Myriad Dragon Divine Sovereign

Not long after Wen Qingye entered Xuwang Mountain, an old man in a purple robe and a Purple Gold Crown stopped by the side of the road. His cold eyes stared at Xuwang Mountain ahead as he muttered to himself, "Cao Yun of the Celestial Profound Sect, Jun Buwu of the Desert North Ancient Land, and the Flower Thief Sima Feng... Your time has come."

The man had a cold expression, and his footsteps left uneven prints on the ground, one deep and one shallow. Though he was actively suppressing his aura, a trace of an incomparably violent power still leaked out—the mark of a Life and Death Realm expert.

He was, in fact, the master from Taiyi Pavilion from that courtyard—the master of the one they called Xiaowu.

Xuwang Mountain was covered in a vast, dense forest shrouded by a thick, lingering miasma. If an ordinary person were to inhale it, they would surely perish within moments.

As Wen Qingye entered the dense forest, he immediately felt the miasma’s assault. He quickly mobilized the Primordial Qi throughout his body, expelling the black miasma that had seeped inside.

HISS! HISS!

The surrounding miasma was so thick it made a strange hissing sound. Through the dense foliage, he could make out several figures ahead, struggling to press onward.

"Kid, are you tired of living? A mere Yin Yang Realm Eighth Layer Heaven cultivator dares to come to Xuwang Mountain alone?" one of the men shouted.

The group consisted of both men and women. Their leader was a woman at the Ninth Heaven of the Yin-Yang Realm. She had a plain appearance and looked to be in her thirties, but there was a hint of delicate beauty about her. The others were all at the peak of Yin Yang Realm Eighth Layer Heaven cultivation. At the sight of Wen Qingye, they all stared at him in surprise.

Wen Qingye looked at them but said nothing.

The woman in the lead waved her hand dismissively. Looking at Wen Qingye, she said, "Never mind that. We’re all here to comprehend the Martial Arts of the Great Wilderness Ancient Stele. Why don’t you travel with us? It’s good to have someone to watch your back."

The man who had spoken first frowned and said, "Big Sis, why bother with him? Look at him, he’s skin and bones, and his cultivation doesn’t seem that profound. If we run into trouble, he’ll just be a dead weight."

Hearing this, the others all eyed Wen Qingye with suspicion, clearly unwilling to be saddled with a ’dead weight’.

The woman sighed deeply and said, "It’s fine. The chances of people like us obtaining the Great Wilderness Ancient Stele were already slim. Life isn’t easy for anyone. If we can help a little, we should."

"It’s alright, but I think I’ll pass..." Just as Wen Qingye began to refuse, he suddenly sensed a hostile presence rushing toward them.

"What is it? Young man, did you...?" The woman had just started to speak when she, too, sensed something was off. In an instant, she flipped her palm, condensed her Primordial Qi, and instinctively struck out behind her.

BANG!

The sharp crack of breaking bone echoed. The woman spun around, her movements incredibly swift. With a flurry of palm strikes and a burst of Primordial Qi, the fight was over in an instant. Only then did she steady herself and take a deep breath.

The woman smiled reassuringly at the others and said, "It’s nothing, just a Red-tailed Beast at the Yin Yang Realm Eighth Layer Heaven. Let’s keep moving."

After she finished, she turned to Wen Qingye and smiled. "My name is Liu Jingwen, and we’re all from Yihai Country. And you are, young man? Where are you from?"

Yihai Country, one of the Seven Great Ancient Countries. It was an Ancient Country bordering the Mingzhu Strait, its strength unfathomable. It was not much weaker than even the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty.

"Wen Qingye, from the Celestial Martial Country!" Wen Qingye cupped his fist and smiled slightly.

Upon hearing this, the man immediately sneered, "The Celestial Martial Country? Where’s that? Don’t tell me you made up a country to hide your identity?"

"Pei Yuan, stop talking nonsense!" Liu Jingwen snapped sharply.

Pei Yuan seemed very afraid of Liu Jingwen’s shout. He glared at Wen Qingye but didn’t say another word, standing obediently to the side.

