Divine Wilderness Dragon Emperor

Meanwhile, the little creature continued.

It was gnawing on the Flood Dragon's bones.

These bones also contained a rich concentration of Blood Qi.

It looked like it didn't want to waste a single drop.

Just then, the nearby Demon Python opened its eyes. When it saw the suddenly-appeared Yiyi, its brow furrowed in a grave expression.

'Those are a Flood Dragon's bones! They're so hard that even I can't break them, yet this little snow-white beast is actually eating them?'

The Demon Python's gaze shifted, and it noticed Ling Fei watching with anticipation, as if he knew the little beast.

This scene made the Demon Python even more wary.

'It seems this young man is truly extraordinary!'

'If Yiyi eats all of these Flood Dragon Bones, it should be able to recover some of its Essence Qi, right?' Ling Fei thought with anticipation.

'Even if it doesn't return to the Primordial Pill Realm, it would still be great if it could just replenish its lost Essence Qi and repair some of the Dao Patterns in its body.'

'At the very least, this gives me hope that Yiyi can grow stronger. Given time, it might recover to its peak, or even surpass its former power.'

Shangguan Wan'Er was also filled with curiosity, but her face filled with dread when she noticed the nearby Demon Python had opened its eyes.

Ling Fei, however, stared straight ahead without wavering.

'If I look at it too much, I'll only expose my own weakness and might provoke it.'

'Right now, I have to act unfathomable and keep the Demon Python on edge.'

A few moments later, Yiyi finally finished eating all the Flood Dragon Bones.

Its fluffy little belly was now visibly stuffed.

The little creature licked its lips, looking as though it wasn't quite satisfied.

It had previously exhausted too much of its Original Essence Qi, and the remnant energy from a single fallen Flood Dragon was clearly not enough to make up for the loss.

After all, most of the Essence Qi in the Flood Dragon's body had already been absorbed by its Dragon Bone.

Yiyi had only consumed the dregs of the Essence Qi that remained.

Squeak!

With a soft squeak, Yiyi flashed like lightning and landed on Ling Fei's shoulder.

However, its gaze shifted, and it spotted the Demon Python across from them.

"Squeak, squeak!" Upon discovering the Demon Python, Yiyi's eyes lit up. It gestured with its little paws, pointing at the python, then looking at Ling Fei before pointing to its own stomach. It seemed to be saying that it wanted to eat the Demon Python, too, because it could sense a rich supply of Essence Qi coming from it.

Seeing this, Ling Fei felt a headache coming on.

Just a moment ago, the little creature had looked so timid when it saw Shangguan Wan'Er.

But after eating the Flood Dragon Bone, Yiyi seemed to have become addicted to the feeling of recovering its power. The little fella was clearly getting restless.

Beside them, Shangguan Wan'Er was so scared a chill ran down her spine, and every nerve in her body tensed up.

'What if that Great Demon gets angry and attacks?'

However, from the Demon Python's perspective, Yiyi's actions made it tremble with fear.

'This little beast can even chew through Flood Dragon Bones. Just how powerful is it?'

'What kind of bloodline does it have?'

'Do I dare make a move against it?'

'What if its elders come looking for me?'

The Demon Python's eyes darted around. It immediately slithered away, heading for another tunnel.

It was the very picture of "if you can't beat them, run."

"This..." Seeing this, Shangguan Wan'Er was completely stunned.

She had thought the Demon Python was about to attack.

But instead, it had fled with its tail between its legs?

It was unbelievable.

'This is a Great Demon at the Primordial Pill Realm, or maybe even the Celestial Pill Realm!'

'An existence of this caliber would be considered a regional powerhouse even within the Empire. Only a few experts from the Royal Family should be able to crush it.'

"It's gone?" Ling Fei's brows furrowed. He sighed in relief but also felt a twinge of regret.

A fleeting thought had crossed his mind: 'How great would it be if I could subdue this Demon Python and keep it by my side?'

But he was also worried that the Demon Python might turn on him and cause him harm instead.

'After all, the Dragon Qi on my body is something the Demon Python desires. What would I do if it was overcome with greed?'

"That Demon Python is indeed very strong," Shangguan Wan'Er said, as if sensing Ling Fei's thoughts. "But in the Empire, the Celestial Emperor once issued a decree ordering all Great Demons not to leave their territories and disturb the people, on pain of being purged by the Empire's Divine Guards. For this reason, those Great Demons rarely venture out, and this one probably wouldn't dare to either. Besides, even if you had it on your side, it couldn't solve your current crisis."

Hearing this, Ling Fei listened intently.

"You killed the Dongyang Crown Prince, which means you've offended the Empress," Shangguan Wan'Er explained. "To resolve this, your only hope is for the Celestial Emperor to personally issue a Holy Edict. Otherwise, a single Great Demon is powerless to change the situation. Unless an expert who surpasses the Primordial Pill Realm steps in, there's only a slim chance of making the Empress hesitate."

