Divine Wilderness Dragon Emperor

"Good morning, Miss Yurou," Ling Fei greeted with a smile.

"Heh. Wan'Er, this is Ling Fei, Young Master Ling. He is a great benefactor to me, your father!" Shangguan Hong said, smiling at Shangguan Wan'Er. "Though he has yet to step into the Celestial Spirit Realm, his potential is limitless. You two should get to know each other. It will be good to have someone to rely on and support you in the future!"

"Greetings, Young Master Ling. Thank you for helping my father break free from the torment of the Evil Qi. If you ever face any difficulties in the future, I, Wan'Er, will do everything in my power to assist you." Shangguan Wan'Er's expression was cold and stunning, but she had impeccable manners. After her father spoke, she took a step forward on her long legs, walked to Ling Fei's side, and gave a slight curtsy as she spoke.

Her posture made it clear she truly regarded Ling Fei as her father's benefactor.

"You are too kind," Ling Fei said, holding up a hand to gesture that such formality wasn't necessary.

"Heh, we're about to depart. Are you ready, Young Master Ling?" Shangguan Qingmu asked with a smile from the side.

"I'm ready!" Ling Fei said with a smile.

"In that case, let's depart!" Shangguan Hong announced.

...

Within the academy, countless students were converging on a massive training ground.

In one corner of the grounds, eight hundred Profound Eagles were already assembled.

On a high platform overlooking the grounds, Dean Han, Vice Dean Zhou, and the other elders surveyed the area.

Below, instructors from every year were organizing the students into formation.

Among the Basic Level Students, Wu Dapang and Huang Liang were present in the ranks.

Among the High Level Students, Liu Yuan, Liu He, and Qin Rong had all taken their places.

As for Liu Ming, he was on the high platform at the front.

He had already entered the Innate Mid Stage Realm, but he was still a notch below Ling Fei.

The gap between them was destined to widen from this point forward. They were no longer walking the same path.

WHOOSH!

In the distance, a Profound Eagle flew in, immediately attracting a great deal of attention.

As everyone looked, they saw it was none other than Ling Fei, Shangguan Hong, and Shangguan Qingmu, arriving on the eagle's back.

The Profound Eagle circled and slowly descended toward the designated corner.

Ling Fei and Shangguan Hong leaped off its back.

"It's Ling Fei! He really is joining the expedition!" The moment Ling Fei appeared, the field erupted in a flurry of discussion.

Innumerable gazes converged on him.

"Ling Fei!" The moment Ling Fei's feet touched the ground, a sinister light filled Liu Ming's eyes.

He could never forget that defeat.

Especially since the damage to his soul had yet to fully recover.

This was the very reason Liu Ming had been unable to break through to the Late Stage of Innate.

Staring at Ling Fei as he landed, Liu Ming clenched his jaw and tightened his fists. 'On this trip to the Xiling Ruins, I will make you pay the price,' he vowed inwardly.

WHOOSH!

Just as Ling Fei's group landed, another Profound Eagle swooped in from behind. Shangguan Wan'Er and Shangguan Yurou had arrived.

Shangguan Wan'Er leaped from the Profound Eagle's back, descending gracefully. Her white robes billowed and her black hair danced in the wind, making her look like a celestial fairy gracing the mortal realm.

Her exquisitely beautiful face held a cold, stunning expression, making her seem noble and transcendent. A single glance was enough to take one's breath away.

"Who... Who is that woman?" Many of the new students gulped, their faces flushed with excitement as they stared at the gracefully descending Shangguan Wan'Er.

"What a beautiful woman. If only I could get to know her."

The new students' eyes were filled with infatuation.

"That's Shangguan Wan'Er!" an older student explained as the others stared, mesmerized.

At this moment, even those older students couldn't help but reveal their own infatuation as they gazed at Shangguan Wan'Er.

She was the favored daughter of the academy, a true prodigy. Not only was her talent extraordinary, but her beauty was also unparalleled, making her impossible to forget after a single glance.

