Divine Wilderness Dragon Emperor

Ling Fei's decision to join the Lingyun Sect surprised many people.

However, Han Beihai and the others from Celestial River Academy had long expected it.

This was especially true for Shangguan Hong and Shangguan Wan'Er.

Based on what they knew of Ling Fei, he would likely delve into the study of elixirs for the sake of his adoptive father.

Shangguan Wan'Er didn't particularly object to his decision.

In her eyes, Ling Fei's actions were perfectly reasonable.

It was just like how she was devoted to the sword, pursuing it to its utmost limits. It was only natural that Ling Fei, who valued relationships and righteousness, would prioritize his adoptive father.

"Cultivators have long lifespans. As long as he works hard at his cultivation, he shouldn't fall behind others." Shangguan Wan'Er was filled with confidence in Ling Fei.

"Heh. Congratulations to the Lingyun Sect on acquiring such a talented disciple. Steward Fang, you must take good care of Young Master Ling in the future!" the Celestial Emperor said with a smile as Ling Fei accepted the Lingyun Sect's Waist Token.

"Heh heh. Young Master Ling is new to our Southern Wilderness Martial Arts World, so we will of course look after him. However, his talent is extraordinary. Once he joins our Lingyun Sect, he will naturally be cultivated as a priority. I'm afraid that by then, we'll be the ones who need to rely on Young Master Ling's care," Steward Fang laughed.

"Heh, indeed, indeed." The Celestial Emperor smiled. He too thought very highly of Ling Fei's potential.

Furthermore, according to the information he had obtained, Ling Fei had only joined the Celestial River Academy just over eight months ago.

'To advance from the Body Tempering Realm to the Celestial Spirit Realm in such a short time... not even Shangguan Wan'Er can compare to that. How could such a person possibly be mediocre?'

The venue filled with laughter.

But the two stewards from the Beiming Sword Sect did not look pleased.

"Miss Shangguan, would you be willing to join our Beiming Sword Sect?" Steward Cheng's gaze shifted, landing on Shangguan Wan'Er.

Now that Ling Fei had been snatched away by the Lingyun Sect, they were certainly not willing to miss out on Shangguan Wan'Er.

'This young woman's talent for the Sword Dao is a rare sight to behold!'

'She would be a perfect fit for our Beiming Sword Sect.'

'Join the Beiming Sword Sect?' Shangguan Wan'Er's eyelashes lifted, and her gaze shifted to Ling Fei beside her.

'She had originally wanted to join the same Sect as Ling Fei so they could advance together in the future.'

'However, the Lingyun Sect clearly wasn't the best choice for her.'

That's why she hesitated for a moment.

Seeing this, Ling Fei gave her an understanding look.

He knew what she was thinking.

"Heh heh, Miss Wan'Er, if you join our Beiming Sword Sect, you will certainly be cultivated as a priority. You will be able to study our many Sword Manuals," Steward Cheng of the Beiming Sword Sect said with a smile, noticing her hesitation. "Our sect's attainments in the Sword Dao are known throughout the entire Southern Wilderness!"

"The Beiming Sword Sect is a sect I have always wanted to join. Now that I have the chance, I am of course overjoyed. I ask for your guidance in the future." After seeing Ling Fei's understanding gaze, a flicker of decision appeared in Shangguan Wan'Er's eyes. She cupped her fist toward Steward Cheng and spoke.

"Good. Join our Sect, and as long as you cultivate diligently, you will surely have a chance to make a name for yourself in the Southern Wilderness." At her acceptance, Steward Cheng's face lit up with excitement.

"This is our Beiming Sword Sect's Quasi-apprentice Waist Token!" he said, taking out a token and tossing it to Shangguan Wan'Er.

'Although I couldn't recruit Ling Fei, Shangguan Wan'Er's Swordsmanship is extraordinary. She's a talent worth molding. Getting her makes this trip worthwhile.'

Next came the scramble for the other geniuses.

This included geniuses like Li Heng and Wu Tongxuan.

By comparison, the stewards of the major sects didn't fight tooth and nail over which sect these geniuses would join.

There were many geniuses of their caliber in the Southern Wilderness Martial Arts World; one more or one less made little difference. There was no need to waste their breath.

...

The assessments for the ordinary geniuses continued.

However, the most outstanding geniuses had already been divided among the major sects.

The stewards of the Four Major Sects didn't much care about the fate of the rest.

「One day later.」

The assessments were finally over.

Aside from the previously mentioned geniuses, very few of the remaining people qualified to enter any sect's Inner Sect.

