Divine Wilderness Dragon Emperor

Chapter 24: Chapter 24: The Collapse of Dragon Pool Mountain

Ling Fei was ecstatic when he discovered his spine was no longer devouring his Cold Chi True Qi.

He continued to circulate his Cultivation Technique, drawing in Cold Chi Dragon Qi to temper his Blood Qi.

Now, Ling Fei’s cultivation speed had increased tenfold.

The amount of Cold Chi True Qi in his body grew bit by bit.

The Cold Chi Dragon Qi in the Dragon Pool, however, was constantly diminishing.

In fact, the entire Dragon Pool Mountain was even becoming less cold due to the decrease in Cold Chi Dragon Qi.

However, Ling Fei was unaware of any of this. All he knew was to frantically cultivate, and cultivate!

As dusk approached, the Cold Chi True Qi within Ling Fei’s body grew more and more abundant.

Now, his Cold Chi True Qi had already formed a minor circulation within his blood vessels.

Although the Cold Chi True Qi was still just a trickle, it could now complete a full cycle.

After all, the True Qi in his blood vessels had previously been nothing more than a tiny wisp!

’Ninth Layer of Body Tempering, Mid Stage!’ Ling Fei’s eyes lit up as the True Qi in his body completed a minor circulation.

However, the Cold Chi Dragon Qi here had become very scarce.

Ling Fei’s cultivation speed dropped accordingly.

’It’s getting late. I should head back.’ After a glance around, Ling Fei stood up.

Ling Fei leaped skillfully out of the Dragon Pool and left Dragon Pool Valley.

He hadn’t gone far before Huang Xiaoman appeared.

”Are you alright?” Huang Xiaoman’s expression was a little grave. She looked Ling Fei up and down, her face filled with worry.

”What could happen to me?” Ling Fei looked surprised.

”Just now, dragon roars shook the sky in Dragon Pool Valley, and a storm was brewing. You didn’t notice?” Seeing his expression, Huang Xiaoman arched a delicate eyebrow.

’Could he really not know?’

She was filled with suspicion.

”Dragon roars shook the sky?” Ling Fei’s brow furrowed, but he thought to himself, ’Could it be the disturbance I caused while cultivating?’

”Alright, as long as you’re okay.” Seeing Ling Fei’s pensive look, Huang Xiaoman didn’t press the matter.

After all, everyone has their secrets.

’When did this wild girl learn to care about people?’ Ling Fei looked surprised.

After all, two years ago, every time Huang Xiaoman sought him out, it was just to pick a fight!

He’d never seen her be this considerate before.

”So, how is it? You look even better today than yesterday. Did you make some progress in your cultivation? If there’s anything you don’t understand about using True Qi, you can ask your big sister, you know!” Huang Xiaoman said, raising an eyebrow in a big-sisterly tone as they walked side-by-side.

...

The next day, Ling Fei headed for Dragon Pool Valley early in the morning.

However, he ran into Huang Xiaoman at the town entrance.

”The Academy sent an Inspection Envoy to investigate the deaths of Qin Gang and Qin Ming,” Huang Xiaoman informed him.

”Oh?” Upon hearing this, Ling Fei’s brow furrowed. This was exactly what he had been worried about.

Although his adoptive father didn’t fear the Divine Guards, Ling Fei still wanted to make a name for himself in the Divine Academy and use that as a chance to enter the vast Martial Arts World.

Only then could he help his adoptive father heal his injuries.

”The Inspection Envoy will probably arrive in Longtan Town in the next few days,” Huang Xiaoman said with a raised eyebrow. ”But don’t you worry. I believe the Inspection Envoy will handle things impartially. Besides, you have a Cold Essence Spirit Body. I’m sure the Academy will take that into consideration. I’ll explain your situation to the envoy when the time comes.”

”Yeah. You don’t need to worry too much either. I’ve made it through all these years; you think a little hurdle like this will stop me?” Ling Fei smiled, then headed toward Dragon Pool Valley.

For the next three days, Ling Fei cultivated in the Dragon Pool.

This cultivation made the Cold Chi True Qi in his body grow increasingly dense.

But he also clearly noticed that the Cold Qi within the Dragon Pool was gradually weakening.

Even the Cold Chi Dragon Qi he drew in was becoming thinner and thinner.

By today, he could no longer draw in any Cold Chi Dragon Qi at all.

