Divine Wilderness Dragon Emperor

The battle at Celestial River Windy Pass made Ling Fei famous throughout Celestial River Academy.

Now, no one in Celestial River Academy doubted Ling Fei any longer.

Whenever he was discussed, people would now compare him to the academy's Sword Dao prodigy, Shangguan Wan'Er.

This showed just how high Ling Fei's status was in everyone's eyes.

"Even Zhao Chen lost to Young Master Ling Fei?" Shangguan Yurou also heard the news.

Although she had long expected Ling Fei to be extraordinary, she never imagined that he could defeat an Earth List genius after just a few days.

So, when she heard this news, she was still a little surprised.

'It seems only my sister can be compared to Young Master Ling in the Sword Dao!' Shangguan Yurou's eyes filled with anticipation, and a playful smile touched her lips. 'No, I have to go tell my sister! Hehe, who knows, maybe they'll cross paths?'

The young girl's face was full of anticipation.

From the looks of it, she seemed very eager to see Ling Fei fight her sister!

...

"Ling Fei defeated Zhao Chen?"

"This Ling Fei... he's actually that strong?" It wasn't just the students discussing it; even the instructors were surprised when they heard the news.

Afterward, the matter spread among the instructors as well.

"It seems Celestial River Academy's luck is finally turning around!" Dean Han stroked his beard and smiled.

The academy first had geniuses like Shangguan Wan'Er and Liu Rulong.

Now, with the addition of Ling Fei, their lineup was in no way inferior to Tianyan Academy's. They might even have a chance to reverse the years of being suppressed by Tianyan Academy. If so, Celestial River Academy could at least hold its head high and vent some of its long-held frustration.

Over the years, the geniuses of Celestial River Academy had been heavily suppressed by Tianyan Academy!

As for the Royal Academy, it had always been in a league of its own, making it difficult to compare the two.

...

In the Genius Area, a woman in white stood by the river.

Her white robes fluttered, her face was cold and stunning, her gaze was like a sword, and a sharp aura naturally radiated from her.

This woman was none other than Shangguan Wan'Er.

If one were to look at her from the front, they would discover she possessed an exquisite beauty and exuded a noble air. Yet, the coldness between her brows seemed to push people a thousand miles away. The riverside mist swirled and moonlight scattered, making her appear like an otherworldly fairy from the lake, transcendent and ethereal.

At this moment, Shangguan Yurou was by her side. Seeing her sister's cold and stunning appearance, she couldn't help but frown.

Ever since they were little, her sister had always worn this expression.

"Sister, have you heard? The academy has a new genius named Ling Fei. During his Sword Enlightenment in the Sword Tomb, his Light of Sword Intent reached twelve zhang and eight chi, even longer than your nine zhang and nine chi!" Shangguan Yurou blinked her long eyelashes, looking at her sister with a hint of playfulness.

It seemed she wanted to see what kind of expression her sister would make after hearing this news.

"A Light of Sword Intent reaching twelve zhang and eight chi?" Shangguan Wan'Er's brow twitched slightly. She then glanced at her younger sister and said flatly, "He is indeed a genius. You should work hard." Her expression was indifferent, as if she had no interest in the matter, instead telling Shangguan Yurou to work hard.

'Why is my sister's reaction still so cold!' Hearing this, Shangguan Yurou rolled her eyes repeatedly.

Shangguan Wan'Er's attitude clearly left her a little disappointed.

She had wanted to see her sister's surprised expression, after all.

For so many years, her sister had always maintained a calm and composed demeanor.

It seemed nothing could affect her state of mind.

In her heart, there was only the sword.

All of this was because some elders of the Shangguan Clan, for the sake of their own interests, had once intended to matchmake her with a Prince from the Royal Family.

