Divine Wilderness Dragon Emperor

"Your sister is going too?" Upon hearing this, Ling Fei's eyebrow quirked, and his eyes shone with anticipation.

'I'm also curious to see what kind of presence this celebrated genius of the academy has.'

"She is!" Shangguan Yurou beamed.

'It's a shame she's already entered the Celestial Spirit Realm.' Ling Fei felt a strange sense of anticipation, but the thought of Shangguan Wan'Er's cultivation level also brought a touch of regret. 'If we were at the same level, I'd really love to spar with a Sword Dao prodigy like her.'

"Don't be in such a hurry, Young Master Ling," Shangguan Yurou said with a smile. "If you train hard, you might have a chance to catch up to my sister, you know."

Although Shangguan Wan'Er had entered the Celestial Spirit Realm, breaking through to the Primordial Pill Realm was an extremely difficult feat.

That meant if Ling Fei trained hard, he might be able to catch up to the celebrated genius once he also reached the Celestial Spirit Realm.

"I hope that day comes," Ling Fei said with a relaxed smile, not feeling particularly pressured.

Regardless, his goal was to become a true expert.

Shangguan Wan'Er was simply another genius he would encounter on his path to power.

Seeing Ling Fei's composed demeanor, Shangguan Hong gave a slight nod.

Even he was amazed by how much Ling Fei had grown.

His expectations for this junior grew higher and higher.

Afterwards, Ling Fei proceeded to extract the Evil Qi from Shangguan Hong once again.

Now that Ling Fei had reached the Late Innate Stage, his Cold Chi True Qi was incredibly powerful and even contained a hint of True Dragon Intent.

His speed at extracting the Evil Qi was now countless times faster, and he no longer needed to be as cautious with it as before.

So this time, Ling Fei was able to completely purge all the remaining Evil Qi from Shangguan Hong's body.

This left Shangguan Hong utterly astonished.

After all, even though there was very little of the Evil Qi left, it was still incredibly potent—far from something a Cultivator at the Late Stage of Innate could afford to take lightly.

But the fact was, Ling Fei's Cold Chi True Qi simply disregarded the Evil Qi.

This was all because Ling Fei had spent the past month comprehending the True Dragon Momentum and forming True Dragon Intent. As a result, his Cold Chi True Qi was imbued with a hint of this intent, making it countless times easier for him to purge the wisps of Evil Qi.

Furthermore, the Cold Chi True Qi was clashing directly with the Evil Qi, allowing it to unleash its full power.

However, when Ling Fei fought an opponent, his Cold Chi True Qi would burst forth from his body. Although it could still strike his foe, it was no longer connected to his internal reserves. Without a continuous supply of True Qi, its sustained power was limited. The resulting burst of power naturally couldn't match the effect of direct, internal contact.

'This Ling Fei's potential is even more frightening than the talent he's displayed,' Shangguan Hong thought to himself.

"Take the next few days to prepare. We'll notify you when it's time to assemble." Then, Shangguan Hong, Shangguan Yurou, and the others departed.

...

While Ling Fei was receiving this news, the academy was already making arrangements for the students' expedition.

Simultaneously, the list of the first batch of geniuses to depart on the expedition was posted to encourage students who were still hesitant.

After all, while the ruins were said to hold great opportunities, many students had also heard that a number of Innate Realm experts had perished within them.

This naturally made people wary.

"Ling Fei… Ling Fei is actually going to the Xiling Ruins!"

"Looks like he wants to try his luck, too!"

"Whoa, Shangguan Wan'Er is going too! She's the goddess of our Celestial River Academy!"

"Two top geniuses going at the same time! To be able to go on an expedition with people like that... that'll be an amazing memory to look back on. I'm going too!"

And just like that, many students who had been on the fence immediately grew interested.

"Ling Fei!" In the crowd, Liu Yuan stared at the name on the announcement board, the corner of his mouth curling into an icy smirk.

"Heh heh, plenty of Innate Realm experts have perished in the Xiling Ruins. If this Ling Fei were to die in there, it wouldn't be surprising in the slightest, would it?" Beside him, Liu He shot Liu Yuan a knowing smile. For them, this was a golden opportunity.

"Ling Fei!" Nearby, Qin Rong's mouth also twisted into a vicious sneer. 'This trip to the Xiling Ruins will be your doom.'

...

Ling Fei had yet to depart, but dark undercurrents were already gathering against him.

But he remained completely oblivious.

「Three days later.」

The list for the first batch of students heading to the Xiling Ruins for the expedition was finally released.

Basic Level, Intermediate Level, and High Level.

One thousand students were dispatched from each of these three levels.

Since this was the first expedition, the number of participants was limited.

More students would be sent only after this first group returned and had become familiar with the Xiling Ruins.

However, the competition would naturally be fiercer for those who went later, and obtaining any rewards would also become more difficult.

However, because of the life-threatening danger, very few people were willing to be in the first batch.

So, for a thousand students from each level to volunteer for the first wave was already a decent turnout.

「On the fourth day.」

DONG!

A bell tolled throughout Celestial River Academy.

'The bell is ringing. It must be time to assemble.' At the Cold Vein, Ling Fei was already fully prepared.

He then pushed open the door and stepped outside.

SKRAW!

Just then, a Profound Eagle swooped down from the sky.

It was Shangguan Hong, arriving with Shangguan Qingmu.

The two Profound Eagles circled down, and Shangguan Hong and Shangguan Qingmu alighted gracefully on the ground.

However, Ling Fei's gaze shifted, and his attention was drawn to another Profound Eagle following close behind.

Two people were riding on this Profound Eagle.

One of them was Shangguan Yurou.

Naturally, Ling Fei's gaze was not fixed on Shangguan Yurou.

He was staring at the woman in white seated in front of Shangguan Yurou.

The woman's brows were as elegant as distant mountains, her eyes as clear as autumn pools. Beneath a pert nose, her vermilion lips were captivating, and her cold, stunning face was both exquisite and flawless.

Her skin was as smooth as polished jade, and she naturally exuded an air of nobility.

Just then, her limpid eyes flickered and glanced downward, her gaze landing squarely upon Ling Fei.

In that instant, their gazes met, and the very air around them seemed to freeze.

'Shangguan Wan'Er?' As their eyes met, Ling Fei's heart pounded violently in his chest and his mind went blank, before that single name surfaced from its depths.

'I never imagined she would be such a beautiful and noble woman.' Ling Fei's heart stirred, and ripples of emotion spread through him.

The woman before him was a stunning sight, unforgettable after just a single glance.

Her aloofness, that indifference mixed with nobility—it was the kind of challenge that made a man want to conquer her.

'So that's Ling Fei?' A flicker of movement in her eyes, Shangguan Wan'Er couldn't help but size him up from her perch on the Profound Eagle.

However, she quickly averted her gaze.

The young man before her was handsome, but he was not yet worthy of much of her attention.

In Shangguan Wan'Er's heart, the only thing that truly mattered was pursuing the pinnacle of the Sword Dao.

Therefore, she was dedicated to the sword, and the sword alone; other matters rarely piqued her interest.

As the Profound Eagle was about to touch down, Shangguan Wan'Er leaped from its back, drifting gracefully to the ground.

Shangguan Yurou followed suit.

"Hee hee, good morning, Young Master Ling," Shangguan Yurou greeted with a beaming smile after landing.

She seemed particularly pleased at this moment.

Because her sister had finally met Young Master Ling Fei!