Divine Wilderness Dragon Emperor

Under the cover of night, Shangguan Wan'Er walked alone, heading for the lodging courtyard of the Beiming Sword Sect's disciples.

The streets were deserted under the cool moonlight. Along the way, whenever Shangguan Wan'Er recalled Ling Fei's words, a wave of helplessness washed over her, and she was torn about what to do.

But remembering Ling Fei's dejected expression, her heart ached with sorrow.

'Isn't there a way to have the best of both worlds?' Shangguan Wan'Er's brow was tightly knitted. 'Couldn't we just leave the Southern Wilderness together after I become strong?'

In fact, she had been looking forward to this day ever since she first came to the Southern Wilderness.

When Ling Fei had insisted on learning Alchemy, she had been worried that it would prevent him from becoming a Martial Arts Powerhouse.

But Ling Fei had been insistent, so Shangguan Wan'Er said no more, respecting his choice.

She had also thought that as long as she was strong enough, it wouldn't matter much if Ling Fei was slightly weaker.

This had become her motivation to cultivate diligently.

But who would have thought it would come to this?

"Wan'Er, you're here!" Lost in thought, Shangguan Wan'Er had arrived at her own courtyard.

Before she could look up, a distinctly cold voice reached her ears.

The sudden voice made Shangguan Wan'Er's heart skip a beat.

Then, she looked up and saw her master, a woman as cold and beautiful as a drawn sword.

"Master!" Flustered, Shangguan Wan'Er hastily bowed in greeting.

You Ji's expression was indifferent. She glanced at Shangguan Wan'Er, gesturing that there was no need for such formalities.

But that indifferent expression of hers left Shangguan Wan'Er feeling unsettled.

This master of hers had always been cold and aloof, rarely seeking her out proactively.

For her master to appear here now, however, gave Shangguan Wan'Er a bad feeling.

"Master, what brings you here?" she asked quickly.

You Ji sighed inwardly at Shangguan Wan'Er's anxious state. She already knew where her disciple had been.

"I do have something to discuss with you," You Ji said after her internal sigh.

'Does Master know I went to see Ling Fei?' Shangguan Wan'Er's unease grew as she followed You Ji into the room.

As soon as they were inside, You Ji brought out a Supreme Treasure.

The object resembled a beast hide. Dao Patterns flowed across its surface, enveloping both her and Shangguan Wan'Er like a celestial canopy.

Seeing her master's grave demeanor, Shangguan Wan'Er's sense of foreboding intensified.

"You went to see Ling Fei of the Lingyun Sect?" You Ji asked, seated in the place of honor and looking down at Shangguan Wan'Er.

"Yes, Master. I did indeed go to see Ling Fei," Shangguan Wan'Er replied.

She knew such things could not be hidden.

That was why it had taken all her courage to make the decision to see him.

Now that her master was questioning her, Shangguan Wan'Er was filled with trepidation.

"Wan'Er, do you remember what you once told me your dream was?" You Ji's gaze sharpened as she asked with a touch of severity.

"Yes, Master. My dream is to become a Sword Dao powerhouse, so I can control my own destiny," Shangguan Wan'Er said, looking up.

"Good. It's good that you remember." You Ji nodded slightly. "You must remember that in this Martial Arts World, only the strong can control their own destiny. You have made achievements in the Sword Dao, but you are not yet a true powerhouse. Even I am not strong enough."

Shangguan Wan'Er looked up, listening intently.

She knew her master had something important to say.

"Now, an opportunity lies before you—one that will set you upon the path of a true Sword Dao powerhouse," You Ji said calmly.

"What opportunity?" Shangguan Wan'Er asked, looking up, but she felt no stir of happiness in her heart.

"The Sect Leader has issued a command. You are to find an opportunity to kill Ling Fei. In return, he will grant you the chance to comprehend the Beiming Kunpeng Sword. If you grasp a trace of its Mystical power, you will be bestowed with Kunpeng Blood. Then, you will be able to truly control the Divine Might contained within the Beiming Kunpeng Sword," You Ji said.

"What! Kill Ling Fei... for the Beiming Kunpeng Sword!" At these words, Shangguan Wan'Er felt as if she had been struck by lightning, and her body went limp.

She knew her master had a reason for coming, but she could never have imagined it would be to order her to kill Ling Fei.

For a moment, her mind went completely blank. Everything seemed to be spiraling out of her control.

She was now completely trapped.

It was a feeling of utter helplessness.

"Wan'Er, I know you and Ling Fei share a deep bond. Perhaps you even have feelings for him. But you are still young. Later, you will realize that these feelings are nothing but a youthful impulse. You must understand, this is a Martial Arts World where the strong devour the weak. The weak are no different from ants. The only true path is to become strong yourself."

You Ji continued, "This may be a difficult choice for you, but it is also a rare opportunity. With your talent, you will surely comprehend the Mystical principles of the Beiming Kunpeng Sword. Then, with the Kunpeng Blood, you can fully manifest the Divine Techniques of the Kunpeng Sword."

"This is a precious opportunity, one that even I was never granted. If you seize it, how could you ever worry about not controlling your own destiny in the future?" You Ji said.

In her mind, this was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Shangguan Wan'Er.

If she seized it, she could soar to the heavens, surpassing countless powerhouses.

At this moment, even she was tempted to kill Ling Fei on Shangguan Wan'Er's behalf.

"You want me to kill the man I love in exchange for this so-called 'path of the strong'? Heh. Is that what you call controlling my own destiny?" Shangguan Wan'Er shook her head and stared at her master, her voice laced with accusation.

At this moment, her heart was filled with a sense of being wronged, and of powerlessness.

'This is what it means to be weak. If I were strong enough, how could I be facing such a heart-wrenching choice?'

"It is because you are weak now that you must make a choice. Once you become a powerhouse, what choice will you need to make?" You Ji said with an indifferent expression.

"A powerhouse!" Shangguan Wan'Er shook her head. "Perhaps I could master the Mystical principles of the Kunpeng Sword and become a powerhouse in the Southern Wilderness. But the world is vast; there will always be someone stronger than me. What then? If someone stronger forces me to kill the people I love most, must I turn on them too for this so-called 'path of the strong'?"

Although she was proud, she understood that there was always a bigger fish in the sea.

The Dao is without limit.

In this world, who could claim to be invincible?

She could not bring herself to kill those she loved for some so-called path to power.

"I want no part of such a path to power," Shangguan Wan'Er declared.

At these words, You Ji sighed.

She understood this reasoning, of course.

But she truly did not want to see her disciple throw away her future for a man.

"Wan'Er, you must understand that Ling Fei is a sworn enemy of our Beiming Sword Sect. There can be no future for the two of you." You Ji's gaze lost some of its cold severity as she stared at Shangguan Wan'Er. "You are the genius of the Beiming Sword Sect. The Sect Leader is giving you this opportunity because he values you. But if you refuse, it will be an act of disloyalty. At that point, not only will you have no place left in the sect, I'm afraid you won't even be able to protect yourself!"

As a Guardian of the Beiming Sword Sect who had followed Beiming Transformation Sea for many years, she was all too aware of the Sect Leader's methods.

He was a powerful and decisive leader who would never tolerate disloyalty among his subordinates.

Therefore, if Shangguan Wan'Er did not kill Ling Fei, she would die.

"I won't even be able to protect myself?" Upon hearing this, Shangguan Wan'Er's brow furrowed slightly, her face etched with sorrow.

At this moment, she truly felt the helplessness of the weak.