Divine Wilderness Dragon Emperor

Marquis Yun personally went to Longtan Town, hoping to intercept Ling Fei.

But when he arrived in Longtan Town, he found no trace of Ling Fei.

He didn't even see Elder Ling.

According to the information he received, Elder Ling had taken his adopted daughter to a distant mountain range to gather herbs half a month ago.

At first, he assumed it was at Ling Fei's instruction.

But after making some inquiries, he learned that Elder Ling had been frequently going out to gather herbs for the past six months.

This time, however, he had brought his adopted daughter, Xue Xi, with him.

He even searched the nearby mountain forests for Elder Ling but found no trace whatsoever.

With no other choice, Marquis Yun had to leave Longtan Town.

Just as he was leaving, he received news of Ling Fei's appearance in the Beichuan Mountain Range.

After rushing to the Beichuan Mountain Range, he heard of Wang Tianba's death, which enraged him.

So many people sent to hunt down a junior, and not only did they fail, but a Silver Level Divine Guard died in the process.

'What is this nonsense?'

He quickly sent out an order for the various Dukes to convene at Celestial River Academy and capture Ling Fei.

Meanwhile, he himself was already flying toward Celestial River Academy with great haste.

...

In Celestial River County, a storm was brewing.

Shangguan Hong and Vice Dean Zhou were flying toward Celestial River Academy at top speed with Ling Fei.

Before they could reach Celestial River Academy, a flash of light flickered in the Void ahead. A brilliant streak shot across the sky, heading right for them.

Then, an elder in a white robe standing on a Flying Sword appeared before Ling Fei and the others.

When the Flying Sword came to a halt in the Void before them, waves of energy billowed out, and a vast ripple of power swept in all directions.

Ling Fei and the others were instantly enveloped by a powerful aura.

The surrounding Void seemed to freeze, and an indescribable pressure weighed upon their hearts.

Clearly, the newcomer was a Primordial Pill Realm expert.

Shangguan Hong's Profound Eagle immediately halted, and everyone's gaze turned toward the newcomer.

"It's Elder Zhou!" A look of joy appeared in Shangguan Hong's eyes.

'Third Granduncle is here! This is wonderful,' Vice Dean Zhou thought, overjoyed.

This Primordial Pill Realm expert was none other than one of Vice Dean Zhou's granduncles, Zhou Zhunhe!

Zhou Zhunhe was quite old, with a white beard. He had a slightly plump figure and wore a white-patterned robe, giving him a kind and benevolent appearance.

His Flying Sword hovered in the air in front of the Profound Eagle. His eyes crinkled into a smile as he sized up Ling Fei and Shangguan Wan'Er.

"Not bad at all. A true young genius," he said after a moment, nodding repeatedly.

Clearly, he had heard of Ling Fei's reputation.

"You flatter me, Elder Zhou," Ling Fei said with a somewhat reserved smile.

Based on his perception of auras, he could tell this elder's was even stronger than Marquis Yun's.

This was undoubtedly another Primordial Pill Realm expert.

However, compared to the Demon Python, Elder Zhou still paled in comparison.

Even so, this was a huge relief. 'At least a Primordial Pill Realm expert is willing to stand up for me,' he thought.

For Ling Fei, this was undoubtedly a turning point.

"I am aware of your situation," Elder Zhou said. "Since you are a student of our Celestial River Academy, it is our duty to protect you."

"For now, come with me to the academy!"

"Then I'll be in your debt, Elder Zhou," Ling Fei said, cupping his fists.

"Don't mention it," Elder Zhou said with a faint smile.

Then, with a wave of his hand, Ling Fei, Shangguan Wan'Er, Shangguan Hong, and Vice Dean Zhou were all brought onto the Celestial River Sword he stood upon.

This was a Spirit Level Supreme Treasure. The sword was covered in Inscriptions, which, when activated by a Cultivator, allowed them to fly upon it as a Spiritual Artifact.

However, such treasures were exceedingly rare and not something an ordinary person could possess.

In the Empire, besides members of the Royal Family, only Primordial Pill Realm Cultivators could activate such a Spirit Level treasure.

However, in some Major Sects, exceptional disciples also had the chance to obtain such a Supreme Treasure.

