Feng Yanran suddenly became mysterious, as if she wanted to test her cousin.
“The person you’re talking about, it wouldn’t be Ling Xiao, would it?” Feng Yinshan asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Ah!” Feng Yanran quickly covered her mouth, staring at her cousin in shock. She had gone to great lengths to learn that youth’s name, yet her cousin, here in the divine palace, already knew it.
“No need to be surprised,” Feng Yinshan said with a smile. “The Heavenly Dragon Continent is the closest to our Divine Phoenix Continent and has similar strength. For years, the Divine Phoenix Empire has wanted to expand into the Heavenly Dragon Continent. Though internal strife has delayed this, we’ve gathered plenty of information.”
“What else do you know about this Ling Xiao, Brother Yinshan?” Feng Yanran asked eagerly.
“He’s the chosen son of the Heavenly Dragon Continent. Rumour has it he killed both the Plague Demon King and the Ferocious Beast Demon King of the True Demon Empire, and not just sealed them, but truly killed them,” Feng Yinshan said calmly. “Also, at the finals of the Holy Dynasty Martial Arts Festival, Ling Xiao repelled the Yin-Yang Demon King and the Lightning Demon King with a single sword strike, preserving the Holy Dynasty’s bloodline.”
“That powerful? Is it just boasting, with his strength?” Feng Yanran could hardly believe it.
“It’s not boasting. These events were witnessed and are likely true,” Feng Yinshan said, shaking his head. “There’s something else that might shock you even more.”
“Something even more shocking?” Feng Yanran looked at her cousin, puzzled.
“Do you know whose son this Ling Xiao is?”
“What does his parentage have to do with us?” Feng Yanran lost interest.
As if expecting this, Feng Yinshan smiled faintly. “What if I told you he’s the son of Ji Fuling and Yu Xuanyue?”
“What!” Feng Yanran’s head snapped up, a mix of shock and delight in her eyes.
“Now you understand? Don’t provoke him again. Get along with him. It’ll do you no harm,” Feng Yinshan said with a smile.
“If I’d known this, I never would have crossed him. Who’d have thought Ling Xiao is their son? Those two are great benefactors to our Phoenix Clan,” Feng Yanran said with a bitter smile.
“Keep this to yourself. As for Feng Mingjun and Feng Mingyu, I’ll send someone to remind them,” Feng Yinshan said, his expression turning serious. “The atmosphere in the Divine Phoenix Empire feels odd lately. I sense something’s brewing. An extra variable like him might benefit us all.”
Feng Yanran said helplessly, “But Ling Xiao crippled Feng Mingyu’s martial skills. I’m afraid Feng Mingjun won’t let it go.”
“Don’t worry about that. As long as no one died, it’s not a deep grudge. Feng Mingyu has always been arrogant; this is a lesson for her, which will do her good.”
“Understood, Brother Yinshan!”
…
Ling Xiao, of course, was unaware of this conversation in the Fire Phoenix Palace.
Nor did he know he was the son of the renowned Yu Xuanyue and Ji Fuling.
Even if he did, he likely wouldn’t react much.
Over the past year, he had matured greatly, no longer the child who cried for his parents when wronged.
After entering the city, his group headed straight for the Divine Phoenix Academy.
They chose it over Qingxu Academy because Wu Xiang had studied there.
And the Feng Mingxiao that Wu Xiang told him to find might still be connected to the Divine Phoenix Academy.
The academy, second only to the Imperial Palace in grandeur, was imposing and majestic.
In front of it was a wide plaza where small groups of people chatted, their expressions a mix of excitement and nervousness.
They were likely here to enroll, just like Ling Xiao’s group.
The academy’s main gate featured massive bronze doors, over twenty meters wide when open, exuding grandeur.
The gates stood open.
Beside them was a huge stone tablet inscribed with four bold characters: “Divine Phoenix Academy.”
These characters, domineering and unmatched, were said to be written by the empire’s first emperor, radiating an aura of supreme confidence.
“Brother Ling, I’m a bit scared,” Zhao Ci said, trembling under the immense soul pressure from the tablet, her cultivation being the weakest.
“Don’t be afraid. The worst that can happen is we don’t get into the Divine Phoenix Academy,” Ling Xiao said, comforting her with a smile. He enveloped her with his soul force, shielding her from the tablet’s overpowering aura, which eased her discomfort.
In the plaza, several martial artists in Divine Phoenix Academy uniforms sat at stone tables, conducting simple tests for aspiring students.
The academy’s gates weren’t easy to pass through; otherwise, it would be overcrowded.
Tests were divided into two types.
Those without recommendation letters faced very high requirements.
Those with recommendation or introduction letters faced much lower standards, a form of exceptional admission, which others couldn’t complain about.
Ling Xiao’s group had no recommendation letters, so they faced stricter standards. Still, Ling Xiao believed they could all get into the academy.
Provided the tests were fair.
Those who passed could register their names and details, receive a student badge, and officially join the Divine Phoenix Academy.
But entry was just the start. Both the Divine Phoenix and Qingxu Academies held annual assessments, and underperformers were expelled to make room for better martial artists.
“Screech!”
Suddenly, a cry echoed from the sky.
A fiery red phoenix bird appeared.
Rumoured to be a close relative of the phoenix but unable to take human form, these birds were typically used as mounts.
They were extremely expensive, unattainable without enough spirit stones.
The majestic phoenix bird landed in the plaza, and a girl leapt off—Feng Mingyu, whose cultivation Ling Xiao had previously crippled.
To Ling Xiao’s surprise, her cultivation was not only fully restored but even more refined.
“Interesting. The Divine Phoenix Continent truly has many experts to restore Feng Mingyu’s cultivation so completely,” Ling Xiao murmured.
“It’s not their skill. You went easy on her. If you’d destroyed her martial veins, even the greatest immortals couldn’t have done this,” Ji Mingkong said coldly.
“Once it becomes a blood feud, there’s no resolving it,” Ling Xiao said. He had his reasons for not striking too hard; he didn’t want to create a deadly enemy so soon.
