Divine Wilderness Dragon Emperor

"Why is there a wisp of black qi in this Demon Pill?" Ling Fei’s brow furrowed slightly as he took out the Demon Pill.

The Pill Essence within the Demon Pill was immense, yet it was wreathed in wisps of black qi, much to Ling Fei’s astonishment.

This black qi was remarkably similar to what had lingered in his flesh and bones when he was young.

In his youth, Ling Fei hadn’t known what was wrong with his body.

Later, when his Spiritual Sense first awakened, he discovered an energy latched onto his body, corroding his life force. He knew he could only recover by forcing it out.

Now a Half-step Nascent Soul Realm powerhouse, Ling Fei immediately sensed that the aura within the Demon Pill and the black qi from his own body years ago seemed to share the same source. This sparked a suspicion in his heart, as it might be directly related to his adoptive father’s enemies.

"Unfortunately, my adoptive father never told me the full story behind this black aura." Ling Fei sighed softly.

He had wanted to ask for more details.

But his adoptive father had told him not to concern himself with such matters; he would have to wait until he was powerful enough.

"This Demon Pill contains this black Essence Qi. If I don’t purge it, consuming it rashly will only harm me," Ling Fei murmured.

This Demon Pill wasn’t of much value to him.

Although he had control of the Dragon Bone and could purge the Evil Demon Qi, it would still take time. He would be better off just absorbing Heaven and Earth Spirit Essence directly.

In a crucial moment, time is life itself!

Shaking his head, Ling Fei pressed onward.

’There’s a large mountain ahead with a nearby river called the North Spirit River. To enter the core region of the North Spirit Ancient Land, I have to pass through there. I’ll go there and wait for Wan’Er.’ Ling Fei’s gaze sharpened. After locking onto a direction, he continued onward, slaying many Demon Beasts along the way.

Ahead, beneath a tall mountain, a great river flowed, its banks covered in lush, fragrant grass.

But when Ling Fei arrived, his brow furrowed.

A woman was there, battling a pack of Demon Beasts.

’Senior Sister Lian Shuang!’ Ling Fei’s brows knitted. He quickly mounted his Flying Boat and sped toward her.

As he drew closer, he could see Lian Shuang being attacked by a group of Demon Beasts resembling Ancient Crocodiles, their bodies covered in Scale Armor and sporting twin wings.

They were a pack of mutated Ancient Crocodiles.

These Demon Beasts had massive wings that allowed them to fly, and their Scale Armor was incredibly tough, making them difficult to kill with a single sword strike.

If not for Lian Shuang’s considerable strength, she would have been injured long ago.

Even so, she was currently surrounded and pinned down.

’Forty-six Ancient Crocodiles in total, and eight of them have even reached the Half-step Nascent Soul Realm.’ Sweeping his Heart Spirit across them, Ling Fei gauged the Ancient Crocodiles’ strength. Although the eight were only at the Half-step Nascent Soul Realm, their defenses far surpassed those of Cultivators at the same level.

SWISH!

Standing on his Flying Boat, Ling Fei brandished his Long Sword. Beams of sword light shot out like arrows, slashing toward the Ancient Crocodiles.

BANG! BANG!

Seven Ancient Crocodiles were instantly sent flying, but the blows were not fatal.

’Their defense is truly formidable. Without my full power, I can’t kill them in a single strike.’ Seeing this, Ling Fei revealed a trace of surprise.

Just then, the Ancient Crocodiles noticed Ling Fei. A dozen of them immediately beat their wings and swept their massive tails toward him.

These Ancient Crocodiles were also wreathed in the same black aura.

Ling Fei was slightly taken aback by this.

’Why do so many of the Demon Beasts in the North Spirit Ruins carry this evil aura?’ Filled with suspicion, Ling Fei attacked again.

This time, however, he went all out. He poured his will into the sword, infusing it with Dragon Qi. When he struck, the Sword Qi threatened to shatter the Void.

BANG!

With a single strike, the Sword Qi pierced through the heads of the Ancient Crocodiles, one after another.

With Ling Fei’s help, the pressure on Lian Shuang eased considerably.

