Divine Wilderness Dragon Emperor

’So I can’t even protect myself?’ Shangguan Wan’Er’s mind went blank.

Shangguan Wan’Er had thought herself a genius in the Beiming Sword Sect, with few who could compare.

Because of this, she assumed the Beiming Sword Sect wouldn’t make things difficult for her.

But in the blink of an eye, the Beiming Sword Sect had presented her with such an ultimatum.

"As your master, I wish I could protect you, but you know that if the Sect Leader is insistent, there’s nothing I can do," You Ji said.

"You are indeed a genius, but a Sect demands absolute loyalty from its talented disciples. Since your heart isn’t with the Sect, why would they tolerate you?"

As Shangguan Wan’Er listened, she gradually began to understand.

"Is this really the only way?" Shangguan Wan’Er murmured under her breath.

"Correct. Either he dies, or you do," You Ji said. "You’d better think this through carefully."

"What if I don’t kill Ling Fei?" Shangguan Wan’Er said.

You Ji’s brow furrowed slightly. "Alright, I’ll give you a few days to consider it," she said.

Then, she left. She knew it wasn’t the right time to pressure Shangguan Wan’Er; doing so would only be counterproductive.

Watching her master’s retreating figure, Shangguan Wan’Er finally collapsed into a chair.

She looked completely crestfallen, and the former light in her clear, sword-like eyes had vanished.

’Perhaps Ling Fei was right. Seizing the present is what’s most important. Who can say what the future holds?’ Shangguan Wan’Er murmured softly.

She was filled with immense regret.

If she had known this would happen, she would have agreed to go with Ling Fei to the Lingyun Sect without a moment’s hesitation.

But now, it seemed too late for everything.

If she betrayed the Beiming Sword Sect now, would they simply let her go?

’What should I do?’ Shangguan Wan’Er took a deep breath, realizing she was completely incapable of handling this.

She once again felt a profound sense of powerlessness, even more helpless than when she was in the Great Tang Empire.

In the Great Tang Empire, the Celestial Emperor had recognized her extraordinary talent and hadn’t made things difficult for her.

But here in the Beiming Sword Sect, the Sect Leader was cold and ruthless. He couldn’t care less about Shangguan Wan’Er’s supposed talent.

There was no shortage of geniuses in the Southern Wilderness.

What the Beiming Sword Sect needed were obedient geniuses.

’Is my life really going to end like this?’ Shangguan Wan’Er whispered as tears streamed from her eyes.

A cool night in the ancient city.

Tears stained a lovely face.

Who could know the beauty’s heart, filled with nothing but bitterness and tears!

’How pathetic... how tragic... If I have a next life, I, Shangguan Wan’Er, will become a peerless expert! No one will ever rule my destiny again!’ she roared internally. But after the thought passed, all that remained was helplessness. ’I can’t even live this life well, so what good would a next one be?’

’No matter what, I will never assassinate Ling Fei. I, Shangguan Wan’Er, am devoted to the sword. My heart is like my blade—how could I harm the man I love for the sake of some so-called future? It’s just a shame... we have to end before we’ve even truly begun.’ As she murmured, tears streamed unknowingly from her eyes.

...

In North Spirit Ancient City, members of the major sects continued to arrive, making the city increasingly lively.

Ling Fei hadn’t gone out for the past few days.

Shangguan Wan’Er’s visit had left his mind in turmoil.

However, after several days of contemplation, he had come to a realization.

He had been too impulsive, asking Shangguan Wan’Er to give up everything she had to join the Lingyun Sect.

It was natural that she would find it difficult to agree right away.

After all, Shangguan Wan’Er had her own ambitions.

’I hope she’ll come around.’ Ling Fei still held out some hope.

’The competition starts tomorrow, but it’ll be hard to communicate with Wan’Er.’ As this hope surfaced, Ling Fei’s brow furrowed slightly.

They were in different factions, making face-to-face communication extremely difficult.