"What! So that's Shangguan Wan'Er!"

"Shangguan Wan'Er! She's the goddess I've always admired!" Hearing this, the new students grew incredibly excited and couldn't help but shout out.

The training ground was abuzz with excitement.

Yet Shangguan Wan'Er remained perfectly calm. She gave the training ground a detached glance before ascending the high platform with her father.

On the high platform, Pang Fei stood right beside Director Pang.

These geniuses were all scions of great clans. Their status was not only transcendent, but their talent was also exceedingly high, granting them privileges ordinary people could not imagine.

WHOOSH!

Just then, another Profound Eagle flew in. A man dressed in Fire Patterned Brocade Clothing leaped down from its back.

This man was tall and imposing, with sword-like brows and eyes as bright as stars. He had a heroic air about him, though his expression was somewhat detached.

After landing, he walked toward Shangguan Wan'Er on the high platform.

"Who's that?" many of the new students asked, surprised.

Only those who ranked in the top five of their year were allowed on the high platform!

Anyone less than that was not qualified to share the stage with the academy's elders.

"That's Liu Rulong!" an older student immediately said.

"Liu Rulong? You mean the Liu Rulong who, alongside Shangguan Wan'Er, started on the Human List, swept through the Earth List, and then charged into the top ranks of the Celestial List?" As soon as this was said, someone cried out in shock, their eyes filled with deep reverence as they stared at the young man before them.

If Shangguan Wan'Er hadn't been so dazzling, he would have been the one at the top of the Celestial List.

Furthermore, his Celestial Spiritual Snake Bloodline was even purer than Liu Ming's, making him the top genius of the Liu Clan's current generation.

As Liu Rulong walked toward the high platform, he immediately captured the attention of countless students.

He was, after all, one of only two experts in the Celestial Spirit Realm among the thirty thousand students of Celestial River Academy!

Liu Rulong cut a handsome and dashing figure as he strode forward gracefully. He first greeted the academy elders before walking over to Shangguan Wan'Er.

As Liu Rulong approached, Ling Fei, who was standing beside Shangguan Wan'Er, raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but take a second look at the man. 'Liu Rulong?'

After sizing up Liu Rulong, Ling Fei mused to himself, 'Only a year older than me, and he's already in the Celestial Spirit Realm. He's certainly someone impressive.'

"Uncle Shangguan!" Liu Rulong first greeted Shangguan Hong.

"Heh, Rulong!" Shangguan Hong chuckled. "Excellent! To have reached the Celestial Spirit Realm at such a young age. Your future is boundless!"

"You flatter me, Uncle Shangguan!" Liu Rulong replied with a smile. His gaze then shifted to Shangguan Wan'Er. "Wan'Er, you were going to the Xiling Ruins. Why didn't you tell me?" His tone was gentle, a stark contrast to his usual indifference, as if he were a completely different person.

"Well, you're here now, aren't you?" Shangguan Wan'Er replied coolly without even looking at him. Her tone was icy, seemingly designed to keep him at a thousand-mile distance. Her reply was so cold that even Ling Fei, standing nearby, felt a pang of secondhand embarrassment for Liu Rulong. Strangely, however, Liu Rulong didn't seem angry at all.

It seemed he was long accustomed to Shangguan Wan'Er's attitude.

"Hello, Sister Yurou!" Liu Rulong then smiled, finally turning his gaze to Shangguan Yurou beside her.

"Hello, Brother Rulong!" Shangguan Yurou replied, though she couldn't help a flicker of pity showing in her eyes as she looked at him.

Originally, the Liu Clan had wanted him to attend the Royal Academy so he could grow closer to the Royal Family.

But he had come to Celestial River Academy for Shangguan Wan'Er's sake.

Anyone with eyes could see that he had always been in love with Shangguan Wan'Er.

But Shangguan Wan'Er's attitude toward him never softened in the slightest. In her heart, there was only room for the Sword Dao.

