Divine Wilderness Dragon Emperor

'If I can forge the True Dragon Body, then there will be few in the entire Southern Wilderness who can rival me.' The Ninth Prince was filled with anticipation. 'Legend has it that there are many ancient ruins in the Southern Wilderness, even True Dragon Relics. All of those could be opportunities for me to enhance my True Dragon Body.'

The more he thought about it, the more excited he became.

"As for now, I'll let that Ling Fei live a few more days," the Ninth Prince muttered.

With a hint of anticipation, the Ninth Prince's figure disappeared into the Illusory Misty Forest.

...

Within the Illusory Misty Forest, a dense mist swirled, creating a gloomy and oppressive atmosphere.

Shangguan Wan'Er and Ling Fei entered it together.

"There are Demon Beasts here, but the most terrifying thing is the Illusion Realm created by the Array. It's impossible to guard against," said Shangguan Wan'Er.

At the same time, she carefully sensed the fluctuations nearby.

By now, they had crossed a hillside and arrived in a wide, forested area.

"You should be careful. As for me, the situation here is manageable," Ling Fei said.

The mist here was so thick that one couldn't see anything more than a hundred meters away.

But Ling Fei's Heart Spirit could spread out, allowing him to see things ten thousand meters away.

Even so, this was still affected by the unique aura of the forest.

Otherwise, with his Heart Spirit, Ling Fei could have sensed things forty li away.

"Good. I believe that with the two of us, we can definitely pass this trial!" Shangguan Wan'Er was full of confidence.

Shangguan Qingmu, who was beside them, followed closely behind.

Ling Fei and the others advanced, and Demon Beasts began to attack them in the forest.

However, Ling Fei successfully defeated all of them.

In this way, half a day quickly passed.

As night fell, a long river suddenly appeared ahead, blocking their path.

There was a bridge over the river.

Upon arriving, Ling Fei's Heart Spirit stirred, and he sensed shimmering Light Patterns on the bridge, indicating the presence of a Restriction Array.

"There's a Restriction on it," Ling Fei said to Shangguan Wan'Er.

"We can only continue forward by crossing this bridge. If that's the case, why hesitate?" Shangguan Wan'Er smiled, her expression one of fearless determination.

"Alright!" Seeing how resolute Shangguan Wan'Er was, Ling Fei nodded without hesitation and met her gaze.

Then, Ling Fei extended his hand, wanting to lead Shangguan Wan'Er forward.

Shangguan Wan'Er pursed her red lips, a faint, shy blush on her cheeks, and extended her delicate hand.

'Since when did those two...?' Shangguan Qingmu, watching from the side, was stunned.

He then watched as Shangguan Wan'Er and Ling Fei advanced hand in hand.

BZZT!

The moment he stepped onto the long bridge, Ling Fei saw a flash of Light Patterns before his eyes.

In the next moment, an immense force manifested, brutally tearing him and Shangguan Wan'Er apart.

"This..." Ling Fei's brows furrowed. He hadn't expected the Power of Restriction to be so strong.

Before his eyes, Shangguan Wan'Er's figure had completely vanished.

After being separated from Shangguan Wan'Er, an ice bridge appeared before him.

The ice bridge was empty except for Ling Fei. Looking ahead, it was as if he had entered a world of ice and snow.

An extreme Cold Intent flooded his mind.

'So cold!' Ling Fei felt an unbearable chill, as if his very soul was about to be sealed in ice.

'Where am I?' Ling Fei's eyes showed his bewilderment as he took a step forward.

At that moment, his mind felt as if it were being sealed in ice, growing dull.

A Cold Intent continuously seeped into his mind, until only coldness remained within his heart.

At that moment, Ling Fei even forgot he was undergoing a trial.

The Illusion Realm manifested by the Array was already silently affecting his Heart Spirit.

And this was the terrifying aspect of the second trial.

Without one even realizing it, the Array would activate, affecting one's Heart Spirit and manipulating one's thoughts.

Yet, those who entered it remained completely unaware.

Ling Fei stepped off the long bridge and walked forward.

A glance now revealed only a forest of ice and snow, with a howling Cold Qi that chilled him to the bone.