Even Huang Xiaoman only managed to qualify to join the Outer Sect.

The same was true for Mu Xue.

Although joining the Outer Sect still provided a chance to enter the Inner Sect, that chance was minuscule. The competition in the Outer Sect was also extremely brutal.

Many people lived and died in obscurity within the Outer Sect, never advancing further.

In the end, however, Huang Xiaoman and Mu Xue grit their teeth and decided to join the Lingyun Sect's Outer Sect.

Although she knew the gap between herself and Ling Fei was growing ever wider, just being in the same sect was still a comfort.

Besides, by going to the Lingyun Sect, they would have Ling Fei there to look out for them.

Shangguan Qingmu, however, went to the Beiming Sword Sect and qualified for the Inner Sect. But with his level of aptitude, he clearly wouldn't be receiving any special cultivation.

Most of the others earned the right to enter the Divine Guard Bureau.

The Celestial Emperor personally bestowed rewards upon them.

Waist Tokens were distributed, each one branded with the Emperor's Qi.

These would serve as a life-saving measure for them.

For these people, this was a tremendous reward in itself.

Entering the Divine Guard Bureau meant they could venture into the Empire's mountain ranges with numerous other geniuses, giving them opportunities to improve.

After the conferment ceremony, the assessments were considered to have concluded perfectly.

Then, under the Celestial Emperor's lead, the crowd left the mountain peak and returned to the Imperial Capital.

Within the Imperial Capital, the Celestial Emperor hosted a banquet, gathering with all the geniuses.

When the banquet dispersed, Ling Fei gathered with Shangguan Wan'Er and the others.

Everyone in the hall was from Celestial River Academy.

This included people like Han Jing, Han Bing, and Zhou Kuang.

"When we get to the Southern Wilderness, we should all stick together and move forward as one!" Shangguan Qingmu said with a smile.

"That's right. The Southern Wilderness is vast. As long as we cultivate diligently, we can go adventuring together. If we get a lucky break, maybe we can rise to prominence too," Zhou Kuang said.

He was from Vice Dean Zhou's faction.

...

While the young cultivators were having their gathering, the Celestial Emperor summoned the Ninth Prince's former subordinates.

After several rounds of investigation, he ruled them out one by one.

'The Thousand-Faced Daoist... from the Southern Wilderness Martial Arts World?' The Celestial Emperor had observed this person before but hadn't noticed anything abnormal.

But after his current inquiries, this man now seemed the most suspicious.

On the day of the incident, he had even scanned the entire area with his senses but had found no trace of the man within the Imperial Capital.

This time, he activated the True Dragon Seal again, his Heart Spirit blanketing all directions, yet he still found no trace of the Thousand-Faced Daoist.

Finally, the Celestial Emperor had no choice but to retract his Heart Spirit.

Sensing in all directions for an extended period placed too heavy a burden on his Heart Spirit; even he could not maintain such a constant, all-encompassing watch.

This was also why there were some matters within the Empire of which the Celestial Emperor was not always aware.

'He has likely already fled,' the Celestial Emperor mused. 'This person went to such lengths to lure Old Jiu into the Trapped Dragon Land, all for a chance to let the Demon Emperor see the light of day again. Could he be one of the Demon Emperor's old subordinates?' At this thought, the Celestial Emperor's expression grew solemn.

'If he's one of the Demon Emperor's old followers, that would be one thing. But if it's someone else... that would be far more troublesome.'

'But... would the Demon Emperor's old followers ally with other powers?'

The more he thought about it, the more grim his expression became.

'It seems the future is destined to be anything but peaceful.' He couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

'Fortunately, this world still has many capable people.' After sighing, the Celestial Emperor relaxed a little, a faint smile appearing on his lips. 'That Ling Fei is a great talent. It's a pity my Empire's stage is too small for him. Otherwise, with his help, I could spare myself considerable trouble.'

Even so, the Celestial Emperor couldn't resist summoning Ling Fei.

"The Celestial Emperor wants to see me? May I ask for what reason?" Upon receiving the summons, Ling Fei felt a little apprehensive as he looked at the eunuch who had delivered the decree.

'After all, the Ninth Prince died by my hand just two days ago!'

"Heh heh, Young Master Ling, rest assured. The Celestial Emperor is wise and enlightened; he will naturally not make things difficult for you," the eunuch said with a smile, seemingly aware of Ling Fei's worries.

Ling Fei nodded and followed.

'After all, if the Celestial Emperor truly wanted to deal with me, he would have acted long ago. Why would he wait until now?'