin Yue quickly grinned. "I’m not much to look at—no point trying to charm the ladies. Best skip the festival."
Quinn’s smile grew even warmer. "Brother Gavin, how could you say that? You’re quite the talent—sure to win hearts. You should go back and enjoy the festival."
Gavin’s skin crawled. The last time Quinn called someone ‘quite the talent,’ he unleashed ‘One Sword Opens the Pioneer Era, Blood Like an Ocean’ and killed four top experts on the spot!
Now Quinn said it again. If Gavin played dumb and insisted on heading home, he might end up dead in a single stroke!
"Thank you for your auspicious words, Cult Master Quinn."
Gavin Yue thanked him, turned, and hurried off toward Fairgrace City.
Quinn watched him disappear into the distance, then signaled Bruno to keep going, skirting the Heavenly Treasury Sect’s gate.
From afar, Gavin spotted Fairgrace City. He glanced back—no sign of Quinn. He thought, "True Heaven Palace wants him. If our sect could capture him and win favor with True Heaven Palace, my status would skyrocket!"
He was about to turn back when he saw the giant mountain shaped like a man out on the wilds. He froze, then noticed the shattered road and the devastation left by the bell’s shockwaves.
More Yu clan experts flew in, searching for the remains of their old matriarch—and broke down weeping when they found her.
"Even the old Yu matriarch is dead?"
Gavin Yue stared, then relaxed and headed for Fairgrace City. "If the Yu matriarch couldn’t stop him, not even with a mountain, our sect won’t succeed either. Better to meet beauties than risk my neck."
"Junwood City is just ahead."
Two days later, Quinn stood atop Bruno’s big head, pulled out the Western Lands map, studied it, then checked the stars. Delighted, he said, "Once we reach Junwood City, True Heaven Palace isn’t far. Bruno, you’ve been working hard—this time you’re really fast."
These past two days Bruno hadn’t slacked off at all. With his speed, they could cover twenty thousand li a day—meaning they’d reach True Heaven Palace in less than half a day.
Along the way, they ran into plenty of trouble. True Heaven Palace had issued a bounty, and Western Lands cultivators were hunting for Quinn’s trail—he’d fought several nasty battles.
But nothing matched the sheer brutality of the Yu clan’s bell-giant mountain weapon. Its power was terrifying—only top families could own such treasures, and it took a long time to prepare, either by waking the mountain-spirit or breaking its seal.
Bruno was so fast that unless someone knew Quinn’s route ahead of time, there was no way to set a trap.
On the road, Quinn saw how strange Western divine arts could be. Besides using mountains and rivers as weapons, Western cultivators also raised spirit beasts.
They would awaken the spirit of a rare beast, start training it from childhood, and grow up together. These beasts became fiercely loyal—and served as living spirit weapons, more agile and adaptable than mountain or land spirits.
The Western Lands’ ‘all things have spirits’ arts were truly eye-opening.
Bruno raced on, drawing ever closer to Junwood City. The land here was mostly mountains, and they kept running into cultivators flying overhead—usually riding winged spirit beasts.
Quinn raised his eyebrows, noticing that plenty of Western cultivators were tracking his movements.
"They’re watching me again. No way I’m entering Junwood City—there’s definitely a trap. We’ll have to cut through the wilds instead."
Quinn sent a divine-sense message using the Skyfeather Clan’s technique, telling Bruno to get ready. Then he took a long, deep breath, filling his chest to the brim.
Whoosh—
He exhaled, and thick mist instantly billowed out, blanketing heaven and earth for miles.
Bruno dove into the mountains, vanishing into the forest. Western cultivators charged into the fog, searching everywhere, but by the time the mist cleared, Quinn and his party were long gone.
"Young Master is here!" someone cried, face tense.
A fragrant carriage soared in, drawn by rainbow phoenixes. Inside sat a plump but not fat youth—Brandon Yu—surrounded by True Heaven Palace ladies.
Strangely, though Western Lands revered women, even True Heaven Palace’s ladies could only attend him, never act out of turn.
The cultivators all bowed. "Young Master Yu!"
Brandon Yu surveyed the scene and laughed. "He escaped again? Not surprising. Last time I led the hunt for Princess Mother Helena Bear, he sabotaged me and she got away. That was the Great Ruins, not the Western Lands—I couldn’t act freely. But here, it’s my territory, not his. If he thinks he’ll slip away this time, he’s naïve."
This was Brandon Yu, son of the current Palace Mistress of True Heaven Palace. Young but ruthless, he was a master of schemes.
Raina Bear was once Palace Master of True Heaven Palace, but the Yu clan overthrew her. Brandon Yu’s cultivation wasn’t supreme, yet he could lead the hunt for a sectmaster like Raina Bear, driving her to the brink of death as her strongest allies fell one by one—a testament to his cunning.