The current Celestial Emperor also greatly admired Shangguan Wan'Er's talent and intended to betroth her to a certain Prince. However, there were many Princes, but only one woman as astonishingly talented as Shangguan Wan'Er. As a result, the current Celestial Emperor had yet to make a decision. Because of this, Shangguan Wan'Er was still a free woman. She had chosen to enter Celestial River Academy and refused to go to the Royal Academy precisely to escape the harassment of the Royal Family's scions.

Now, in Shangguan Wan'Er's heart, there was only the Sword Dao, because she knew that only by becoming stronger could she control her own destiny.

Thus, Shangguan Yurou's words did not cause any emotional fluctuation in her.

But Shangguan Yurou clearly did not want her sister to remain so cold and unapproachable.

"Sister, that Ling Fei swept the Earth List today and even defeated the fourth-ranked Zhao Chen. If he's given enough time, maybe he'll surpass you." At that, her autumn-water-like eyes blinked, and she continued, deliberately raising her tone for the last sentence.

"He's already defeated Zhao Chen?"

Hearing this, a ripple finally stirred between Shangguan Wan'Er's brows, and a faint light flickered in her indifferent eyes.

Clearly, even she was taken aback by this news.

After all, Zhao Chen was a genius on the Earth List, comparable to an expert at the Late Stage of Innate!

For this new student to defeat him in such a short time showed just how formidable he was.

"Yes, this Ling Fei is amazing! Not only is his Sword Dao outstanding, but he also has a Cold Essence Spirit Body. I heard that after Zhao Chen was seriously injured, he couldn't expel the invading Cold Qi at all and had to be carried directly to the academy instructors for treatment. Otherwise, that invading Cold Qi would have been enough to take his life," Shangguan Yurou said with a smile.

"Hehe, and that was probably because Young Master Ling Fei showed mercy."

Seeing a ripple appear in her sister's eyes, the young girl felt a sense of accomplishment.

"If what you say is true, then this Ling Fei is indeed a remarkable figure. Unfortunately, I am about to step into the Celestial Spirit Realm." Shangguan Wan'Er's eyes showed a hint of regret.

If they were at the same level, the two of them could have a sparring match.

But the truth was, the gap between them was too large. Even if she didn't use her full strength, she would still hold an unconscious advantage.

Therefore, such a match would be meaningless, which was why Shangguan Wan'Er felt a sense of regret.

"Sister, you're about to step into the Celestial Spirit Realm!" Hearing this, Shangguan Yurou couldn't help but click her tongue in amazement.

After all, although her sister was number one on the Celestial List, she had only been at Celestial River Academy for a little over a year.

If one were to count, Zhao Chen and Shangguan Wan'Er were students from the same cohort.

There were many geniuses in that cohort, and the number of spots to enter the Sword Tomb was more than the five from Ling Fei's group.

That time, there were a full seven spots, which included Shangguan Wan'Er and Liu Rulong.

However, Shangguan Wan'Er and Liu Rulong left everyone else in the dust, successively charging onto the Celestial List to become Celestial River Academy's most dazzling, influential figures.

Celestial River Academy had produced geniuses who stepped into the Celestial Spirit Realm upon graduation before.

But someone like Shangguan Wan'Er, about to step into the Celestial Spirit Realm less than a year and a half after enrolling, had not appeared in eight hundred years.

That was why Shangguan Yurou was so astonished to hear this news.

At the same time, she also understood why her sister was so composed.

Few could compare to her sister's cultivation speed.

'In that case, why bother caring about others?'

'As long as I work hard on my cultivation, I will one day reach the peak I desire.'

It was also for this reason that Shangguan Wan'Er had always focused on her cultivation, to the point that Shangguan Yurou rarely got to see her.

She had come out of seclusion on her own this time; otherwise, it wouldn't have been so easy for Shangguan Yurou to see her sister!

"I heard you lost to Liu Ming this time?" While Shangguan Yurou was still looking surprised, Shangguan Wan'Er's gaze shifted to her younger sister.

That look immediately made Shangguan Yurou as docile as a rabbit, all her previous playfulness gone.

"I will defeat him!" Shangguan Yurou said, her eyes filled with determination.