Cold!

Unbearably cold!

It felt as if he had been plunged into an icy cavern.

Endless cold was all that filled Ling Fei's mind, the Array making him nearly forget who he was.

He pressed on, wanting to escape this frigid world.

But the path ahead seemed endless; he couldn't find a way out no matter how he walked.

He didn't know how long this went on. It felt like a day, and yet it also felt like ten days had passed.

The endless Cold Intent invaded him, making Ling Fei feel the aura of death creeping into his mind.

One day, his body shivering uncontrollably, he collapsed into a snowdrift.

He lay motionless, as if about to be sealed in ice, his mind growing hazy.

'Am I going to die just like this?'

'No, I can't die! I still have to become a powerful expert and heal my foster father...' A surge of defiance welled up in Ling Fei's heart.

'That's right, I'm Ling Fei! I have the Cold Chi True Qi. How could I be so easily sealed in ice by this Cold Qi?' A flash of insight struck Ling Fei's mind.

With this flash of insight, the fog clouding his mind was dispelled, and his Heart Spirit gradually cleared.

As his Heart Spirit recovered and the Cold Intent dissipated, the world of ice and snow before him transformed back into a mountainous landscape.

'I was trapped in an Illusion Mirror just now!' Ling Fei's eyes widened with sudden understanding as he looked at the forest before him. At the same time, a wave of lingering fear washed over him.

The Array had unwittingly caused him to sink into despair and lose himself.

If it had continued, would he have died?

It was said that some people had felt so cold in an Illusion Realm that they had actually frozen to death.

But in reality, the Taiyang was shining brightly overhead.

Of course, this Array wouldn't do that.

If someone couldn't endure it, they would be directly pulled out of the trial grounds.

"Arrays are truly terrifying," Ling Fei muttered.

Then, he released his Heart Spirit to sense his surroundings.

'Wan'Er isn't here?' Ling Fei couldn't find Shangguan Wan'Er.

'That's the Ninth Prince!' But in the next moment, he spotted the Ninth Prince in a part of the forest.

'What is he doing?' Feeling suspicious, Ling Fei followed him.

...

「In a certain part of the forest.」

The Ninth Prince held a Heaven-Encompassing Array Disc inscribed with Ancient Patterns, continuously confirming and sensing the direction.

Finally, the Light Patterns on his Heaven-Encompassing Array Disc flickered. His eyes lit up, and he came to a stop.

'This is it.' The Ninth Prince was overjoyed.

He was currently in a mountain valley.

The valley was lined with towering, ancient trees.

They were all maple trees.

The ground was covered in fallen red maple leaves, giving the place a unique charm.

WHOOSH!

With a wave of his hand, the Ninth Prince sent out a gust of Gang Qi that swept up the maple leaves, making them dance like butterflies.

Then, an Array Platform appeared before him. It wasn't tall, practically level with the ground, and was engraved with intricate Array Patterns.

'What is the Ninth Prince trying to do?' From a distance, Ling Fei's Heart Spirit spread out, taking in the full view of the Array Platform in front of the Prince.

They were in the middle of the trial, yet instead of trying to pass it, the Ninth Prince had run off to this place. Ling Fei was incredibly curious; this was completely beyond reason!

'As long as I activate this Array and enter the Forbidden Land, my grand ambitions will be realized. From then on, I'll be able to look down on the entire Southern Wilderness!' The Ninth Prince's face was flushed with excitement.

He then flipped his palm, and the Heaven-Encompassing Array Disc floated into the air.

With the Array Disc suspended in the air, he formed a Hand Technique, then cast a Spell.

A profound Secret Seal materialized and was injected into the Array Disc.

The Light Patterns on the Array Disc then squirmed, emitting a dazzling radiance. The runes on its surface flowed as if communicating with the supreme mysteries between heaven and earth.

BZZT!

In the next moment, the Array Patterns on the ground seemed to be drawn upward, also releasing a field of Light Patterns that merged with the Array Disc before the Ninth Prince.

As the patterns of the Array Disc and the Array Platform merged, the Light Patterns in that area swirled and formed a beam of light, as if connecting heaven and earth and opening a gateway through space.