"It looks like Sister Yurou is about to break through to the Late Innate Stage," Liu Rulong said with a smile after sizing up Shangguan Yurou.

"I still have to work hard," Shangguan Yurou replied with a smile.

"Keep it up!" Liu Rulong encouraged her.

His gaze then shifted, landing on Ling Fei. His brows arched as he asked, "So you're Ling Fei, the top new student?"

When Liu Rulong looked at Ling Fei, the warmth in his eyes had clearly vanished.

"I am." Seeing the shift, Ling Fei replied with equal indifference.

"Not bad," Liu Rulong said with a faint nod. He then clasped his hands behind his back and simply stood to the side.

Ling Fei's brow twitched at Liu Rulong's arrogant attitude. 'Not bad?'

Still, he paid Liu Rulong no mind.

Below the platform, the crowd of students continued to grow.

Soon, three thousand students were assembled.

"This expedition offers great opportunities, but it is also fraught with danger. To minimize the risks, every student must act within their capabilities. Basic Level Students will remain in the outer regions, Mid Level Students will operate in the central regions, and only High Level Students may enter the core region. Do not needlessly risk your lives," Dean Han announced from the platform. "At the same time, you must remain united and face all dangers together. Only then can you hope to return in one piece..."

"Yes!" the students below the platform chorused in agreement.

Seeing this, the instructors also nodded slightly.

This expedition might be risky, but the experience they would gain would be of enormous benefit to their lives after they left the academy.

The instructors had already made arrangements, grouping the students into squads of fifty.

"Then, depart!" Finally, at Vice Dean Zhou's command, the vast expedition began to set out.

One by one, students were assigned to ride on the backs of the Profound Eagles.

As for Ling Fei, he shared an eagle with Shangguan Qingmu.

Over eight hundred Profound Eagles ascended into the Void in formation. The sight was nothing short of spectacular.

...

As the students of Celestial River Academy departed, students from Tianyan Academy and the Royal Academy also began their journeys toward the Xiling Mountain Range.

Xiling County was a commandery to the northwest of Celestial River County, the two being separated by a distance of forty thousand li.

It took the contingent from Celestial River Academy a full seven days of flying to reach the Xiling Mountain Range in Xiling County.

Of course, if they had been flying on Innate Realm Profound Eagles, the journey would not have taken nearly as long. However, for a single academy to raise over eight hundred Innate Realm Profound Eagles was simply unrealistic. At least, no academy in the Great Tang Empire had ever achieved such a feat.

Upon arriving at the Xiling Mountain Range, they were immediately met by an advance party from Celestial River Academy.

Then, the group flew together to a mountain peak opposite the Ancient Ruins.

On the mountain ahead, vibrant lights blossomed, painting the entire valley into a rainbow-colored world. Swirling clouds and mist made it feel like an Illusion Realm.

Standing amidst it all, everyone felt a wondrous sensation wash over them.

"This is the entrance to the Ancient Ruins," said an elder from Celestial River Academy who had been part of the welcoming party, pointing ahead as he stood beside Vice Dean Zhou.

He had been waiting here for quite some time.

Ling Fei stood with the other talented students at the edge of the chasm, gazing ahead.

In their line of sight was a great fissure in the mountain, as if it had been cleaved in two.

Seeing this, Ling Fei's Heart Spirit stirred, and he extended his senses forward.

His Soul Power had now reached the level of Perception into the Subtle, allowing him to sense things over two thousand meters away.

'This barrier of light seems to contain a power that is absolutely immense.' As Ling Fei's Heart Spirit spread out, it quickly came into contact with the Seal. He immediately sensed the fluctuations contained within it. The fluctuations were incredibly profound, yet they didn't seem to repel him much.

At the same time, Dean Zhou was also extending his senses. 'This Seal is like a vast ocean, its fluctuations are unfathomable. I wonder what kind of figure left these ruins behind.' His expression grew solemn. Judging from the fluctuations emanating from the light barrier, he too could tell just how extraordinary it was.