Divine Wilderness Dragon Emperor

Time passed. In the blink of an eye, it was the sixth day since Shangguan Wan'Er had left Celestial River Academy.

「On this day, at noon.」

In the Void far from Celestial River Academy, a Flying Chariot suddenly streaked across the sky, flying over.

The Flying Chariot looked as if it were cast from metal, pulled by two Qi Dragons.

Though they were Qi Dragons, their aura was nearly identical to that of a True Dragon, striking fear into all who saw them.

Such an imposing presence naturally caught the attention of the Dukes outside Celestial River Academy.

Everyone's gaze shifted, following the Flying Chariot.

"It's Prince Long's Flying Chariot!" Marquis Yun's eyes lit up, recognizing its origin at a single glance.

"Prince Long, he actually came!" Liu Yi looked completely astonished.

One must understand, this Prince Long was the brother of the current Celestial Emperor. His status was noble, yet he rarely involved himself in worldly affairs.

However, it was rumored that he was extremely fond of the Ninth Prince. His arrival now clearly confirmed this rumor.

"Prince Long is here!" The news spread to Celestial River Academy at once.

Atop the mountain, inside the assembly hall, Elder Dean Han and the others wore grave expressions.

At that moment, an academy elder was reporting the matter to them.

"Prince Long's visit must be to back the Marquis of Eatern," Han Beihai sighed softly.

"What should we do?" several elders next to him asked.

"This is troublesome!" Vice Dean Zhou was even more worried.

"Let's go see what he wants first," Han Beihai said. His tone now clearly lacked some of its earlier confidence.

It seemed even he knew that the current situation was no longer within his control.

Seeing Han Beihai's attitude, the others said no more. They also knew that Celestial River Academy was now powerless.

...

Outside, the Flying Chariot stopped in the Void before Celestial River Academy.

Seated upon the Flying Chariot was a middle-aged man wearing a royal crown and a robe embroidered with Flood Pythons.

The man had a commanding appearance, and an air of supreme authority emanated from his thick eyebrows.

After his Flying Chariot came to a halt, his gaze swept disdainfully over the area before him.

He was accompanied by four young men who stood beside his Flying Chariot.

Each of them was dressed in fine brocade, their bearing extraordinary.

"Li Yunyi greets Prince Long!" Marquis Yun immediately stepped forward and bowed to the prince.

Liu Changyang and the others also bowed one after another.

"Wang Yuan greets Prince Long!" Even the incredibly arrogant Marquis of Eatern, Wang Yuan, stepped forward to bow.

'A Prince...'

'This is a direct bloodline of the Royal Family!'

'People from the Royal Family not only have noble status, but the True Dragon Technique they cultivate is also exceptionally powerful, often allowing them to crush Cultivators of the same Realm.'

"Fellow Daoists, there is no need for such formalities." Prince Long gestured with his hand, then his gaze sharpened. "What is the situation now?"

"Han Beihai took out the late Emperor's Holy Decree, preventing us from breaking into Celestial River Academy. We're at a complete loss now!" said Marquis Yun.

"With the late Emperor's Holy Decree protecting Celestial River Academy, it is indeed not right to force our way in," Prince Long nodded slightly.

"But does Your Highness have a solution?" Marquis Yun asked.

The others beside him all looked on with anticipation.

"This time, I have come bearing an Imperial Decree from the Empress," said Prince Long.

"An Imperial Decree from the Empress!" Hearing this, everyone's heart leaped with joy.

"Although I have the Empress's Decree, Celestial River Academy has an Innate Holy Decree. We must not be disrespectful, do you understand?" said Prince Long.

"Yes, we will follow all of Your Highness's commands." Everyone nodded, understanding the stakes.

Prince Long nodded slightly.

Marquis Yun and the others then naturally took up positions at Prince Long's side.

The Divine Guards from Tianyan Academy and the Royal Academy all had fervent looks in their eyes, waiting to see Prince Long crush Celestial River Academy.

Inside the academy, Han Beihai appeared.

However, he did not step out of Celestial River Academy, remaining within the Array.

"Haha, Elder Han, it has been many years. You look more spirited than ever!" Prince Long laughed when Han Beihai appeared.

"You jest, Prince Long. But I wonder, for what reason have you graced us with your presence?" Han Beihai replied with a smile.

"Since Elder Han asks, I will not beat around the bush. I have come this time on the Empress's command, bearing her decree, to resolve the matter of the Dongyang Crown Prince's execution in the Xiling Ruins. I wonder if Elder Han is willing to resolve this matter with me?" Prince Long said with a smile.

"And how does Prince Long propose we resolve it?" Han Beihai's tone was slightly cold.

"Elder Han, no matter what, the boy has killed quite a few people. If we don't provide an explanation, I'm afraid it will be difficult to quell the wrath of the various clans!" Prince Long's tone was gentle as he directly pointed out the crux of the matter to Elder Han. "Now, with the Empress's Decree in hand, it is improper for your Celestial River Academy to shelter him like this. If this escalates, it will benefit no one. You must know, the Ninth Prince is highly favored by His Majesty!"

The underlying meaning of his last statement was a subtle hint that the Ninth Prince might be appointed as the Crown Prince.

If Celestial River Academy were to defy the Empress now, they would be cutting off their own path of retreat.

As soon as these words were spoken, Han Beihai's expression indeed grew somber.

As the Elder Dean of Celestial River Academy, he had to consider the academy's future.

"A life for a life is the law of heaven and earth. However, considering that Ling Fei was also a victim in this matter, I will give him a chance." Seeing Elder Dean Han waver, Prince Long pressed his advantage.

"What kind of chance?" Han Beihai raised an eyebrow and asked.

"How about this: I will send three people to fight him in three matches. If he wins all three, then I will no longer pursue this matter. How does that sound?" said Prince Long.

"Send three people to fight him?" Han Beihai frowned, then asked, "What Realm will the people you send be?"

"One will be a youth who has just condensed Gang Qi but has not yet completed the Gang Transformation. Another will be a genius who has just stepped into the Celestial Spirit Realm. And the last will be at the Great Success of the Early Celestial Spirit Stage. Of course, these spars will be a contest of Martial Arts only. Soul Secret Techniques, as well as any Magic Swords or Spiritual Tokens gifted by elders, are forbidden," Prince Long said.

"This..." Hearing this, Han Beihai fell into deep thought.

He knew that Ling Fei was exceptionally talented and could crush those at the same level.

But his ability to kill so many geniuses was entirely due to his Soul Secret Technique.

Now that he was forbidden from using his Soul Secret Technique, could he still win?

Perhaps it was still possible for him to defeat the expert at the Half-step Celestial Spirit Realm, who had just condensed their Gang Qi, fighting above his level.

But to have him defeat an expert in the Celestial Spirit Realm? Was that possible?

One had to understand that the Celestial Spirit Realm expert Prince Long would send would certainly be a top-tier genius, someone capable of crushing their peers.

The possibility of Ling Fei defeating him was minuscule.

And he had to win three matches in a row.

It could be said that while Prince Long seemed to be offering Ling Fei a sliver of hope, it was nothing more than a beautiful illusion.

"What? You're not willing?" Prince Long's expression darkened. "This is already a huge concession on my part. Originally, according to the Empress's wishes, Ling Fei was to be executed by a thousand cuts. I am only making this concession out of respect for the late Emperor's Might."

"If you remain stubborn, then don't blame me for using the Empress's Decree to force my way into your Celestial River Academy." His tone was now laced with a threat.

A moment ago, Prince Long's expression had been gentle, but now, an immense, supreme authority unconsciously emanated from him.

It was an undeniable, commanding power.