As for sending messages with his Waist Token, it could easily be discovered by her Sect, which would only put Wan’Er in danger.

...

The next morning, Ling Fei rose early.

When he pushed open the door, many disciples from the Lingyun Sect were already waiting outside.

Ling Fei’s mood was visibly heavier than it had been in the past few days.

"Junior Brother Ling, don’t overthink it. Just let things take their course. Once you become a Pill King, you’ll be a pivotal figure in the Southern Wilderness. At that point, I’m afraid even the Beiming Sword Sect will have to bow to you." Yuan Chong comforted him upon seeing his solemn mood. Although Ling Fei hadn’t said anything, Yuan Chong could guess what was troubling him.

"Right." Ling Fei took a deep breath and nodded. At this point, that was his only option.

"Heh, today is the competition! It’s a great day for you to showcase your supreme talents. Don’t worry about all that other stuff," Yuan Chong said, his face full of anticipation.

Ling Fei nodded and followed Yuan Chong forward.

Lian Shuang and Fang Yuan followed closely behind.

However, they deliberately kept their distance.

"Ling the Pill Master seems to be in a bad mood these past few days!" Fang Yuan whispered. "Did he have a falling out with that woman in white?"

She looked towards Lian Shuang.

But Lian Shuang remained silent, merely casting a faint glance at Ling Fei, her expression showing no significant emotional change.

"If I had your talent and peerless beauty, Senior Sister Lian Shuang, I’d definitely go after Ling the Pill Master," Fang Yuan said, blinking with a look of regret.

...

In the villa’s training grounds, Sect Leader Yuan, Grand Alchemist Yuan Chun, Elder He, Peak Master Zheng, Elder Zhao, and the others had been waiting for a long time.

They were also full of expectations for this competition.

In past competitions between the Southern Wilderness sects, the Lingyun Sect had only ever managed to dominate in the Alchemy Dao.

At times, even that crown of the Alchemy Dao was snatched away by disciples from other sects.

This had caused the Lingyun Sect’s prestige in the Southern Wilderness to plummet.

But this time was different. They not only had Lian Shuang, a prodigy of the Sword Dao, but also Ling Fei, a genius of the Alchemy Dao.

This time, the Lingyun Sect had a chance to achieve great results in both the Alchemy and Martial competitions.

This was a chance for the Lingyun Sect to finally hold its head high.

Geniuses were continuously gathering in the training grounds.

When they saw Ling Fei striding over, several of the Elders couldn’t help but frown.

"Judging by his expression, it seems Ling Fei has truly fallen for that girl from the Beiming Sword Sect," Grand Alchemist Yuan Chun murmured with a slight frown.

"This is indeed a troublesome matter," the adjacent Peak Master Zheng agreed, also frowning.

If Ling Fei lost his spirit over this, it would be a great tragedy.

"Let him resolve these matters himself," Sect Leader Yuan said. "Life is long, with all sorts of hurdles to overcome. Though love has brought countless heroes to their knees, as Cultivators, we must temper ourselves and pass through every trial to reach the end. All we can do is offer the occasional reminder."

"Mm." The others nodded, thinking no more of it.

Soon, Ling Fei and the others gathered in the training ground.

"Everyone, today is the day of the competition for the young disciples of the Southern Wilderness sects! Today will be the Alchemy Dao competition. I expect all of you Alchemists to perform well and bring glory to our Lingyun Sect!" With five hundred disciples gathered, Sect Leader Yuan’s gaze sharpened as he spoke in a deep voice from the central stage.

"We will not disappoint the Sect Leader’s expectations!" the disciples of the Medicine Vein shouted in unison.

Yuan Chong’s face was also alight with passion.

Although he wasn’t confident he could make it into the top ten, he would never admit defeat.

’This time, I’ll show the world that I, Ling Fei, can become an Alchemy Master.’ Ling Fei’s eyes glinted with determination as he clenched his fists.

The Elders from the various sects had been very polite to him.

