Divine Wilderness Dragon Emperor

Ling Fei followed the palace attendant and left the Gathering Hall.

Watching Ling Fei's departing figure, the Ninth Prince grew increasingly frustrated.

'If not for him, would I have fallen to this?'

He recalled how he used to host every gathering, always the center of attention.

But this time, the honor had gone to the Seventh Prince instead.

'Is this to show the world that the Seventh Prince is now the one in favor?'

...

The Imperial Palace was vast. Within its walls, mountain peaks towered into the clouds, great rivers flowed, and lakes shimmered like emeralds.

It was practically a private kingdom.

Ling Fei was led up a small mountain.

The mountain wasn't high—only eight hundred meters—but its summit offered a view of most of the Imperial Palace.

In a pavilion at the peak, the Celestial Emperor was gazing down below, lost in thought.

"Your Majesty, Ling Fei has arrived," the palace attendant said in a low voice, stepping forward to address the Celestial Emperor.

"Very well. You are dismissed," the Celestial Emperor said. He then turned to face Ling Fei.

Ling Fei met the Celestial Emperor's gaze, waiting for him to speak.

He was inwardly suspicious. 'Did the Celestial Emperor summon me because of what happened at Celestial River Academy?'

The Celestial Emperor scrutinized Ling Fei.

He seemed to be trying to see right through him.

As that gaze fell upon him, a chill ran down Ling Fei's spine. It felt as if his very soul was about to be laid bare.

'That aura…!' As his gaze rested on Ling Fei, the Celestial Emperor, who appeared as serene as a still well, felt a ripple of disturbance in his heart.

Back in the Gathering Hall, he had already sensed a peculiar aura about Ling Fei.

Now, sensing it more closely, he was even more certain of his suspicions.

However, he still had many questions.

'What is his identity in the Divine Wilderness?' the Celestial Emperor wondered.

Although Elder Ling had never said so, he was certain the man came from the Divine Wilderness.

In the Southern Wilderness, there were many masters, but very few who could make him feel as wary as Elder Ling did.

Now, feeling that same kind of aura from Ling Fei, he was even more convinced that the young man was by no means from the Southern Wilderness.

'I wonder if he can detect my Dragon Bone,' Ling Fei thought to himself.

This was his only worry.

"Please, sit." After a couple of breaths, the Celestial Emperor withdrew his gaze and gestured toward the pavilion seating.

Fine wine and cups carved from beautiful jade were already laid out.

Ling Fei didn't stand on ceremony. With a flick of his sleeve, he sat down.

The Celestial Emperor then sat opposite him.

"May I ask why Your Majesty has summoned me?" Ling Fei inquired.

"I have summoned you this time to offer you a formal apology for the recent incident," the Celestial Emperor said.

'An apology?' Ling Fei was taken aback, not having expected the Celestial Emperor to summon him for this reason.

"If not for my negligence, you would not have endured such an ordeal," the Celestial Emperor said. He then raised his cup. "I offer this cup to you."

The Celestial Emperor then raised his cup and drained it in a single gulp.

He truly appeared to be making amends.

'A genuine apology?' Ling Fei was completely stunned.

"Your Majesty is too kind," Ling Fei said, quickly raising his own cup.

"If you have any needs, you may speak freely," the Celestial Emperor said after finishing his drink.

'Needs?' Ling Fei's brow arched. He did indeed have needs right now—large amounts of Dragon Gang Qi and Spiritual Essence.

But could he really ask for that?

"Haha, whether it's Spiritual Essence, treasures, or beautiful women, feel free to speak your mind," the Celestial Emperor chuckled.

"Well..." Ling Fei rubbed his nose. "Since Your Majesty has offered, I do have a few needs. For instance, precious Spiritual Essence."

"Furthermore, I've noticed the Essence Qi in the Imperial Palace is exceptionally rich. It would be very beneficial for cultivation!"

'Spiritual Essence could help Yiyi recover her Essence Qi.'

'And the rich Dragon Gang Qi in the Imperial Palace would be a great boon to me.'

"Haha, that is a simple matter," the Celestial Emperor smiled. "I happen to have some Spiritual Essence that would be perfect for Young Master Ling. As for the Imperial Palace, you may reside here for seven days." A wise glint flashed in his eyes as he spoke, as if he knew exactly why Ling Fei had made such requests.

Yet, he said nothing more. Some things were best left unsaid.

"In that case, my deepest thanks, Your Majesty," Ling Fei said with a cupped-fist salute.

"Think nothing of it." The Celestial Emperor smiled, then his gaze suddenly fixed on Ling Fei. "My daughters are exceptional in both looks and talent. I wonder, are you interested?"

