Divine Wilderness Dragon Emperor

"Damn it! That brat actually destroyed my Split Soul!" A furious roar erupted from the scroll within the Emperor's Tomb.

Inside, Demonic Qi roiled like a Great Emperor roaring or a Demon Dragon charging, thrashing in its final struggles. The surging aura was terrifying.

"Demon Emperor, your sins are monstrous. Do you still dream of seeing the light of day again? Even if you were to escape by some fluke, you would only be suppressed once more. There is no longer a place for you in this world."

A deep voice resounded from within the Emperor's Tomb.

A closer look would reveal an old man in a Dragon Robe speaking from within the Array Central Control Room in the Emperor's Tomb.

This old man bore a striking resemblance to the current Celestial Emperor.

"I am undying and indestructible! You cannot suppress me! One day, I will see the light of day again and rule over all under heaven once more!" the Demon Emperor roared.

The man in the Dragon Robe in the Array Room remained silent, focusing all his effort on pouring vast amounts of Essence Qi into a nearby Array Disc.

The Array Disc activated, causing invisible Array Patterns to flare to life. They bloomed into Dao Patterns that continuously bound and suppressed the scroll.

A moment later, the Demonic Qi within the scroll was gradually brought under control.

'It's a good thing that boy destroyed the Demon Emperor's residual soul. Otherwise, if he'd been allowed to destroy the Trapped Dragon Pillar, we would have been in serious trouble,' the old man muttered.

He finally let out a sigh of relief.

'Who is that young man? How does he have the Pen of Order?' After suppressing the Demon Emperor's soul, he extended his Heart Spirit outward.

As his Heart Spirit spread out, the entire scene outside came into view.

Ling Fei was still absorbing the Soul Essence.

The amount of Soul Essence converted from the Demon Emperor's residual soul was immense, and he was continuously absorbing it.

'He bears some resemblance to that great personage... Could he be his descendant?' the old man in the Dragon Robe muttered to himself.

'But how did the Dragon Pen end up with him? What happened to that great personage?' His heart was filled with doubt.

His mind raced, and he desperately wanted to question Ling Fei.

'But if I speak rashly and reveal too much, will I be placing too great a burden on him? It could affect his state of mind.' He hesitated.

...

Meanwhile, the people outside were completely oblivious.

On a high mountain in the Royal Hunting Garden stood the Sealing General Platform.

The Great Tang Emperor was seated on the Sparrow Platform at the mountain's peak, drinking and discussing matters of the Southern Wilderness Martial Arts World with the Stewards of the Four Major Sects.

Two women in palace finery sat at the Celestial Emperor's left and right.

The woman on his right wore a Phoenix Crown. She was graceful and regal, exuding an aura of supreme authority.

Her aura was so powerful that even ordinary New Year Realm experts dared not look at her directly.

This woman was none other than the current Empress.

To the Celestial Emperor's left sat a woman in a brocade robe. Her features were as lovely as a painting and her expression was gentle, yet her eyes seemed to hold the very Momentum of Heaven and Earth.

Her beauty was peerless, even surpassing that of the Empress beside her.

She was a consort of the Great Tang Emperor—the Martial Consort!

Ever since the Empress issued an Imperial Decree and interfered in Ling Fei's affairs, the Celestial Emperor had begun to show the Martial Consort exceptional favor.

This appeared to be a deliberate slight against the Empress, a warning for her to know her place, lest she be replaced at any time.

The Seventh Prince was also seated below.

This assessment was a major event not only for the Four Major Sects but for the entire Empire.

The Celestial Emperor was expected to appoint many geniuses as Divine Guards, so numerous imperial ministers were also in attendance.

In addition, Dean Han of the Celestial River Academy and his contingent were also present.

Several hundred people were gathered, raising their cups in a toast.

In the center of the Sparrow Platform, beautiful women danced upon a round stage, and the atmosphere was quite festive.

Suddenly, however, the Empress's brow twitched. A sharp pain lanced through her heart, as if her very bloodline were tearing apart.