The Light Patterns on the long sword flashed, enveloping them all. It then transformed into a streak of light, tearing through the Void and carrying Ling Fei and the others toward Celestial River Academy at extreme speed.

In just a single hour, Celestial River Academy appeared within Ling Fei's sight.

An ordinary Celestial Spirit Realm Profound Eagle could fly thousands of miles in a single day.

At this speed, a Primordial Pill Realm expert Flying with a Spiritual Artifact could cover tens of thousands of miles in a day.

However, Flying with a Spiritual Artifact for an extended period consumed a massive amount of Essence Qi.

"We're here," Shangguan Wan'Er said, sighing in relief as they arrived at the entrance to Celestial River Academy.

Only here would Ling Fei be safe, at least for a while.

"Let's go discuss this matter first." Upon arriving at the academy, Elder Zhou wasted no time and led Ling Fei directly toward a council hall.

The Council Hall of Celestial River Academy was situated atop a high mountain.

It was a magnificent, imposing hall. With clouds and mist swirling around the mountain, it resembled an ethereal palace hidden among the vapors.

Inside this grand hall, the academy's Elders were already waiting.

In fact, they had already discussed the matter.

Some argued that Celestial River Academy should not get involved.

The power behind the Marquis of Eatern was the Empress, a figure that not even Celestial River Academy could afford to offend.

But Zhou Zhunhe and others were in unanimous agreement: they had to protect Ling Fei. Even if they failed in the end, they had to make their position clear.

Otherwise, who would dare to join Celestial River Academy in the future?

In the end, they all unanimously decided to shelter Ling Fei.

「Inside the great Council Hall.」

Ling Fei, Shangguan Wan'Er, and Shangguan Hong followed Elder Zhou inside.

After paying his respects to the Elders present, Ling Fei was shown to a seat at the far end of the hall.

As for Elder Zhou, he took one of the seats of honor.

Five primary seats were arranged at the front of the hall. Elder Zhou took the fourth seat from the left.

Beside him sat other elders with white hair and beards; only the man in the fifth seat was middle-aged.

All of these men were Primordial Pill Realm experts.

Normally, they would be in seclusion, uninvolved in the academy's daily affairs.

That was why the academy's Dean and Vice Dean were not Primordial Pill Realm experts.

However, the trouble Ling Fei had stirred up was so significant that they had all been forced to emerge from their seclusion.

As Ling Fei entered the hall and took his seat, all eyes converged on him.

Even the Primordial Pill Realm experts in the seats of honor fixed their gazes upon him.

As they looked at Ling Fei, the old men couldn't help but stroke their beards and nod slightly.

They, too, had heard about Ling Fei's exploits.

An Innate Realm Cultivator who could kill a hundred of his pursuers while being hunted by several hundred cultivators of the same level—such ability was far from ordinary!

"Indeed. To possess such ability at such a young age, you are truly worthy of being called a young hero," said the elder seated in the center of the five Primordial Pill Realm experts.

"However, this situation is quite thorny," he added, his expression turning grave.

Ling Fei's brow furrowed slightly at the elder's words. He was, of course, well aware of the gravity of the situation.

"Old Dean," Shangguan Hong began, "Ling Fei is a once-in-a-generation prodigy. This was not his fault. If he is cut down because of this, it would be a great loss not only for our Celestial River Academy, but for the entire Empire! We would also lose the opportunity to watch a young prodigy rise within the Empire and make a name for himself in the vast Martial Arts World!"

"Our Celestial River Academy has always been willing to cultivate geniuses. This time, we have unanimously decided to protect Ling Fei with all our might," another elder chimed in. "However, we are up against Tianyan Academy, the Royal Academy, the Wang Clan, the Liu Clan, and even the Empress. The pressure, as you can imagine, is immense. Even if we old bones risk our lives, we cannot protect him indefinitely. We can only offer him safety for a short time. If this situation escalates and more and more experts gather, I fear it will spiral beyond our control. Therefore, we must find another way to save him."

As he finished speaking, his gaze flickered, landing meaningfully on Shangguan Wan'Er.

"It is enough if you seniors are willing to protect Ling Fei for a time," Shangguan Wan'Er said, her gaze firm. "I will travel to the Imperial Capital and seek an audience with His Majesty."

'As long as there's even a sliver of a chance to save Ling Fei,' she thought, 'I will not give up.'