Myriad Dragon Divine Sovereign

The night was as chilling as water. Beneath the dappled shadows of the trees, a few figures hurried past, leaving only a quiet stillness broken by the occasional chirp of an insect.

Gao Yuerou looked at Wen Qingye and smiled. ”We’ve reached the foot of South Mountain. You should head back. If Sister Xiangyang sees you, she’ll just cause more trouble for you.”

Wen Qingye laughed dismissively. ”She’s no match for me. What kind of trouble could she possibly cause?”

Gao Yuerou bit her lip and said, ”It’s better to avoid trouble when you can. You should go. I’ll come find you tomorrow morning.”

With that, Gao Yuerou turned and ran quickly toward South Mountain.

Wen Qingye watched until Gao Yuerou was completely out of sight before he slowly turned to leave.

”Wait!”

A voice suddenly called out from behind him. Wen Qingye turned to see Yann Xiangyang standing not far off, walking toward him with graceful steps.

Wen Qingye watched her approach, puzzled. ’What is she up to?’

Yann Xiangyang dispassionately took out a vial of First-Grade Pills and offered it to Wen Qingye. ”Thank you for holding back today. These are Rejuvenating Pills that I refined. Taking one will help with your injuries.”

”There’s no need. My injuries are almost healed,” Wen Qingye said, shaking his head as a cold glint flashed in his eyes. ”I wasn’t holding back. I only let it go because your sister’s name is Yann Chuxue. We’re even now. I never want to owe anyone anything.”

Yann Xiangyang was stunned. She hadn’t expected Wen Qingye to refuse her—let alone because of her sister. A surge of anger rose within her, and she threw the vial of Rejuvenating Pills to the ground. ”Fine, don’t take them! I have no use for them, so I might as well just throw them away!”

Wen Qingye hadn’t expected Yann Xiangyang to just throw away an entire vial of pills. He found it hard to understand, and his brow furrowed slightly.

Yann Xiangyang took a deep breath and said, ”Tomorrow is the semi-finals. I came to warn you. If you face Wei Qiutong, you still have a fighting chance. But if you’re up against Lang Feng or Guu Lei, you’d be better off surrendering early. Those two aren’t the merciful type. You’re the hotshot of the new students right now, and teaching a lesson to a freshman is something the older students especially love to do.”

Wen Qingye couldn’t help but laugh at her words. ’Be defeated? Maybe. But surrender? Wen Qingye would never.’

Of course, Wen Qingye wouldn’t say all this to Yann Xiangyang. He just looked at her, nodded, and said, ”Thanks for the reminder. I’ll keep it in mind.”

Yann Xiangyang nodded. ”After the Four Mountains Martial Arts Gathering, students from all the mountains will have a break. When it’s over, the Inner Courtyard assessment will be held. I was wondering if you’re interested in taking it, or if you’d rather stay in the Outer Courtyard for another year before trying.”

Wen Qingye pondered for a moment before asking, ”Is there a difference between the Inner and Outer Courtyards?”

Yann Xiangyang shot Wen Qingye a glance. ”A difference? Of course there’s a difference.”

Yann Xiangyang slowly explained, ”The Outer Courtyard is just the tip of the iceberg. Qig Mountain Academy’s vast resources are all centered around the Inner Courtyard. And it’s the Inner Courtyard that provides the Celestial Martial Country with a large number of experts every year. Let’s put it this way: only by entering the Inner Courtyard can you be considered to have truly entered Qig Mountain Academy.”

”The Inner Courtyard is filled with countless talented disciples. Generally, if an Outer Courtyard student fails to enter the Inner Courtyard after three years of study, they’re sent away. You can just imagine the strength of the students in there.”

”Hearing you put it like that, I’m actually getting interested,” Wen Qingye said with a smile.

Yann Xiangyang glanced at Wen Qingye and said coolly, ”Let’s hope you have the strength to actually get in.”

”You don’t need to worry about my strength. You should be more worried about yourself,” Wen Qingye replied, his tone just as cool.

With that said, Wen Qingye started walking toward North Mountain.

Hearing his words, Yann Xiangyang’s expression shifted. She stared at his retreating back, panting heavily.

Her face flushed red as she roared, ”Damn you, Wen Qingye! As if I care whether you join the Inner Courtyard! How dare you look down on my strength! One day, I’ll beat you so hard you’ll be looking for your teeth on the ground! No, I’ll make it so you can’t even find your teeth!”

...

Wen Qingye gazed at the moonlight. ’Was Yann Xiangyang testing me for Wen Tongyu’s sake?’ After thinking for a moment, he shook his head and chuckled.

When Wen Qingye returned, he found Little Yunshan sitting alone by the door, gazing at the stars.

”Brother Qingye, you’re back?” Little Yunshan said with a smile upon seeing him.

Wen Qingye walked to Yunshan’s side and patted his head. ”What’s wrong? Still thinking about your grandfather?”

Yunshan blinked. ”A little, but not as much as before.”

Wen Qingye smiled at that, then also looked up at the stars.

The sky was clear, and a sea of stars shone down, dazzling and brilliant.

Suddenly, Wen Qingye’s brow furrowed. Amidst the sea of stars, he sensed a grand momentum spreading. Faintly, it exuded an aura of slaughter, so potent it could seize one’s mind and shake their very soul.

Wen Qingye quickly looked closer, his brow furrowed.

’Judging by the position, that’s the Seven Mansions of the White Tiger. This part here is composed of sixteen relatively dim stars. It’s shaped like the sole of a shoe—thin in the middle with a pointed toe, like a torn-up old shoe... Sixteen stars making up a shoe... This must be Kui, one of the Mansions.’

In the star-filled sky, Kui, one of the Seven Mansions of the Western White Tiger, was twinkling with a faint red glow. Astrologically, this foretold the birth of a peerless treasure that would shake the world. Since the phenomenon was centered on the White Tiger Mansions, the treasure was likely a weapon forged for slaughter.

Wen Qingye studied the celestial signs carefully, pondering to himself. According to his calculations, the treasure wouldn’t manifest for another two or three years. The way this weapon would appear seemed quite peculiar, as if it were hidden within various Secret Lands.

Wen Qingye’s current strength was too low; he couldn’t possibly use a Divination Skill to investigate further. If he were to suffer a backlash from such a skill, the damage would surely be fatal. Countless people had perished miserably from that very backlash—they had grown arrogant, relying on their profound cultivation and mastery of divination to probe matters beyond their ken, or to seek the supreme mysteries of heaven and earth, only to be consumed in the end.

Although Wen Qingye didn’t know what kind of treasure it was, he firmly committed the news of its emergence to memory. A treasure capable of influencing celestial phenomena was definitely a world-shaking one—at least, in this world.

Yunshan looked curiously at Wen Qingye, who was staring motionlessly up at the sky. ”Brother Qingye, what are you looking at? You’re so absorbed.”

Wen Qingye smiled and said, ”I’m looking at the stars, watching their paths, seeing if their positions are any different.”

Yunshan nodded as if he only half-understood. ”Well, I don’t really get it. There are too many stars. It makes my eyes tired.”

Wen Qingye smiled and patted Yunshan’s cheek. ”Alright, it’s getting late. Go on back to bed. If Xiaxia finds you missing, she’ll get worried.”

Since coming here, aside from the first night, Yunshan had always stayed with Xiaxia.

”Okay! Brother Qingye, you should get some rest too.” Yunshan giggled, nodded, and then scampered back to his room on his little legs.

Wen Qingye took one last, deep look at the faint red glow above before turning and heading back into his room.