"Junior Brother Ling." A Sword Lotus spun around Lian Shuang, shielding her. As she dealt with the Ancient Crocodiles, her gaze shifted to Ling Fei.

"I didn’t expect you to get here even faster than me, Senior Sister Lian Shuang," Ling Fei said with a smile as he charged into the pack of Ancient Crocodiles.

"I was just teleported nearby by an Array," Lian Shuang said with a faint smile, continuing to slay the Ancient Crocodiles with her sword.

In just a few moments, all forty-six Ancient Crocodiles had been slain.

Demonic blood stained the riverbank red!

Sheathing her Long Sword, Lian Shuang turned her gaze to Ling Fei, a complex emotion surfacing in her eyes.

But she remained silent for a long time, as if she had something to say but didn’t know how to begin.

WHOOSH!

Just then, a light flashed in the distant Void. A streak of light shot across the sky—it was a Flying Boat approaching at extreme speed.

At the same time, Ling Fei’s Waist Token began to hum, causing his Heart Spirit to stir.

’It’s Wan’Er!’ Ling Fei’s Heart Spirit stirred. He focused it on his Waist Token and sensed a message from Shangguan Wan’Er.

He also sent his Heart Spirit probing forward.

There, the Flying Boat grew clearer and clearer, finally appearing before Ling Fei’s eyes.

WHOOSH!

With a flash of light, the Flying Boat was recalled by Shangguan Wan’Er. Then, the young woman in white, her expression cool and aloof, drifted down from the sky.

Shangguan Wan’Er’s white robes fluttered, her aura transcendent. Her clear eyes shifted, her gaze sweeping past Ling Fei to land directly on Lian Shuang beside him.

Upon seeing Lian Shuang, her brow furrowed slightly, a hint of displeasure in her expression.

However, after taking a deep breath, her expression relaxed as she tucked away her displeasure.

’This woman is indeed more outstanding than I am. It wouldn’t be a bad thing if Ling Fei ended up with her.’

As Shangguan Wan’Er thought this to herself, she gracefully landed on the ground.

"Ling Fei!" The moment she landed, Shangguan Wan’Er walked toward him.

"Wan’Er!" Ling Fei’s heart filled with joy as he watched her approach.

The woman before him had black hair that cascaded down like a waterfall. Her stunning face held a hint of a smile, no longer as cold and aloof as it once was.

Seeing her like this, Ling Fei couldn’t help but take a deep breath, vowing to himself, ’From now on, I will always keep a smile on Wan’Er’s face.’

He knew that in the past, Wan’Er had been cold, proud, and seemingly unapproachable because she carried too much pressure in her heart.

She had wanted to change her own destiny.

But changing one’s destiny is easier said than done.

It required far more effort than an ordinary person could imagine.

And she had to bear it all alone, in silence. How many could possibly know of the suffering she endured?

"I’ve finally found you again." Ling Fei’s heart pounded with excitement as he took Shangguan Wan’er’s delicate hand.

Now, he could finally discuss with Shangguan Wan’Er the matter of her joining the Lingyun Sect.

Shangguan Wan’Er was also overjoyed to be reunited with Ling Fei. In her current state, she cherished this remaining time with him all the more.

However, upon noticing Lian Shuang standing nearby, she felt a bit awkward and withdrew her delicate hand.

"Wan’Er, this is Lian Shuang, my senior sister from the Lingyun Sect." Seeing this, Ling Fei quickly made the introductions. "Senior Sister Lian Shuang, this is Shangguan Wan’Er. We came to the Southern Wilderness together from the Great Tang Empire’s Celestial River Academy. Haha, you two have sparred before, so you’re already acquainted."

"Miss Wan’Er is coolly beautiful and her Swordsmanship is transcendent. A rare prodigy indeed, and a perfect match for Junior Brother Ling," Lian Shuang said with a faint smile. Yet when she looked at Shangguan Wan’Er, her eyes remained indifferent, as did her tone.

"Haha, Senior Sister Lian Shuang’s Swordsmanship is unrivaled and truly admirable. If my own Swordsmanship weren’t so clumsy, I would have to ask you for more pointers," Shangguan Wan’Er replied with a smile.

But no matter how he heard it, Ling Fei could sense an inexplicable hostility in both of their tones.