Free Web NovelChapter 110: Chapter 110: Dragon Vein Trial
"But..."
Vice Director Bai still felt uneasy and was about to say more, but Ren Changfeng cut him off.
"That’s enough, Vice Director Bai. I have my own plans for this matter."
Ren Changfeng said with a dismissive wave of his hand.
Since the director had spoken, Bai Bo couldn’t press the issue any further.
"By the way, Vice Director Chen, what is the status of the tribute required by the Sacred Land?"
Ren Changfeng turned to look at Chen Guanggu.
"Director."
Chen Guanggu hesitated, a troubled expression on his face. "I have gone to the palace to inquire several times, but His Majesty the Emperor keeps stalling. There’s nothing more I can do."
"Hmph!"
Ren Changfeng’s expression grew cold. "Does the emperor of the Martial Kingdom no longer desire the Sacred Land’s protection?"
...
Time flew by. As the sky grew dim and the day came to an end, Bai Yi and Shen Daoxing flew out of the dried-up well.
Shen Daoxing felt he had benefited immensely from his time in the Ancient Battlefield.
Bai Yi kept glancing at him. Though his face seemed impassive, he was inwardly marveling. ’Truly astonishing!’
Soon, the two returned to Desolate Mountain.
Dean Lin was in front of the thatched hut, guiding He Ku’s cultivation.
Seeing Bai Yi and Shen Daoxing arrive, he smiled and looked over. "How did it go?"
Bai Yi pulled Lin Haitao aside and into the thatched hut. "Junior Brother, where in the world did you find this monster? Do you have any idea? That kid comprehended two Absolute Sword Intents—Slaughter Sword Intent and Ancient Wilderness Sword Intent—with just a single glance!"
Lin Haitao threw his head back and roared with laughter, absolutely overjoyed.
"Hahaha, and we have Celestial City Academy to thank for it all!"
"Celestial City Academy?"
Bai Yi was puzzled.
Lin Haitao paused, then told Bai Yi the full story of how Shen Daoxing had joined the Sword Institute.
After hearing the story, Bai Yi also burst out laughing. "Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! That Celestial City Academy can’t seem to do a single thing right! If they had made just one correct decision, Shen Daoxing would have never ended up in our Sword Institute. Hahaha, Celestial City Academy is practically digging its own grave!"
Outside the hut, He Ku listened to the two men roaring with laughter, a perplexed look on his face. "Daoxing, why do you think the Dean and Elder Bai are laughing so hard?"
"They’re probably thinking about taking a stroll through Celestial City Academy tomorrow," Shen Daoxing mused, propping his chin on his hand. "Spirit Medicine Garden, Spirit Beast Valley, Pill Pavilion, Treasure Tower... what places in Celestial City Academy haven’t we visited yet?"
"We have another mission tomorrow?"
He Ku’s eyes lit up, and he practically started drooling.
"AHEM! AHEM!"
An icy voice rang out.
Ling Shuanghua appeared before the two of them, her expression frosty.
Shen Daoxing and He Ku immediately clammed up. Ling Shuanghua despised Bai Yi’s roguish ways and never participated in their "missions," believing such actions damaged the Sword Institute’s reputation.
Just then, Ling Shuanghua walked slowly past them and murmured, "Count me in for tomorrow’s mission."
"!?"
Shen Daoxing and He Ku stared wide-eyed in disbelief at Ling Shuanghua, but she had already walked off into the distance and vanished.
After a moment, Shen Daoxing smiled and set up a large cauldron in front of the hut to prepare dinner.
"Shen?"
A young woman’s crisp voice called out.
Just then, the Ninth Princess came running up the mountain path.
She came to a stop in front of Shen Daoxing and, without a word, stuffed a Jade Plate into his hand.
"Shen, you have a life-and-death duel with Xia Junze soon. These are the cultivation resources I’ve saved up over the past few months. It’s not much, but I hope it can help!"
