Long Chen and Feng Qingyan, the vice dean of Qingxu Academy, headed to the secret realm.
Lingxiao, meanwhile, led the others to the Tianyuan Treasure Pagoda.
Not only his few friends, but also the many disciples who had not visited the Tianyuan Treasure Pagoda for half a year.
These people addressed him as senior brother, so he always felt he should do what a senior brother ought to do.
Anyway, he had already offended the Emperor, so causing a bit more commotion would not matter.
Upon arriving at the Tianyuan Treasure Pagoda, Lingxiao discovered that every level was guarded by warriors from the Divine Phoenix Academy. It could be said that they had completely treated this place as their own private training ground.
However, to him, these guards meant nothing.
He led his group straight forward, starting from the first level and clearing upwards.
Since the other side had violated the rules and no one intervened, he naturally could violate them too.
“From today onwards, the Tianyuan Treasure Pagoda belongs to Qingxu Academy for the next six months. No one else may enter, especially those from the Divine Phoenix Academy.”
After clearing the first level, Lingxiao declared loudly, “If you know what’s good for you, get out quickly. Don’t make me take action.”
“You with the surname Ling, aren’t you being too overbearing? Your Qingxu Academy has so few disciples. How can you possibly occupy the Tianyuan Treasure Pagoda?”
Someone from the Divine Phoenix Academy was unconvinced.
“I’m overbearing? When you monopolised this place and prevented Qingxu Academy disciples from cultivating, why didn’t you think about how overbearing you were? Now you’re wasting words with me. Get lost!”
With that, he merely waved his hand lightly, and that person was directly flung out of the pagoda.
Afterwards, Lingxiao continued clearing the Tianyuan Treasure Pagoda. He did not leave guards on each level, simply arranging suitable Qingxu Academy disciples to enter and cultivate.
Then, at the entrance, he set up a formation.
This formation could only be broken by someone whose technique or strength surpassed his own.
Otherwise, they could only fret helplessly with no solution.
He was not greedy.
The Divine Phoenix Academy had occupied this place for half a year, so his formation lasting six months was sufficient.
The disciples of Qingxu Academy looked at Lingxiao with utter worship, as if gazing upon a god. Even the academy’s teachers did not command such reverence.
He was simply too formidable.
From bottom to top, the number of people following behind Lingxiao grew fewer, because on each level, some were assigned to enter and cultivate.
As for those from the Divine Phoenix Academy, most were quite obedient and left willingly. The disobedient ones received no mercy from Lingxiao. He broke their legs and cut off their ears.
If they could not understand human speech and refused to walk away, what use were legs and ears?
Do not think his actions cruel.
The people from the Divine Phoenix Academy had done the same things to Qingxu Academy disciples more than once.
It was precisely because of their domineering and tyrannical behaviour that many Qingxu Academy disciples had no choice but to leave and join the Divine Phoenix Academy.
Returning their own medicine to them!
Lingxiao saw nothing wrong with it.
He was no saint. He had no excess pity or sympathy to dispense.
“Lingxiao, you are arrogant!”
Suddenly, a thunderous roar echoed from the sky, startling Lan Yuer, Leng Mei, Ying Wuya, and Feng Minglian who were following behind Lingxiao.
“This is the aura of advancing to the Cave Heaven Realm. Moreover, this fellow actually crossed two realms at once, advancing directly from the breakthrough phase of the Half-Step Cave Heaven Realm to the Second Cave Heaven Realm?”
Feng Yanran said in shock.
Although she had not advanced herself, she was very familiar with the aura of each cultivation stage. After all, born into an imperial family, she had read many books.
“You know this person?”
Lingxiao asked.
“Of course I know him. This guy is Shangguan Hong. He joined Qingxu Academy half a year ago. The academy treated him extremely well, yet he poached several disciples to leave with him and join the Divine Phoenix Academy.”
Feng Yanran said angrily.
“Why didn’t the Qingxu Academy side deal with these people?”
Lingxiao frowned.
“It’s not that they wouldn’t deal with them, but they couldn’t. According to academy rules, students are free to leave the academy midway and seek studies elsewhere.”
Feng Yanran smiled bitterly. “You should know this.”
“I almost forgot. An academy is different from a sect.”
Lingxiao sighed. “But why does this fellow seem to hold a grudge against me? He comes looking for trouble right after breaking through?”
“That, I don’t know.”
Feng Yanran shook her head.
“Let’s go and see the situation together. That should be the very top level of the Tianyuan Treasure Pagoda, right? We haven’t cleared it yet.”
Lingxiao smiled faintly.
Although the academy had no rule forbidding students from withdrawing midway to join a rival sect, in Lingxiao’s eyes, such people were traitors.
Though not to the extent that they must be eliminated, such behaviour was still rather shameful.
Therefore, he had no good impression of this Shangguan Hong.
The Second Cave Heaven Realm was stronger than Tian Penghuangzi, though not as powerful as the Sword Demon who had provoked him that day in the Tianchao Divine Capital. Still, he was quite formidable.
The group ascended the stairs and arrived at the highest level.
At this time, quite a few people had already gathered here, but all were disciples of the Divine Phoenix Academy.
At the open stone gate stood a man dressed in seven-coloured radiant robes, extravagantly flashy.
A gust of wind blew past, causing his sleeves to flutter and his robe to billow, giving him somewhat the air of a hero.
An arrogant smile spread across his face as his gaze turned towards Lingxiao’s group.
Powerful aura swirled around his body. A pure domain essence symbolised that he had indeed entered the Cave Heaven Realm.
“This Shangguan Hong truly lives up to being a genius. In less than half a year, he advanced from the mature phase of the Half-Step Cave Heaven Realm to the Cave Heaven Realm, and directly skipped one level to reach the Second Cave Heaven Realm!”
The surrounding crowd marvelled in admiration.
“That’s obvious, isn’t it? Otherwise, why would our Divine Phoenix Academy accept such a person as a disciple?”
Clearly, these onlookers from the Divine Phoenix Academy were extremely excited. Every time a Cave Heaven Realm warrior emerged in the Divine Phoenix Academy, it was their pride.
Originally, among the younger generation capable of advancing to the Cave Heaven Realm, apart from the Ten Phoenix Sons, there were no others.
However, with the Dragon Phoenix Selection approaching, in the past six months, the Divine Phoenix Academy had recruited many young talents with exceptional gifts.
Shangguan Hong was evidently one of them.
“It seems that a glorious generation belonging to the Divine Phoenix Empire has finally emerged.”
The crowd was immensely exhilarated.
“I reckon Ji Mingxing will break through soon too. That way, with the Ten Phoenix Sons plus those other hidden genius Cave Heaven Realm warriors, this Dragon Phoenix Selection will definitely be very lively.”
These warriors cultivating at the very top of the Tianyuan Treasure Pagoda usually stayed for several months, some even one or two years.
Therefore, they did not know that Ji Mingxing had already been killed.
Nor that Tian Penghuangzi Peng Yue had been slain.
They were even unaware that Peacock Phoenix Son Kong He had been crippled.
In their minds, the Ten Phoenix Sons remained intact, and Ji Mingxing, who had arrived in the Divine Phoenix Imperial Capital half a year ago, under the Emperor’s vigorous cultivation, should be close to breaking through.
This was definitely an era of dazzling talents.
An era teeming with heroes.