Wen Qingye smiled, unconcerned. "It’s just a small border country. I don’t have the talent to make up something like that."

Liu Jingwen smiled slightly and said, "It’s fine. It doesn’t matter where you’re from. What truly matters is your own ability."

Wen Qingye nodded, his gaze shifting to the peak of Xuwang Mountain. The air carried the distant sounds of Primordial Qi explosions. Intense battles had clearly already begun.

Liu Jingwen’s brow furrowed. She sighed softly and said, "It seems we’ll have to be extra careful."

Pei Yuan nodded and said gravely, "Who knows how many experts from the Cyan Cloud List have come to fight for the opportunity of the Great Wilderness Ancient Stele. If we’re not careful, we’ll become sacrifices in their struggle."

Liu Jingwen said slowly, "Indeed. The experts on the Cyan Cloud List not only have incredible strength, but their future prospects are also beyond what ordinary people can compare to."

Pei Yuan looked at Wen Qingye, who stood silently to the side, and said, "Big Sis, we should hurry up the mountain. Maybe we’ll still have a sliver of a chance. If we’re late, there’ll be no chance at all."

"Alright, let’s go now. No matter which one of us comprehends the Martial Arts from the Great Wilderness Ancient Stele, we’ll all share it," Liu Jingwen nodded emphatically. Then she looked at Wen Qingye. "Young man, come with us. Many hands make light work."

Liu Jingwen’s eyes were bright, filled with a trace of expectation and enthusiasm.

"Alright." Wen Qingye’s answer did not disappoint Liu Jingwen.

Hearing Wen Qingye’s reply, Liu Jingwen was also quite happy.

With that said, the group set off together, walking forward along the path through the lush woods.

The group chatted as they walked, and it was clear they had a good relationship. From time to time, Liu Jingwen would also chat with Wen Qingye.

"To have reached such a level of cultivation at your age is already very impressive, really," Liu Jingwen said, looking at Wen Qingye seriously.

A woman next to her, about the same age as Wen Qingye, laughed. "Big Sis, stop flattering him. Even the lowest-ranked expert on the Cyan Cloud List has a better future than this kid."

Her name was Yanr Yuhuan, and she was very close with Liu Jingwen.

"Mind your own business, I wasn’t talking to you." Liu Jingwen frowned and shot Yanr Yuhuan a hard glare.

Yanr Yuhuan shot Wen Qingye a resentful look, then quickened her pace to catch up with Pei Yuan ahead.

"Pei Yuan, look, Big Sis is just too kind. She sees some kid on the road and treats him so well. Hmph, it reminds me of that bastard Zhu Yan, you know?"

Pei Yuan shuddered at the name ’Zhu Yan’ and said angrily, "He’s not even human! Even if he’s now..."

Yanr Yuhuan quickly covered Pei Yuan’s mouth. "Alright, alright, stop talking! If Big Sis finds out, there’ll be huge trouble."

Only then did Pei Yuan realize he’d misspoken. The two of them quickly looked toward Liu Jingwen, only to find her talking with Wen Qingye about something.

Liu Jingwen looked at Wen Qingye’s face and chuckled softly. "You remind me of someone. It’s not your looks, and it’s not your personality, but the feeling you give me."

"Oh?" Wen Qingye had been carefully observing the auras ahead. Hearing Liu Jingwen’s voice, he couldn’t help but give a slight smile. "Who is that?"

Liu Jingwen said seriously, "You’ve probably heard his name. It’s Zhu Yan."

Zhu Yan, a peerless prodigy from Yihai Country. His rank on the Cyan Cloud List was even higher than Li Xingyun’s, and his strength was profound and unfathomable. Rumor had it that he once obtained the treasure of a Peak of Life and Death Realm Powerhouse, after which he rose to prominence in Yihai Country and eventually became its Prince Consort.

Wen Qingye glanced at Liu Jingwen in surprise. His thoughts turned, and he couldn’t help but wonder, ’Could there be some kind of ill-fated romance between them?’