In fact, on their very first day in North Spirit Ancient City, many had brought their disciples to pay him a visit.

But Ling Fei knew this was only because those Elders were still unconvinced.

To earn their genuine respect, he would have to show them his true abilities.

Seeing the determination in Ling Fei’s eyes, the Lingyun Sect Elders breathed a sigh of relief.

As long as Ling Fei didn’t run into any trouble, the Lingyun Sect should be able to take first place in the Alchemy Dao competition.

"Then, follow me to meet with the other sects." Sect Leader Yuan waved his hand. An animal hide appeared, transforming into a flying carpet and whisking them all into the air.

Then, Sect Leader Yuan led them toward the center of North Spirit Ancient City, to a structure that shot into the heavens like a sharp sword: the North Spirit Platform.

The North Spirit Platform was incredibly high, seeming to sit above the very clouds.

Cultivators from the various sects were now flying toward this location.

There was the Beiming Sword Sect, the Great Sun Thunder Sound Temple, the Valley of Ten Thousand Flowers, the Lingyun Sect, the North Sea Sect, Thousand Lakes Mountain, Wind Watching Cliff, the Dongze Sect...

Counting them all, there were as many as twenty-one sects, large and small.

Upon arriving at the North Spirit Platform, everyone was completely awestruck.

There was little mist on the platform itself; instead, the sky above was clear for miles.

But looking down revealed a spectacular sea of clouds below, proving they were truly above the heavens.

The North Spirit Platform was vast.

In the center, there were several competition stages.

Facing the competition stages were rows of viewing stands.

Pavilions were built upon the stands, where the Elders could enjoy wine as they watched.

The ordinary disciples could watch from the sides.

Additionally, an Ancient Stele soared into the sky, its surface carved with ancient Inscription Patterns.

Upon arriving, the members of each Sect made their way toward the viewing stands.

The very central position belonged to the Beiming Sword Sect, followed by the Lingyun Sect.

The Great Sun Thunder Sound Temple and the Valley of Ten Thousand Flowers were on the left and right respectively.

The North Sea Sect and the other sects were arranged in order thereafter.

This was also a display of a Sect’s power; the weaker the Sect, the further to the periphery its stand was located.

The members of the major sects landed on their respective stands.

Disciples from the various sects began sizing each other up.

Ling Fei’s gaze shifted and naturally locked onto Shangguan Wan’Er in her white robes.

Shangguan Wan’Er’s eyes flickered, and she too looked toward Ling Fei, her gaze filled with nothing but helplessness and regret.

If only she had known. She should have made her decision decisively that day.

But now, she was trapped, with no good way forward or back.

"So that’s Ling Fei!" Many of the young disciples from the Beiming Sword Sect shot cold, sharp glares at him.

The geniuses of the Beiming Sword Sect had gathered, and every one of them looked at him with cold disdain.

Among them, a man in brocade robes was surrounded by geniuses like Beichen Feng, giving him an air of superior status.

"Ling Fei? He’s the one they say has a shot at becoming the Pill King?" The young man’s lips curled into a faint smile as he chuckled.

When he glanced at Ling Fei, his eyes were filled with utter indifference.

It was as if he didn’t even see Ling Fei as a threat.

"That’s Ling Fei. But a character like him is nothing more than a dancing clown in front of you, Senior Brother Zitao," Beichen Feng said with a laugh.

His smile was laced with a hint of sycophancy.

The other young geniuses beside him all offered fawning smiles; only Shangguan Wan’Er and one other youth looked on with disdain.

"This is just the pathetic Southern Wilderness. He gets some old fool’s inheritance and suddenly everyone thinks he’s invincible? He even wants to be the king of the Alchemy Dao? What a joke. Today, I’ll show these idiots what true Alchemy Technique looks like," the man said with an arrogant expression.

It seemed he held no regard for the Pill Kings of the Southern Wilderness.

Let alone Ling Fei, who had merely obtained an inheritance.