"Ahem... The Princesses are renowned for being both talented and beautiful, true peerless ladies. However, I am still young and wish to focus on the path of Martial Arts for now. I have no desire to pursue romantic affairs at this time," Ling Fei said with a dry cough. He hadn't expected the Celestial Emperor to ask such a question; it had completely caught him off guard.

"Devotion to Martial Arts is also good," the Celestial Emperor said. "Indeed, there is no need for a young man to rush. However, on the path of Martial Arts, one must seize every opportunity."

After a few more words, the Celestial Emperor led Ling Fei away.

Afterward, Ling Fei was settled in an Imperial Palace Garden.

This garden was located deep within the Imperial Palace, where a great river flowed and the Dragon Qi was exceptionally dense.

'What dense Dragon Qi! And the amount of Dragon Gang Qi contained within is also abundant.' Upon arriving in the courtyard, Ling Fei immediately began to sense the Dragon Qi.

Dragon Gang Qi was the purest form of Dragon Qi.

Gang Qi!

It could also be found in some Primordial Veins, but it was a rare sight.

Only the most exceptionally dense Primordial Veins could produce such abundant Gang Qi.

The Dragon Qi in the Imperial Palace was so dense that the Dragon Gang Qi it produced far surpassed that of an ordinary Primordial Vein.

'Why is the Dragon Gang Qi here particularly dense?' Ling Fei wondered as he sensed his surroundings.

The Dragon Gang Qi here was clearly much more abundant than in the area around the Gathering Hall.

'Could it be that the Celestial Emperor knew I needed Dragon Qi and made these arrangements specifically for me?' Ling Fei shook his head.

The Celestial Emperor had observed him earlier and seemed to have seen something, yet he had made no move.

'Still, he probably didn't see my Dragon Bone,' Ling Fei murmured to himself.

Yet, he still had reservations.

With the Celestial Emperor's means, he would surely discover him absorbing the Dragon Qi.

'This Dragon Qi... should I absorb it or not?' Ling Fei hesitated.

Perhaps this was a test from the Celestial Emperor.

'Forget it. If he wanted to deal with me, he wouldn't need to go to such lengths.' In the end, Ling Fei cast aside his reservations.

With the Celestial Emperor's power, there was no need to go to such trouble for a junior like him.

If he truly wanted something, he could have just captured Ling Fei and used him to threaten Elder Ling. Why go through all this trouble?

Without further hesitation, Ling Fei immediately began to absorb the Dragon Gang Qi.

WHOOSH!

As the True Dragon Body Refining Technique activated, the Dragon Bone Light Pattern formed a Qi Vortex that began to furiously absorb the Dragon Gang Qi.

At the same time, vast amounts of Dragon Qi were drawn into the Dragon Bone.

It seemed the Dragon Bone would indiscriminately absorb any Dragon Qi; if Ling Fei were to offer it an entire Dragon Vein, it would likely devour it whole.

The Dragon Bone absorbed the Dragon Qi, while Ling Fei focused on absorbing the Dragon Gang Qi and converting it into Gang Qi within his body.

Ling Fei had long since reached the Quasi-Celestial Spirit Realm. All he lacked was a greater supply of Dragon Gang Qi to form a complete Gang Qi cycle within his meridians.

Once that was complete, he would step into the Celestial Spirit Realm.

That was why Ling Fei was frantically absorbing the Dragon Gang Qi. Only by doing so could he accumulate enough Cold Chi Gang Qi to hold his own in battle.

"He is not of my Royal Family, yet he can absorb Dragon Gang Qi. Such a person is by no means from the Southern Wilderness; I fear even in the Divine Wilderness, someone like him is a rare sight." High on a palace balcony, the Celestial Emperor gazed down at the garden where Ling Fei was staying. His Divine Techniques were immense; with a mere stir of his Heart Spirit, he could perceive the changes in the aura there. Every wisp of Gang Qi that Ling Fei drew in was perfectly clear to his senses.

However, he could not detect the existence of the Dragon Bone.

In his eyes, Ling Fei must be using some kind of Cultivation Technique to form that Qi Vortex.

It was just that the pulling power of this Qi Vortex was far stronger than he had imagined.

Of course, the Celestial Emperor did not find this particularly surprising.

After all, it was normal for top-tier Cultivation Techniques to possess such extraordinary abilities.

There were far too many capable people in this world.

'Since they are unwilling to reveal their identities, I need not interfere. It is best to let nature take its course.' After sensing for a moment longer, the Celestial Emperor withdrew his Heart Spirit.

Ling Fei, meanwhile, continued to absorb the Gang Qi.

Inside his body, the Dragon Gang Qi steadily accumulated, and he began to see signs of breaking through to the Celestial Spirit Realm.