Divine Wilderness Dragon Emperor

"It's Elder Ling!"

Overjoyed, Shangguan Hong flew over on his Profound Eagle.

On the main street at the town's entrance, Elder Ling looked up slightly at the approaching Shangguan Hong, seemingly unsurprised by his arrival.

"It's Lord Shangguan." Xue Xi, on the other hand, looked surprised.

"Elder Ling, you're finally here!" Shangguan Hong exclaimed, leaping down from the Profound Eagle with a face full of joy.

He had been in Longtan Town for several days but hadn't been able to find Elder Ling.

He had even searched the nearby mountain ranges before finally returning to Longtan Town.

Now that he had finally found Elder Ling, he was incredibly excited.

'Perhaps Ling Fei can be saved this time.'

"What is it?" Elder Ling asked, quite composed.

"Elder Ling, twenty days ago..." Shangguan Hong quickly recounted the events at the Xiling Ruins. "Now, all of them have gone to Celestial River Academy. I'm afraid Young Master Ling Fei is in mortal danger!" He sounded extremely anxious.

"Oh?" Upon hearing this, Elder Ling's gaze sharpened, but he remained calm, showing no sign of panic.

"What! Ling Fei is being hunted?" Xue Xi's face paled when she heard the news. Her brows furrowed in deep worry as she asked, "How is he doing now?"

"He is temporarily under the protection of Celestial River Academy, but I doubt they can protect him for long. Elder Ling, I don't suppose you can handle this?" Shangguan Hong's eyes shimmered with anticipation as he looked at Elder Ling. At this point, his only hope was that this old man could resolve the situation.

'After all, even if Wan'Er went to the Imperial Capital, there's no guarantee she could get an audience with the Emperor!'

'And we can't forget, the Empress is there too.'

"My son has done no wrong. If anyone dares to harm him, they will all be executed!" Elder Ling's eyes flashed. His expression was stern, and his words landed with resounding force.

As these deep and powerful words were spoken, Shangguan Hong's heart trembled. 'It seems there's a chance!'

"But those Dukes are very strong, and their hidden trump cards are not to be underestimated," Shangguan Hong reminded him. 'People like the Marquis of Eatern are extremely difficult to deal with!'

"It matters not," Elder Ling said lightly. "Forget the Dukes. Even if one of the current Princes dared to touch my son, I would make them pay the price."

"Good!" Hearing this, Shangguan Hong's heart shook, and he couldn't stop tears from welling up in his eyes.

After waiting for so long, he had finally heard words that could rouse his spirit.

Although he hadn't known Ling Fei for long...

...over the past eight months, he had watched Ling Fei's journey and growth, and had grown increasingly fond of the young man.

Now that Ling Fei had fallen on hard times, he felt as if one of his own juniors was in peril. As an elder unable to alleviate the boy's troubles, he felt immensely grieved.

But now, that frustration and helplessness vanished with Elder Ling's words, replaced by a surge of passionate fervor.

"In that case, shall we set off now?" Shangguan Hong said, unwilling to delay even a moment longer.

A delay of even a few moments could result in Ling Fei's tragic death.

"Alright!" Elder Ling nodded. Then, with a wave of his hand, a shimmering Light Pattern appeared, transforming into a long rainbow that enveloped Shangguan Hong and his Profound Eagle.

The next moment, he moved, streaking across the sky like a startling rainbow, carrying Shangguan Hong and Xue Xi directly toward Celestial River Academy.

The speed was so incredible that even Shangguan Hong's heart was pounding wildly.

'Primordial Pill Realm Cultivators can fly, but their speed is very slow. Even Small Primordial Pill Realm Cultivators can't fly for long. Only those at the Profound Pill Realm can sustain flight. However, to reach a speed like Elder Ling's... not even someone at the Celestial Pill Realm could manage that! Could Elder Ling really be one of the Nascent Soul Realm Powerhouses?' Shangguan Hong's heart pounded with excitement.

'If that's true, then the entire situation can be settled!' At this thought, he was so excited he was on the verge of tears of joy.

For the past half a month, Ling Fei had been constantly hunted. It was an incredibly frustrating situation, and even Shangguan Hong had felt helpless.