Although the Ninth Princess was a member of the Royal Family, she was largely ignored. Her cultivation talent was not considered high, so she received very few resources. Yet she was willing to give everything she had to Shen Daoxing, which showed how highly she regarded him.
In truth, Shen Daoxing didn’t lack cultivation resources at all. With Celestial City Academy right next door, he could simply go and ’get’ more whenever he ran low.
Shen Daoxing tried to refuse several times, but seeing her insistence, he couldn’t bring himself to decline and finally accepted it.
Soon after, the Ninth Princess departed.
"Kid, you’re the only person in the entire Martial Kingdom to have a princess throwing herself at you like this!"
Bai Yi had appeared behind Shen Daoxing at some point. He took a swig of wine and gave Shen Daoxing a wink, his expression saying, ’You know what I mean’.
Shen Daoxing gave a helpless smile. "Elder Bai, we’re just friends."
"Just friends?"
Bai Yi grinned knowingly. "You might see her as just a friend, but she might not feel the same way."
"Kid, it’s not because you think she’s ugly, is it?" Bai Yi said, as if a thought had just struck him. "Let me tell you, while the Ninth Princess’s mother was of humble birth, she wasn’t the least bit ugly! In fact, she was a great beauty! It was only later, after she was plotted against, that her face was ruined."
"Then why does everyone say the Ninth Princess is the ugliest woman in the Martial Kingdom, and why does she always wear a veil?"
He Ku asked curiously.
"Have you ever seen her face beneath that veil?"
Bai Yi countered with a faint smile.
He Ku was left speechless.
...
「Days turned into weeks, and in the blink of an eye, the day of the Dragon Vein Trial arrived.」
The Imperial City was abuzz with festive cheer, with every household adorned with lanterns and colorful banners.
This day was not only the date of the Dragon Vein Trial but also the Martial Kingdom’s Ghost Festival, a day for honoring ancestors.
Early that morning, Shen Daoxing left Desolate Mountain and, accompanied by the Ninth Princess, arrived at Wudu Mountain, not far west of the Imperial City.
The Emperor of the Martial Kingdom, clad in his formal court robes, led the civil and military officials in a solemn ancestral worship ceremony.
After paying their respects to the ancestors, the various members of the Royal Family stood waiting respectfully to one side.
Shen Daoxing saw that both the Eldest Prince and the Seventh Prince had arrived. Standing beside them were geniuses from the Royal Academy who, while not on par with Xia Junze, were at least on the same level as Mo Yunlei.
And standing beside the Second Prince was none other than Xia Junze himself.
Upon seeing Shen Daoxing, Xia Junze slowly approached, a knowing smirk playing on his lips. "So, you’re Shen Daoxing. I heard you killed quite a few people from our Celestial City Academy the other day. You’re pretty arrogant, aren’t you?"
"They deserved to die."
Shen Daoxing replied coolly, wasting no words.
Xia Junze’s eyes narrowed, and his aura surged, crashing down on Shen Daoxing like a tidal wave.
"What? You want to start something?"
Shen Daoxing returned his gaze coolly, not moving an inch.
Seeing this, the Ninth Princess quickly stepped in front of Shen Daoxing. "Xia Junze, what do you think you’re doing? He’s with me!"
"Ninth Princess?"
Xia Junze looked down at the petite, veiled young woman before him without a hint of respect in his eyes.
"Xia, we must consider the bigger picture,"
the Second Prince interjected from the side, his gaze landing on Shen Daoxing with keen interest.
"Don’t worry, Second Prince. I know what I’m doing."
The corner of Xia Junze’s mouth curled into a slight smile as he returned to the Second Prince’s side.
Nearby, the Eldest Prince and the Seventh Prince were whispering to each other, their expressions worried.
"Second Brother was already stronger than us, and now he has Xia Junze’s support. I’m afraid it will be very difficult for us to win the Dragon Vein’s acknowledgment this time,"
the Eldest Prince said gravely.
"We should join forces."
The Seventh Prince nodded in agreement.
...
