Divine Wilderness Dragon Emperor

Shangguan Wan'Er looked up at the bright moon in the Void. Her gaze gradually grew cold, as if she were lost in memories. Then, she murmured, "The Empire reveres Martial Arts, and both men and women can learn them. However, most women from the great Clans are nothing more than sacrificial pawns in exchanges for benefits. I am no exception. My Clan wants me to marry into the Royal Family so they can bask in imperial favor... From a young age, I resolved to control my own destiny. That's why I must become strong."

"I will make a name for myself in the Southern Wilderness, then leave it behind and travel to the vast Divine Wilderness Domain to see the true Martial Arts World."

As she spoke these last words, a determined light flickered in Shangguan Wan'Er's eyes.

Within that light, there was also a hint of anticipation.

"That is my goal." Then, she turned her head and gazed at Ling Fei.

"Divine Wilderness? If I get the chance, I'd like to see it too," Ling Fei said in a low voice, though his mind was in turmoil.

'Judging from what my foster father said that day, my enemies must be in that vast Martial Arts World of the Divine Wilderness.'

'I desperately want to know who gravely injured my foster father, forcing them to flee their home and seek refuge here.'

'Do I have any relatives left in the Divine Wilderness World?'

"You want to go to the Divine Wilderness too?" Hearing this, Shangguan Wan'Er's face lit up, and a peculiar light shone in her eyes.

She was incredibly excited, as if she had found a kindred spirit.

"If one wants to reach the Martial Arts Peak, one must naturally go to the true great domains of Martial Arts," Ling Fei said with a smile.

"That would be wonderful." Shangguan Wan'Er beamed, her beautiful eyes fixed on Ling Fei. With a rare hint of playfulness, she said, "How about this? Let's make a pact. We'll train hard over the next few years, and then we'll travel to the Divine Wilderness together. How does that sound?" She was filled with anticipation for his answer.

Shangguan Wan'Er had entertained this idea before.

But while she had no shortage of suitors, very few of them shared such a grand ambition.

Even for those who did, if their talent was lacking, it was all just empty talk.

For instance, when Liu Rulong had been desperately pursuing her, Shangguan Wan'Er had never mentioned it.

That was because most people in the Empire only wanted to make a name for themselves within the Empire. Even the few who wished to become famous in the Southern Wilderness didn't dare to dream of going to the Divine Wilderness.

In the eyes of many, going to the Divine Wilderness was simply wishful thinking.

Even if an ordinary person went there, they would most likely end up at the very bottom and die in a foreign land.

If that was the case, it was better to remain a prodigy in the Southern Wilderness.

But Shangguan Wan'Er was different. Her ambitions were immense and her goals lofty. Since she was cultivating, she was determined to become an existence that stood at the Martial Arts Peak.

Because only then could she truly control her own destiny.

"Yes!" Ling Fei smiled, his gaze fixed on Shangguan Wan'Er.

"Then it's a promise." Shangguan Wan'Er beamed. Her smile transformed her, replacing her usual icy beauty. Like a skylark freed from its cage, she stood up and spun around in the pavilion. Her white robes fluttered, making her look like a midnight elf dancing.

Beneath the moonlight, Shangguan Wan'Er began to dance. As her graceful figure moved, accompanied by the swirling mist, she appeared ethereal and otherworldly, captivating all who watched.

'So beautiful!' Ling Fei was stunned by the sight.

Who could have imagined that the perpetually cold and elegant Shangguan Wan'Er also had such a gentle and beautiful side?

Suddenly, Shangguan Wan'Er stopped moving. Her gaze shifted, and she saw Ling Fei, who was completely captivated.

She smiled, took a few graceful steps forward, then lowered her head and planted a soft kiss on the young man's forehead.

Her red lips were soft and warm. In that instant, Ling Fei's mind went completely blank.

"Don't forget our promise today~" By the time Ling Fei came to his senses, Shangguan Wan'Er had already taken her graceful steps out of the pavilion.

With a leap, she landed on the back of the Profound Eagle and flew into the Void.

Beneath the moonlight, all that remained were the silhouettes of the Profound Eagle and the young woman, and her voice, as clear and pleasant as a silver bell.