"The Empress is appointed by the Celestial Emperor and is protected by the Emperor's Qi. Even an expert at the Celestial Pill Realm cannot contend with her."

Ling Fei nodded slightly.

'Even the Emperor's Qi granted to a Bronze Level Divine Guard can unleash an attack comparable to the Celestial Spirit Perfection Realm.'

'The Emperor's Qi in a Silver Level Divine Guard's Waist Token can produce an attack comparable to the Primordial Pill Realm.'

'A Golden Level Divine Guard would be even more formidable.'

'As the Empress, how could she not possess even more powerful techniques?'

"So, we should take advantage of the fact that the Divine Guards have left the Beichuan Mountain Range and leave this place as soon as possible. After that, I will go to the Imperial Capital to request an audience with the Celestial Emperor," Shangguan Wan'Er said, her gaze firm. "This is the only way to resolve this crisis." She truly couldn't think of any other solution.

After all, Ling Fei had offended several of the Empire's most powerful figures!

"Alright, let's leave this place first. But," Ling Fei added, still worried, "can the Celestial River Academy truly protect me?"

"The Celestial River Academy might not be able to protect you forever, but it can shelter you for a time," said Shangguan Wan'Er. "Right now, it all depends on the intentions of the Academy's Primordial Pill Realm experts. Regardless, as long as there's even a sliver of a chance, we have to fight for it. So, don't you give up, either."

"I won't," Ling Fei nodded.

"Squeak!" Yiyi chirped, looking up at Ling Fei with a very serious expression.

It looked as if it wanted to stand with Ling Fei and face the hardships together.

"That's the spirit!" A warmth spread through Ling Fei's heart, and he couldn't help but stroke Yiyi's fluffy little head.

"In that case, let's go," Shangguan Wan'Er said.

"Alright!" Ling Fei nodded and immediately walked out of the Cold Cave.

He was extremely satisfied with this trip.

Although he hadn't managed to subdue the Demon Python, Yiyi had awakened.

The Demon Python might seem powerful now, but its potential was clearly no match for Yiyi's.

Ling Fei was especially astounded by Yiyi's ability to devour the Flood Dragon's corpse whole.

And that was only a fraction of the power the little creature had revealed so far.

How many more surprises would there be in the future as its strength continued to recover?

Ling Fei was filled with anticipation.

...

Afterward, Ling Fei and Shangguan Wan'Er mounted the Golden Eagle and began flying toward the edge of the mountain range.

However, they still encountered some Demon Birds, as well as a few Divine Guards who were still monitoring the activity in the mountains.

In response, Ling Fei unleashed his True Dragon Roar, stunning the Demon Birds and allowing them to escape.

When their pursuers gave chase, they were intercepted by the very same Demon Birds.

"That's the Sound Wave Secret Technique. It must be Ling Fei." At that moment, somewhere in the Void, Shangguan Hong's eyes lit up.

He then directed his Profound Eagle to fly in Ling Fei's direction.

At the same time, Ling Fei spotted Shangguan Hong and Vice Dean Zhou, who was following him.

"It's Father! Let's hurry and meet up with them," Shangguan Wan'Er said, her eyes lighting up with joy.

"Alright!" Ling Fei directed the Golden Eagle to fly toward Shangguan Hong and Vice Dean Zhou.

"Lord Shangguan! Vice Dean Zhou!" Ling Fei greeted them with a cupped-fist salute.

Shangguan Hong and Vice Dean Zhou waved their hands dismissively. "Are you two alright?"

"We're fine," Ling Fei replied.

"I've heard what happened," Shangguan Hong said with a serious expression. "Rest assured, no matter what, I, Shangguan Hong, will find a way to help you through this crisis."

"That's right. You are a student of our Celestial River Academy, and this was not your fault. The Academy will certainly stand by you," Vice Dean Zhou declared.

"Then I will be in your debt," Ling Fei said, his heart warming at their words. For them to choose to stand by his side during this crisis was incredibly rare.

This was true loyalty.

"Don't be a stranger," Shangguan Hong said with a wave.

"Then let's return to the Academy right away," Shangguan Wan'Er said. "That way, we can discuss how to handle this storm."

"Alright!" Vice Dean Zhou nodded without a trace of hesitation.

Then, Ling Fei flew with them toward the Celestial River Academy.

...

"What? Ling Fei is in the Beichuan Mountain Range?"

"Wang Tianba has fallen?"

"Ling Fei and Vice Dean Zhou went to the Celestial River Academy!"

"Send out the order! Have someone immediately inform the Marquis of Eatern and the Liu Clan to gather with me at the Celestial River Academy! The Academy thinks it can protect him? They're hopelessly overestimating themselves!" In Celestial River County, Marquis Yun had also received news of Ling Fei. He immediately issued orders for all the Dukes to gather at the Celestial River Academy.

He himself was just returning from Longtan Town.