'What happened?' The Empress's brow furrowed. 'Could it be... Jiu'Er?'

A sense of unease filled her, and her gaze drifted involuntarily toward the mountain forests in the distance.

Filled with a growing sense of dread, she moved her elegant hand and produced a mirror.

The mirror was covered in Inscriptions, and its border was adorned with two facing Phoenixes.

With a flicker of her Heart Spirit, she activated the mirror. Its surface immediately rippled, as if a new world were forming within it.

The Empress then bit her finger, dripping a drop of Essence Blood onto the mirror.

As the Essence Blood fell upon the mirror, Light Patterns flashed across its surface, and she immersed her Heart Spirit within it.

The Empress focused her thoughts entirely on the Ninth Prince.

She was using a Supreme Treasure to perform a Heart Spirit Sensing, relying on the connection between bloodlines to divine a relative's whereabouts.

BUZZ!

As the Empress's Heart Spirit entered the mirror, its surface flashed with Light Patterns, and an image of swirling clouds appeared.

The next moment, Trapped Dragon Valley materialized on the mirror's surface.

Her view shifted, and the Empress saw Ling Fei, his eyes closed as he absorbed Soul Power.

'It's that boy!' The Empress's gaze turned cold.

But as her gaze shifted again, she saw the Ninth Prince lying on the ground.

Instantly, a monstrous rage surged in her eyes.

"My son!" The Empress screamed in a rage, her killing intent palpable. Her gaze snapped back to Ling Fei in the mirror. "It was him! It must have been him who killed Old Jiu!"

"You dare kill my son! I'll have you torn to pieces!" The Empress's gaze hardened, and she took out a Phoenix Seal.

Dao Patterns swirled across its surface, imbuing her with a mysterious Power.

Her entire aura shifted in an instant. The very air in the Void seemed to freeze as an oppressive presence washed over everyone.

Everyone present immediately turned to look at her.

'What's wrong with the Empress?' the Stewards of the Four Major Sects wondered, glancing over.

At the same time, they felt a sense of dread.

'The Empress is only at the Late Stage Celestial Pill Realm, yet her current aura is comparable to a Nascent Soul Realm expert. The Celestial Emperor's Technique of the Great Tang is truly not to be underestimated!' The Celestial Pill Realm experts from the Four Major Sects all wore grave expressions. Of course, this was not to say they thought any less of themselves.

The Celestial Emperor of the Great Tang Empire was indeed a force to be reckoned with.

However, the methods possessed by their own Major Sects were also beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

At that moment, the Great Tang Emperor's eyes flashed as he secretly tried to sense what was happening.

The Martial Consort, the Seventh Prince, and several Princesses all turned their attention to the Empress.

But by then, the Empress had already made her move.

WHOOSH!

Her elegant hand reached out, flashing with Dao Patterns as it transformed into a massive phoenix talon. It tore directly through the Void, appearing in the skies above Trapped Dragon Valley.

The next moment, that patch of the Void shuddered, and the light screen of the Seal flickered into existence.

But the phoenix talon simply forced its way through the Seal and plunged inside.

A monstrous pressure crashed down, enveloping Ling Fei completely.

"This..." Ling Fei had been absorbing Soul Essence and refining it into Soul Gang. The sudden pressure made his very soul tremble.

He was instantly jolted from his meditative state.

'A phoenix talon?' Ling Fei looked up to see a massive talon descending upon him, carrying with it a monstrous pressure.

The space around Ling Fei seemed to freeze solid.

The terrifying pressure felt like it was about to make his blood vessels burst.

This pressure was far too strong, countless times more powerful than the Demon Emperor's Power of Residual Soul from before.

After all, the Demon Emperor's residual soul had only been a mere sliver.

'This...' A sense of crisis flooded his mind. Ling Fei felt the suffocating presence of death envelop him.

In that instant, he didn't even have a chance to resist.

The Empress had struck so suddenly, leaving him utterly unprepared.