The remaining Cold Qi, though still intensely cold, lacked the wild, tyrannical power of the Cold Chi Dragon Qi, making it difficult to generate any more Cold Chi True Qi.

’No more Dragon Qi?’ This made Ling Fei’s brow furrow. ’Looks like I’ll have to find another Cultivation Land that contains Dragon Qi in the future.’

He had to have Dragon Qi to practice the True Dragon Body Refining Technique.

’My spine?’ Suddenly, a ripple spread from Ling Fei’s spine.

The ordinary Cold Qi was first drawn into his spine.

Then, after a cycle, an energy began to emanate from it.

This Cold Qi was drawn into Ling Fei’s body under the guidance of the True Dragon Body Refining Technique.

WHOOSH!

This Cold Qi was as wild and tyrannical as a dragon, incredibly domineering—just like the Cold Chi Dragon Qi.

’My spine can transform ordinary Cold Qi into Cold Chi Dragon Qi?’ Ling Fei was delighted.

He had originally thought he would have to find another source of Dragon Qi to continue his cultivation.

Now, it seemed that wasn’t necessarily the case.

After all, Dragon Qi was an extremely rare resource.

It was hard to find even one source in the entire Great Tang Empire.

And even if there were any, they would have been monopolized by the major powers.

However, as Ling Fei sensed it more carefully, he discovered that the amount of Cold Chi Dragon Qi transformed from ordinary Cold Qi was too small.

He could absorb a river’s worth of Cold Qi into his spine, but the Cold Chi Dragon Qi it transformed into was merely a trickle.

As a result, Ling Fei’s cultivation speed was naturally not as fast as when he absorbed Dragon Qi directly.

’Looks like I’ll still have to find Dragon Qi if I want to cultivate quickly,’ Ling Fei thought to himself.

Besides, the Cold Qi here wasn’t very dense to begin with.

CRACK!

Just then, Ling Fei suddenly heard a crisp, cracking sound.

It sounded like a mirror cracking.

’What’s happening?’ Ling Fei’s gaze shifted, and he looked toward the source of the sound.

Now, his eyesight had also sharpened along with the improvement in his cultivation.

As his gaze fell upon the distant ice mountain, he saw that the ice crystals covering it were actually starting to crack.

’The ice on the mountain is cracking. This is going to be a big problem.’ Ling Fei’s gaze hardened. He quickly leaped out of the Cold Pool and headed for the valley exit.

CRACK!

The cracking sounds continued unabated.

A glacier on the mountain peak broke apart and plummeted downward.

RUMBLE!

It was followed by vast sheets of snow crashing down.

An avalanche had occurred on Dragon Pool Mountain.

Seeing this, Ling Fei ran as if on wings, dashing out of Dragon Pool Valley. Behind him, a tremendous rumbling echoed as the falling snow buried the Dragon Pool completely.

From a distance, one could see the mountain collapsing as a young man ran out of the valley.

”What’s happening!”

”That’s Dragon Pool Mountain... Dragon Pool Mountain is collapsing!”

”How is that possible? Why would Dragon Pool Mountain collapse?”

Everyone in Longtan Town was alarmed.

The collapse of the massive mountain was a terrifyingly spectacular sight.

The snow and ice cascaded down, burying the entire valley.

”I heard that young man Ling Fei cultivates in Dragon Pool Valley. Do you think he’s okay?” someone worriedly asked.

’Phew, good, I made it out.’ After running for over a kilometer out of Dragon Pool Valley, Ling Fei looked back at the massive mountain, his heart still pounding with lingering fear.

”What happened?” Huang Xiaoman was the first to run out from the town, questioning Ling Fei the moment she saw him.

”The mountain collapsed,” Ling Fei said with a shrug, glancing at Dragon Pool Mountain behind him.

”Does this have something to do with you?” Huang Xiaoman had a vague feeling that this was related to Ling Fei.

”Maybe,” Ling Fei said distractedly.

He was thinking to himself, ’Perhaps it collapsed because I refined all the Cold Chi Dragon Qi from Dragon Pool Mountain, causing the Cold Qi to be stripped from the ice.’ This was a consequence he hadn’t foreseen, but as far as he was concerned, becoming stronger was the best possible outcome.

As for Dragon Pool Mountain, it held no real significance for him.

”You...! I really don’t understand you at all anymore.” Huang Xiaoman couldn’t help but arch a delicate eyebrow, her long lashes fluttering as she sized up the young man before her.

She was inwardly astonished. ’A whole glacier collapsed just because the young man in front of her absorbed some Cold Qi?’

