The world of film and television starts from the flow of money

After an incense stick's time, the earth trembled slightly under the trampling of iron hooves, and withered branches and fallen leaves rustled in the rhythmic sound of horses' hooves.

Under the leaden sky, a menacing cavalry force in black armor, like a torrent of steel, shattered the silence of the forest and appeared on the opposite bank of the stream.

The leader, clad in a black cloak, had a face as cold and hard as iron. Though his hair and beard were slightly frosted, his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, and he exuded an icy aura that was even deeper and more refined than that of Yuwen Huaji—it was none other than Yuwen Shang, the head of the Yuwen clan!
He reined in his horse and stopped, his icy gaze instantly locking onto the figure standing alone on the rock on the other side of the stream. When he saw Yi Huawei's face clearly, a very subtle change flashed in Yuwen Shang's eyes—not surprise at his youth, but at his skin covered in scorch marks yet radiating a newborn jade-like hue, and those eyes that were so calm they were chilling, like an abyss that devoured all light!

Recalling the information about Yuwen Huaji's bizarre and tragic death, with no trace of his remains, a chilling thought instantly flashed through Yuwen Shang's mind.

"It's you!"

Yuwen Shang's voice was like the cold wind of the north, sweeping across the stream: "The one who killed my nephew Huaji and stole the 'Longevity Manual'... was it you?"

His gaze swept over the ordinary horizontal sword in Yi Huawei's hand, finally settling on his face, trying to find a flaw in the deathly stillness within. This man's aura was almost imperceptible; it was certain he was still recovering from serious injuries, but what lay behind that calmness made Yuwen Shang instinctively feel a deep-seated apprehension. This was no ordinary expert!

Yi Huawei did not answer. He didn't even look at Yuwen Shang, but slowly raised the horizontal sword in his hand. The blade reflected a dim, cold gleam in the leaden light of the sky, pointing straight to the heavens!
Just as the blade was raised and pointed towards the sky, a sudden change occurred!
The previously gloomy and oppressive sky seemed to be enraged by this seemingly casual gesture. A deep, rumbling thunder, like the awakening of an ancient beast, rolled across the heavens without warning. Thick, leaden clouds began to churn and swirl wildly, forming a massive, suffocating vortex! At the center of the vortex, blinding purple-gold lightning, like a raging dragon, flickered in and out of the clouds, darting about and crackling with terrifying force! An indescribable, vast, and destructive pressure, as if the heavens and earth were collapsing, suddenly descended, locking onto everyone by the stream! It was a divine might that no human could withstand!

Yuwen Shang's magnificent warhorse reared up in terror, neighing loudly. Had he not been so powerful that he could suppress it, it would have almost gone out of control! The two hundred elite cavalry behind him were thrown into chaos instantly. Their warhorses were panicked and disoriented, and the knights were pale as they struggled to control their mounts, their eyes filled with the most primal fear of the might of Heaven!
Yuwen Shang's heart clenched! He stared intently at Yi Huawei. This young man, or rather this monster, could actually unleash such world-destroying power with his severely injured body?!

He was issuing a warning! He was using this purple-gold lightning, which could strike at any moment, to warn everyone—anyone who approaches will die!
Yi Huawei finally lowered the tip of his blade, his indifferent gaze, devoid of any human emotion, truly landing on Yuwen Shang for the first time. There were no words, no outward display of killing intent, but that gaze itself was like the coldest ice in the underworld, instantly freezing Yuwen Shang's boiling murderous intent and desire for revenge. In that gaze was only a detached indifference, as if saying: Take one step forward, and you will be silenced by the heavens and earth!
Cold sweat silently trickled down the forehead of Yuwen Shang, the powerful clan lord who had dominated the world for decades. His hands, gripping the reins, were bulging with veins, his knuckles white. Anger, hatred, fear, and weighing his options… countless thoughts clashed fiercely within him. Yuwen Shang, a man of absolute power throughout his life, had never faced such a threat. But… the terrifying power brewing in the clouds was no illusion! He could clearly sense that once that lightning struck, he, the first to be struck, would have no chance of survival! Was it worth risking himself and the Yuwen clan's two hundred most elite cavalry for a dead nephew, for that elusive "Longevity Formula"?
Time seemed to stand still. Only the increasingly violent thunder and lightning in the sky, and the restless neighing and panting of the warhorses below.

Finally, the ferocity and struggle in Yuwen Shang's eyes slowly faded, replaced by a deep-seated apprehension and a chilling resentment. He suddenly raised his hand, his voice hoarse and strained, carrying an unprecedented gravity: "Withdraw!"