If Elder Ling was truly one of the Nascent Soul Realm Powerhouses, what problem couldn't be solved?

...

「Inside Celestial River Academy.」

Ling Fei walked step by step toward the grandstand.

Seated before him were the Dukes, each one exuding a powerful aura.

"That is Prince Long," Vice Dean Zhou whispered to Ling Fei.

"Greetings, Prince Long." Ling Fei's expression was indifferent. He gave a slight bow to Prince Long, but not a full, formal salute.

The other Dukes nearby watched with cold eyes.

"So you are the Ling Fei who killed the Dongyang Crown Prince?" Prince Long's gaze sharpened as he asked.

"I am." Facing Prince Long's question, Ling Fei's attitude remained firm, neither arrogant nor subservient.

Even though he knew he was in a perilous situation, he had no intention of fawning and begging for mercy.

'In his view, a true man must die on his feet, even in death. He must never lose his integrity.'

"This brat is about to die, yet he still doesn't know what's good for him," Marquis Yun snorted under his breath.

Some of the young people nearby also wore cold expressions.

'In their eyes, the young man before them was merely a disciple from a Humble Family.'

'A mere disciple from a Humble Family, daring to compete with Clan Members just because he has a bit of talent. He truly doesn't know his place.'

Prince Long's gaze darkened. "You are a genius, which is admirable. However, you have committed a grave error. Considering that talent is rare, I will give you a chance. In a moment, I will send out three geniuses to fight you—one at the Half-step Celestial Spirit Realm, one at the Initial Stage of Celestial Spirit Realm, and one at the Early Stage of Celestial Spirit Great Success. If you can win all three consecutive matches using only your Martial Arts, without your Soul Secret Technique, your crime will be forgiven."

"Are you willing to fight?" he asked, his gaze as sharp as a blade, staring at Ling Fei and enunciating every word.

"I, Ling Fei, am willing to fight," Ling Fei said in a deep voice.

"Good!" said Prince Long.

Beside him, the Marquis of Eatern's lips curled into a cold smirk.

'In his eyes, this was the beginning of Ling Fei's walk toward death.'

"Haichen, you are a disciple of the Liu Clan. This Ling Fei has killed several of your clansmen. For the first battle, you shall represent the Liu Clan and settle this score!" Prince Long said to a young man behind him.

This was a slender and dignified young man, a disciple of the Liu Clan named Liu Haichen. At the Royal Academy, he had already condensed a trace of Gang Qi, making him a Half-step Celestial Spirit Realm Cultivator. With one more step, he could fully achieve Gang Transformation with his True Qi and become a Celestial Spirit Realm expert.

"Yes!" Liu Haichen's gaze sharpened as he looked at Ling Fei. He made a gesture of invitation and said, "Young Master Ling, if you please!"

"If you please," Ling Fei replied, making the same gesture.

The next moment, their figures flashed as they shot toward the battle stage ahead.

Soon, both of them appeared on the stage.

"Ling Fei, the only genius at Celestial River Academy who can be compared to Shangguan Wan'Er. I once respected you, but you killed my clan brother. This blood debt must be paid," Liu Haichen said, his gaze sharp as he stared at Ling Fei, enunciating every word. A Bloodline Power had already begun to quietly gather around him.

"Enough talk. If you want to fight, then make your move," Ling Fei said with a cold, indifferent expression. "In this battle, I will use my full strength. I will not hold back."

"Good!" Liu Haichen's eyes flashed, and a Treasure Sword materialized in his hand.

"Condense my Spiritual Snake Bloodline!"

The deep words escaped Liu Haichen's lips.

"Nine Transformations of the Spiritual Snake: Spiritual Snake Transformation!"

With a single movement, Liu Haichen transformed into a Sword Rainbow and thrust toward Ling Fei.

SWOOSH!

Liu Haichen merged as one with his sword. A vast Bloodline Power burst forth, making his body move like a Spiritual Snake as he advanced, carrying with him a monstrous wave of Sword Qi.

The Sword Qi billowed forth, its aura immense, threatening to submerge Ling Fei like a tidal wave.

From his very first move, Liu Haichen was already using his full power, clearly intending to defeat Ling Fei in a single strike.