’That’s just too unbelievable, isn’t it?’

Of course, this was because Huang Xiaoman didn’t know Ling Fei had absorbed Cold Chi Dragon Qi.

The reason Dragon Pool Mountain had accumulated such a thick layer of ice was entirely due to this Cold Chi Dragon Qi.

Now that the Cold Chi Dragon Qi was gone, the temperature would naturally rise sharply.

This sudden change caused the ice to crack, so it was only natural that an avalanche would follow.

”Let’s get out of here!” Ling Fei said.

Dragon Pool Mountain was collapsing. It was too dangerous to stay nearby.

”Okay.” Huang Xiaoman and Ling Fei entered the town.

As they did, they could faintly hear discussions coming from both sides of the street.

”Dragon Pool Mountain collapsed. Could a Divine Spirit be angry?”

”The temperature in Longtan Town is always lower than anywhere else. It’s suddenly gotten warmer these past few days. Could this be a sign of a great disaster?” Many people looked worried.

Hearing these discussions, Ling Fei felt a little awkward.

”They’re calling you a Divine Spirit,” Huang Xiaoman teased.

”Pfft. A Divine Spirit over a little thing like this?” Ling Fei rolled his eyes.

...

Meanwhile, atop a high tower in Longtan Town, a man in a sable fur coat focused his gaze, looking down at the young man walking along the street below. ”So that’s Ling Fei?” His voice was low, but his gaze was incredibly sharp, and an intimidating aura radiated from his body.

He was accompanied by two juniors, a young man and a young woman.

The young man was tall and slender with elegant, handsome features. His eyes twinkled like stars, and with his hair tied up in a coronet, he had a dignified and impressive bearing.

The young woman was draped in a long, white sable coat.

On closer inspection, one could see the woman was exquisitely beautiful. Her eyes were bright and clear, and they seemed full of life whenever her lashes fluttered.

She was clearly a beauty whose eyes could speak, the kind who would undoubtedly turn the heads of countless young men in a crowd.

However, when this man in the fur coat spoke, he was looking at another man standing behind him.

This man was none other than the Martial Master of Longtan Town, Zhang Quan.

”That’s Ling Fei!” Zhang Quan’s eyes narrowed slightly, but a glint of admiration flashed in them as his gaze fell upon the young man.

As for the man beside him, a silver Waist Token hung from his belt. On it, the two words ”Divine Guard” were particularly eye-catching.

On the other side of the Waist Token, the name ”Shangguan Hong” was engraved.

Around the name, one could faintly see an entwined Qi Dragon.

A supreme might emanated from this Qi Dragon.

Clearly, this was a Divine Guard even more powerful than Qin Gang.

”Was that mountain that just collapsed Dragon Pool Mountain?” Shangguan Hong asked, his gaze hardening.

”It was,” Zhang Quan replied.

”It’s said that a True Dragon once resided in Dragon Pool Valley. The Cold Qi there is so overwhelming that not even Celestial Spirit Realm experts dare to linger. Yet this Ling Fei, who is only in the Body Tempering Realm, can come and go as he pleases. How strange!” Shangguan Hong’s eyes narrowed, and the corner of his mouth curled into a smirk as he watched the approaching young man on the street.

He was an Inspection Envoy for the Divine Guard.

The Divine Guard Commander had been utterly furious upon hearing that one of his men had been slain.

Subsequently, Shangguan Hong had been ordered here to investigate.

After hearing about the Ling father and son, Shangguan Hong had become intensely curious about the matter.

A young man known to the world as a sickly invalid, yet he could walk into the Dragon Pool Valley that even Celestial Spirit Realm experts feared.

An old man on the verge of death, yet he could slay an Innate Perfection expert with the flick of a finger.

”This Ling Fei has been hardworking since he was a child. Even with his frail body, he refused to give up. I’d say his ability to enter Cold Pool Valley is most likely because he possesses a Cold Essence Spirit Body,” Zhang Quan said. He was experienced and knowledgeable enough to deduce a few things from the incident where Ling Fei killed Qin Hong.

”A Cold Essence Spirit Body?” Hearing this, Shangguan Hong’s eyes lit up. ”That is a possibility.”

”A Spirit Body can emerge from a tiny place like Longtan Town?” the handsome, slender young man with star-like eyes next to Shangguan Hong said with a raised eyebrow.

His tone was full of skepticism.

Or perhaps, it was more like jealousy.