The order was like a pardon. The two hundred cavalrymen, still in shock, felt as if they had been granted a reprieve. Led by their respective officers, they turned their horses around as quickly as possible and retreated like a tide, the sound of hooves hurried and chaotic, raising clouds of dust.

Yuwen Shang gave Yi Huawei one last deep look, his gaze incredibly complex before finally settling into a chilling resolve. He said nothing more, spurred his horse, and the tall warhorse carried him into the retreating tide, quickly disappearing at the end of the forest path.

Only when the last rider's figure completely disappeared, and only when the thundercloud vortex in the sky slowly and unwillingly dissipated, returning to the deathly stillness of leaden gray, did the destructive pressure that had locked onto this place recede like a tide.

"puff!"

Yi Huawei's body swayed violently, and a mouthful of dark red blood, which he had suppressed for a long time, finally spurted out, staining the rocks beneath his feet. Forcibly circulating the Hunyuan Qi Gong to incite a trace of the Heavenly Dao's residual power for intimidation caused a huge backlash against his already exhausted body.

The Longevity Mantra within his body struggled to circulate, repairing his newly torn meridians, but the pace was despairingly slow. Leaning on his sword, he knelt on one knee, breathing heavily, each breath accompanied by excruciating pain throughout his body. Beneath the charred scars, new, jade-colored skin began to bleed again.

Looking up in the direction where Fu Junzhuo and the other two had disappeared, his eyes remained cold, but now showed a hint of weariness.

Half a day later. Downstream, in a secluded mountain hollow.

Fu Junzhuo leaned against an ancient tree, closing her eyes to regulate her breathing, but her ears were constantly listening for any sounds around her. Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling, on the other hand, were restless, craning their necks to look back the way they had come. Time passed slowly, each moment feeling like torture.

"Mother, do you think that senior... can he really stop Yuwen Shang?" Kou Zhong couldn't help but ask again, his voice filled with a worry he himself didn't realize.

Fu Junzhuo didn't open her eyes, but her hands, resting on her knees, clenched slightly. The image of that excessively young, handsome face and those unfathomable eyes uncontrollably surfaced in her mind again. The power to incite divine punishment, the absolute indifference he displayed when facing the Yuwen Clan Chief… She forced herself to remain calm: “If he couldn't hold them off, the pursuers would have arrived long ago.”

Even so, her worries did not lessen in the slightest. Yuwen Shang's personal presence—how dangerous was that? Even if that person was incredibly strong, with his injuries still unhealed…

Just then, a very faint sound of footsteps approached from afar, treading on the fallen leaves with a strange, steady rhythm.

The three of them instantly became alert!

Fu Junzhuo suddenly opened her eyes and placed her hand on the hilt of her sword. Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling also stood up nervously.

A figure slowly emerged from the shadows of the forest.

It was Yi Huawei.

His steps remained steady, but his face was paler than when he left, and dark red bloodstains lingered at the corners of his mouth. His coarse cloth clothes were torn in several places, and several small, bleeding wounds appeared on his newly formed, jade-like skin, clearly caused by forcibly suppressing injuries or suffering an impact. However, what was most alarming was his aura—more restrained than before, and more…weak! Like a majestic snow-capped mountain that might collapse at any moment. Yet his eyes remained deep and calm, carrying an unchanging indifference.

Yi Huawei stopped a short distance in front of the three of them, his gaze sweeping over them before finally settling on Fu Junzhuo's face. His voice was hoarse and low, yet he clearly uttered two words: "It's alright now." There was no explanation of what happened, no description of the danger. He simply informed them of the time he had been delayed, as if he had done something insignificant.

Fu Junzhuo's gaze was fixed on the bloodstains at the corner of his mouth and the new wound, and she could feel the almost imperceptible yet real weakness emanating from him. She opened her mouth, the question "Are you alright?" was on the tip of her tongue, but under the gaze of those cold eyes, she swallowed it back.

She saw the undisguised weariness and the barely held-up will deep in his eyes. Shock, gratitude, doubt, worry... a multitude of emotions surged within her, ultimately transforming into an unprecedented sense of awe.

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling dared not even breathe. Looking at Yi Huawei's terrifyingly calm face, and then at the bloodstains and wounds on his body, they felt a chill run from their feet to their heads. They couldn't imagine what kind of fierce confrontation had taken place over the past half-day to make such a monster show such obvious weakness! Yuwen Shang… a clan leader-level figure… he had actually held them off single-handedly!
"Thank you, senior!"