"You are wrong." But at this, Shangguan Wan'Er simply shook her head.

"Wrong?" Shangguan Yurou's face was full of bewilderment.

"You are still brooding over a single past defeat, wanting to beat Liu Ming and avenge your honor. This may seem like motivation to move forward, but your heart is immersed in victory and defeat. It is not focused on the sword. If you cannot focus on the sword, how can you truly comprehend the True Essence of Swordsmanship?"

Shangguan Wan'Er spoke word by word, like a Swordsmanship Grandmaster. "Only by dedicating yourself to the sword, taking it to its extreme, can you grasp the True Meaning of the Sword. Yurou, your talent is good; few in our Shangguan Clan can compare to you. Unfortunately, your heart is not yet sufficient. In the past, I didn't say anything because you were young. I was afraid you wouldn't understand and might even rebel. But now you have grown up. It is time to find your own Sword Heart."

'Dedicate yourself to the sword, take it to its extreme?' Hearing this, Shangguan Yurou's eyes grew pensive as she carefully contemplated her sister's words.

'Have I really been blinded by victory and defeat all this time?' She began to reflect on her state of cultivation over the years.

'It's true. I was only thinking about improving my strength to avenge my honor. It seemed like my Sword Dao was improving, but I never understood its true essence. I wasn't focused on the sword. That's why, even though I seemed to have grasped the True Meaning of the Sword, I still couldn't defeat Liu Ming. It's because I never truly understood the sword.'

Shangguan Yurou's talent was also exceptional. After her sister's guidance, she was immediately enlightened and understood her shortcomings.

'The child is teachable. To have this realization now is not too late.' Seeing this, Shangguan Wan'Er nodded slightly, a look of satisfaction on her face.

"Sister, what is a Sword Heart?" After her realization, Shangguan Yurou looked up at her sister and asked.

"The Sword Heart is very complex and profound," Shangguan Wan'Er said. "To put it simply, everyone comprehends different Sword Dao Mysticals. Some comprehend the Wind Sword, some the Thunder Sword. Some have a Sword Momentum like a mountain, while for others, their sword is as gentle as water. There are also those whose intent can transform into infinity."

"However, if you cultivate countless Mysticals, you will only become lost. Only by choosing one and pursuing that path to its extreme can you reach the peak."

As she spoke, Shangguan Wan'Er's eyelashes fluttered, and her eyes sparkled with a spirited light.

It seemed she only showed her emotions when talking about the Sword Dao.

"A person's energy is finite. If you can't focus, progress is too difficult."

"Then what about the Sword Heart?" Shangguan Yurou listened attentively, looking very serious.

"Follow your heart and choose the path that suits you best—that is the Sword Heart. Only by finding your Sword Heart can you take your sword to its ultimate limit!" Shangguan Wan'Er looked at her sister with a solemn expression and said, "If a person lacks a Sword Heart, their achievements in the Sword Dao will stagnate. This is why so many people, after comprehending Sword Intent, are unable to progress for the rest of their lives. So, you must remember this point."

'A Sword Heart... follow your heart!' Shangguan Yurou nodded slightly.

At this moment, her understanding of the Sword Dao deepened.

Her own path forward even became clearer.

Shangguan Wan'Er's guidance was worth more to Shangguan Yurou than ten years of arduous training.

Seeing her sister seem to have an epiphany, Shangguan Wan'Er also nodded slightly.

Guidance must be given only when the other person's Realm has reached the right stage. If their Realm is insufficient, giving advice too early will only lead to confusion.

If the timing is perfect, it can lead to a moment of sudden enlightenment.

'Sister's comprehension of the Sword Dao has clearly long surpassed that of many Sword Dao experts. It seems it won't be so easy for Young Master Ling Fei to surpass her after all!' After her realization, Shangguan Yurou looked up at her sister, feeling her transcendent air more and more.

At this moment, she couldn't help but wonder: could the rising star she had always believed could contend with her sister truly reach such a height?