48 The Ugly, Scruffy Bird

On the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, Zhao Zun, accompanied by Han Lei and dozens of loyal guards, braved the bitter cold and, after twenty days of arduous travel, finally returned to the capital of the Great Jing Dynasty.

Standing outside the city, gazing up at the towering city gate before him, Zhao Zun felt a swell of complex emotions. Since his father, the former Duke of the Northern Province, had heroically fallen in battle, he had been stationed at the Northern Pass. Four or five years had passed since then, and every blade of grass, every brick and tile in the capital seemed both intimately familiar and yet strangely distant.

The Western Mountains were a sacred place in the Huaxia Kingdom, second only to the Forbidden Red Walls. No one was allowed special privileges there; except for those of a certain high rank, no one could bring their personal bodyguards inside.

Tang Yaotian recognized the flying sword immediately. Without hesitation, he unleashed his hand seal.

“No matter what you are, you’re doomed!” Jian Ba’s voice was filled with unwavering resolve—no one doubted his determination.

“Step aside, I’m going to help Wei Fei!” Shui Lan’s tone carried an unyielding authority.

Nian Liang responded with official rhetoric but had actually conferred with Hu Yuanshen. They sent people to the capital as well. Perhaps resolving the matter wouldn’t require extreme measures, but if someone brought ruin upon themselves, they could not be spared.

Lu Xiyu instantly realized that Huang Fuya knew he had become suspicious and even guessed he might investigate further.

After a brief chat, Mo Lan hurriedly left the laboratory and disappeared down the corridor. It was said the place for evaluation was on the top floor.

Li Xianning’s faint smile was comforting and reassuring. Now, to Tong Mai, Li Xianning seemed entirely free from the worries and unease he had displayed the first time they met.

Moreover, Wang Zhi was an instructor; no matter what title they took, chief instructor or otherwise, it was fitting, and all nodded in agreement.

---

Tang Yaotian furrowed his brow and responded with silence. His hands trembled violently; clearly, the Golden Bell Shield was faltering. Inside him, his qi and blood surged turbulently. Blood welled up in his throat but refused to spill out, the immense pressure inflicting severe internal damage.

Guo Yi felt somewhat embarrassed. Though known to be stingy, he hadn’t expected to be so miserly as to this extent.

With so many people, competition for monsters and equipment was inevitable, adding a certain excitement to the day’s activities.

“Heh heh… I’ve been thinking of her too. Tomorrow we depart for the Evil Break Sect,” Shangguan Lingyou said with a faint smile, a flicker of wicked charm in her eyes.

Liu Yunfei smiled happily, carefully preserving the note along with others, planning to surprise her when they were old, reminding her of their youth—the people, the events. These little notes were keys to their memories.

“How… could the mighty Iron Cavalry leader be afraid? Afraid that I would kill your beloved Juan’er? Ha ha… Lan Aoyi, you truly have guts,” Shangguan Lingyou said, her cold aura vanishing, replaced by a sweet smile.

But Zhao Yifei seemed utterly unconcerned by the question, politely opening the car door for Chicken Leg, who glanced at Guo Yi. Guo Yi nodded without hesitation, and Chicken Leg got in. Zhao Yifei started the vehicle as if nothing had happened.

Silver light streaked like a meteor chasing the moon. In an instant, the small fry swarming the three-armed monster were all effortlessly slain by it. The three seven-colored crystals were instantly absorbed by the monster, whose eyes then gleamed even brighter.

“I heard you’ve been inquiring about the World Affairs Sect these days? We’re curious—why exactly are you asking about them?” The armored soldier leading the group glared coldly at Nie Feng and his companions, his aura charged with vitality, poised to strike at any moment.

If the Frog Prince saw this bottle, he probably wouldn’t die in peace; naturally, the other princes would likely charge forward to seize it.

Time passed second by second. Nie Feng remained motionless like a statue. On the fifth day, he finally opened his eyes, which shone with a profound brilliance. Then, he summoned forth the Autumn Water Darkness once more.

Of course, by “today’s situation,” he didn’t mean his master-disciple ceremony—he wasn’t so arrogant. He referred to the Maoshan Sect’s triennial elite juvenile disciple gathering.

---

The Azure Emperor naturally did not believe it. But if not so, how else to explain Qin Yu’s arrival at the courtyard without anyone noticing?

Immediately, many of the forty soldiers grew worried. Each who had made it to the third level was extraordinary, yet more than half were still to perish! Except for a few like Xu Feiyue, most soldiers dared not claim they would survive.

Seeing Lin Yu’s demeanor, Qing Luan’s smile deepened. Huang Qiyun merely glanced at Lin Yu, knowing it was Qing Luan’s doing, and showed a faint, inexplicable smile.

The outcome of this contest was somewhat puzzling, but none of the elders spoke, and the disciples dared not comment rashly. Those with spiritual insight could discern the deeper meaning but chose to disdain speaking of it. Only one person was an exception.

The Fang family was also a super clan on that continent, with many offspring inevitably embroiled in various disputes.

At that moment, Xu Feiyue opened his eyes. As they snapped open, the void trembled violently, as if a divine king had awakened.

“The envoy of the Great Tang Dynasty? So what! Su Bai, if you want to fight, I’ll fight with you to the end!” Chen Yi declared resolutely, his tone commanding.

Just now, Liu Pengfei’s words carried two meanings: first, Wen Dongpeng insulted Wen Dongxu as a “waste”; second, Wen Dongpeng was Wen Dongxu’s younger brother.