Fu Junzhuo took a deep breath, solemnly clasped her hands and bowed deeply, performing the most respectful salute she had ever done before. This time, her voice held no hesitation, only pure gratitude and awe.

Yi Huawei simply nodded slightly, accepting the gratitude. Ignoring his disheveled appearance, he turned his gaze to the winding mountain road to the south, his voice still calm: "Let's go."

He stopped walking in front and instead gestured for Fu Junzhuo to lead the way. This subtle gesture sent a jolt through Fu Junzhuo—he needed to conserve every ounce of energy to suppress his injuries and recover!
Fu Junzhuo said no more, immediately turned around, and led the way with Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling, her steps more cautious than before. She deliberately slowed down to ensure that Yi Huawei behind her could keep up.

The four set off again, silently traversing the increasingly rugged mountain forest. The atmosphere was even more somber than before, with only the sound of footsteps and suppressed breathing echoing through the woods.

Yi Huawei's figure lagged behind, each step taken with exceptional steadiness, but the heavy sense of weakness, like an invisible shadow, shrouded everyone's hearts, foreshadowing the perilous and uncertain road ahead.

Chengdu seems so far away.

...............

As night deepened, the campfire crackled in the silent forest, its flickering flames creating a small patch of warm light in the darkness.

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling were exhausted. Wrapped in thin blankets, they huddled by the fire and fell into a deep sleep, emitting soft snores. Fu Junzhuo leaned against the trunk of an old tree, closing her eyes to regulate her breathing, but her mind was far from calm.

Across from him, Yi Huawei sat cross-legged alone, away from the warmth of the campfire. His eyes were slightly closed, and a very faint, almost imperceptible purplish-gold glow surrounded him. This glow flowed slowly with his deep breaths, outlining the smooth muscle lines beneath his newly formed, jade-colored skin, and also reflecting the charred scars on his face that had not yet completely faded and the dark red bloodstains remaining at the corners of his mouth.

Yi Huawei was circulating the "Longevity Mantra," painstakingly absorbing the sparse primordial energy of heaven and earth in an extremely slow yet remarkably determined manner to repair the countless wounds in his meridians. Each breath seemed to carry a heavy burden, yet it also exuded a rock-solid resilience. A strange sense of stagnation formed around him, and even the falling leaves seemed to deliberately avoid a space of three feet around him.

Fu Junzhuo opened her eyes at some point. She hadn't been meditating; her gaze was fixed blankly on Yi Huawei. The flickering campfire cast shifting shadows on his cold, handsome profile, making his excessively young, almost otherworldly handsome face appear even more serene and transcendent in his meditative state. His newly formed, jade-like skin intertwined with the gruesome scorch marks, his weakened aura mingled with the lingering power of heaven… This intense contradiction and unfathomable mystery, like a giant whirlpool, drew her in, unleashing the questions and emotions that had long been suppressed within her.

Fu Junzhuo gently got up without waking the two sleeping people, and slowly walked to the opposite side of Yi Huawei, sitting down across the campfire. The flames danced in her clear, cold eyes, reflecting her pale face and the complex emotions surging deep within them.

"senior……"

Her voice sounded somewhat abrupt in the quiet night, carrying a hint of probing and an indescribable confusion.

Yi Huawei didn't open his eyes, but the faint light flowing around him seemed to pause for a moment before returning to normal. He sensed her approach and also noticed the unusual fluctuation in her voice.

Fu Junzhuo looked at his calm and expressionless face, took a deep breath, and lowered her voice even further: "Who... exactly are you?"

This question had troubled her all the way. The shock and confusion brought by that face were more unsettling than Yuwen Shang's pursuit. "You triggered the Heavenly Punishment, withstood the Purple Lightning, and suffered such severe injuries, yet you were able to recover to this state in just a few days... and possess such terrifying strength... There is absolutely no one like you in the Central Plains martial arts world! You... are not from this realm?"

Yi Huawei slowly opened his eyes.

Those deep, icy eyes, illuminated by the campfire, seemed to flicker with two cold flames. He looked at her calmly, his gaze seemingly piercing through her skin, reaching the depths of her turbulent heart. This gaze sent a chill through Fu Junzhuo, leaving her with nowhere to hide, yet strangely, she did not flinch.

Silence spread amidst the crackling of the campfire, carrying an invisible pressure.

"Appearances and names are all illusions."

Yi Huawei's voice was still hoarse, but it carried a power that penetrated people's hearts: "You only need to know that I am neither your enemy nor your friend in this world, so why be so fixated on identity."

(End of this chapter)