The young woman's charming words and her ethereal, peerless grace echoed endlessly in Ling Fei's mind.

'To enter the Divine Wilderness with her by my side would truly be one of life's great joys,' Ling Fei thought with a smile.

...

「One month later.」

On this day, the Cold Chi Dragon Qi within Ling Fei's body was compressed bit by bit. The vast, river-like True Qi transformed into a single wisp of Gang Qi.

Although it was only a single wisp, its sharpness was countless times stronger than his previous Cold Chi True Qi.

'Qi Refining and Gang Transformation... I've finally succeeded,' Ling Fei rejoiced inwardly.

However, completely Refining Qi into Gang was not so easy.

It would require a large supply of True Dragon Qi.

Nevertheless, he was now an expert at the Half-step Celestial Spirit Realm.

After reaching the Half-step Celestial Spirit Realm, Ling Fei continued to cultivate, constantly compressing the True Qi in his Dantian to achieve Gang Transformation.

If the True Qi within his Dantian was also successfully converted into Gang Qi, he would reach the Quasi-Celestial Spirit Realm.

Another half a month passed, and the Cold Chi True Qi in Ling Fei's Dantian had completely condensed into Gang Qi.

However, the once vast, ocean-like True Qi was now reduced to just a few wisps of Gang Qi swimming within his Dantian.

This left his Dantian feeling rather empty.

'Quasi-Celestial Spirit Realm... But without Dragon Gang Qi, it will be too difficult for me to truly step into the Celestial Spirit Realm,' Ling Fei murmured to himself.

He could still absorb large amounts of Heavenly Essence Qi, derive Cold Chi Dragon Qi from it, and then condense it into Cold Chi Gang Qi.

However, the cultivation speed would undoubtedly be very slow.

After all, the vast amount of Cold Chi True Qi in his body had only transformed into a few wisps of Gang Qi.

'This little bit of Gang Qi isn't enough to attack more than a few times.' A glint flashed in Ling Fei's eyes. He still needed to accumulate a dense reserve of True Qi.

Otherwise, if he fought someone and his Gang Qi was depleted, he would be powerless to continue the battle.

This was the shortcoming of the Quasi-Celestial Spirit Realm.

There was an insurmountable gap between the Quasi-Celestial Spirit Realm and the Celestial Spirit Realm.

'Is it possible that, apart from Dragon Veins, there's no Dragon Gang Qi to be found anywhere in the world?' Ling Fei wondered, feeling a sense of regret.

After pondering for a moment, he went to the Celestial River Academy to search through ancient texts.

Following the guidance of an elder at the Martial Pavilion, Ling Fei found an ancient book.

"The vast world gives birth to ten thousand types of Qi... Qi veins are the source mothers of Qi. The condensation of Qi gives rise to Gang Qi, which humans can draw upon for their own use... However, high up in the sky, between the layers of clouds, there exists a Vast Heaven where endless Gang Qi gathers. Only those with Heaven-Reaching Soul Power can draw it down for their own use..."

After reading to the end, Ling Fei finally had a better understanding of the Essence Qi between heaven and earth.

It wasn't just Primordial Veins that could produce Gang Qi; the skies high above also contained Celestial Spirit Qi.

But drawing upon that Gang Qi was clearly not so easy.

'Looks like for now, I'll have to stick to the honest work of searching for Dragon Veins to condense Gang Qi,' Ling Fei finally resolved.

He then returned to his training residence.

「Two months later.」

On this day, the academy's bells rang, signaling a major announcement.

Vice Dean Zhou announced that the Four Major Sects of the Southern Wilderness would be arriving in the Great Tang Empire in one month to select talented disciples.

The Celestial River Academy would be selecting a group of geniuses to participate in the assessment held by the Four Major Sects.

The location for the assessment was none other than the Imperial Capital.

Shangguan Qingmu, Shangguan Yurou, and Shangguan Wan'Er came to Ling Fei's training residence together to tell him the news.

'It's finally happening?' When the news reached his ears, Ling Fei's eyes lit up.

"The Four Great Sects of the South Wilderness are the Lingyun Sect, the Beiming Sword Sect, the Valley of Ten Thousand Flowers, and the Great Sun Thunder Sound Temple!" Shangguan Qingmu said, his face full of anticipation.