Chapter One Hundred and Fifteen: The Viper

"Let's get acquainted. My name is Heming."

Shen Qingyun reached out to shake Heming's hand and replied, "Shen Qingyun." Their hands touched and parted instantly. Heming then introduced the other four: "This is Guanyan, Li Xiaoyu, and Mafeng—the 'feng' as in mountain peak."

After finishing, Heming ran behind the person who hadn't been introduced yet and nudged him forward. "And finally, this is our leader, Zhanyan!"

Shen Qingyun nodded at each of them. His demeanor was neither particularly enthusiastic nor cold, which was just right for the situation.

After the introductions, Heming stared straight at Shen Qingyun and asked, "Buddy, how on earth did you manage to speak freely within the domain of the Three-Eyed Berserk Ape?"

"No special technique, I just spoke faster," Shen Qingyun replied with a shrug.

Heming blinked, pouting as he said, "That's it?"

"What else?" Shen Qingyun countered.

"Oh," Heming responded, though his expression clearly showed he didn't believe him. It wasn't just him; the other four also looked skeptical. Could a faster speaking pace really break the domain of a Three-Eyed Berserk Ape? Normal movements were significantly slowed within a domain; by Shen Qingyun's logic, his speech would have to match the ratio of the domain's suppression to appear normal.

But how fast would he have to speak to meet that requirement? And would that even be humanly possible?

At that moment, Feng Chuxun walked over, clutching his chest. Heming looked at him and took a medicinal pill from his storage bag. "This is for healing. You'll feel better soon after taking it."

Feng Chuxun looked at the pill, then up at Heming, before accepting it. "Many thanks!"

"Small matter. Friends help friends when away from home," Heming said with a smile.

Feng Chuxun didn't know how to respond; Heming was simply too familiar.

Unlike Heming, Zhanyan’s eyes held a trace of vigilance as he looked at Shen Qingyun. "This forest is crawling with demonic beasts; even those in the early stage of the Spirit Phase Realm are in danger here. You two—one in the Foundation Establishment stage and one in the early Spirit Phase—dare to venture here together. What is your objective?"

"We are heading to a certain place and must pass through here," Shen Qingyun said calmly, unfazed by the caution in Zhanyan’s tone.

"Where are you going?" Zhanyan asked.

"Zixiao Academy," Shen Qingyun replied.

"Hmm?" Zhanyan raised an eyebrow, looked Shen Qingyun up and down, and sneered. "Zixiao Academy is no shelter. Countless people in the Southern Region want to get in but can't. Only he has a chance of entering," he said, gesturing toward Feng Chuxun.

"Why do you say that?" Shen Qingyun remained calm. He could sense that Zhanyan meant no harm and was likely just trying to dissuade him from the idea.

It made sense; was it even possible for a Foundation Establishment cultivator to join Zixiao Academy?

"We are all from Zixiao Academy, so how could we not know?"

Before Zhanyan could speak, Heming interjected, looking at Shen Qingyun. "Buddy, I have to admit that you’re a rather special Foundation Establishment cultivator. But a Foundation Establishment is just that. Zixiao Academy would never admit one."

Hearing this, the corners of Shen Qingyun’s lips curled up. Indeed, although their outfits differed, they all bore an identical purple cloud emblem on their chests. Shen Qingyun had suspected it was the mark of Zixiao Academy, and now it was confirmed.

"What if I have a recommendation?" Shen Qingyun asked.

Heming paused, glancing at Zhanyan and the others. Zhanyan replied, "A recommendation doesn't guarantee entry, but it does earn you a chance to be considered. Whether or not you can enter Zixiao Academy still depends on your cultivation."

Zhanyan then asked, "Don't tell me you actually have a recommendation?"

Shen Qingyun nodded.

Zhanyan and the others looked at him suspiciously. A Foundation Establishment cultivator with a recommendation? Had he been scammed?

"Who gave it to you?" Zhanyan asked. A recommendation was a serious matter. To them, it might be trivial, and if it were real, it wouldn't matter. But if it were fake and discovered by the mentors at Zixiao Academy, the consequences would be severe.

Zhanyan was wary of the pair, but they had fought in the same battle, so he felt inclined to help if he could. Furthermore, he saw a quality in Shen Qingyun that was rare in others.

"Prince Qin," Shen Qingyun replied, choosing not to explicitly identify him as the ruler of the Tianlan Dynasty.

"And who is Prince Qin?"

The group was puzzled, but since he was called "Prince," his status couldn't be low. Zhanyan thought about it and decided not to dwell on the matter.

Feng Chuxun remained silent on the side. They had already left the territory of the Tianlan Dynasty; who would have guessed that Prince Qin could only escort them as far as the border?

"Go ahead, then. If you can't get into Zixiao Academy, find a place to cultivate properly. If you have a recommendation, the academy’s higher-ups will remember you. Wait until you break through to the Spirit Phase before trying again; your chances will be much better then," Zhanyan advised.

Shen Qingyun nodded, acknowledging the kindness in Zhanyan’s words.

Once that was settled, Heming turned to Zhanyan. "Boss, what about our exam?"

Zhanyan rolled his eyes at him. "What about it? Spend a few more years as an outer-court student and come back when your strength is sufficient!"

"Oh," Heming said, deflated.

"Are you taking an exam here?" Shen Qingyun asked, having overheard their conversation.

Zhanyan replied, "Indeed. We are taking the entrance exam for the inner court. The task is to obtain the third eye of a Three-Eyed Berserk Ape. As you saw, we failed." He spread his hands helplessly.

"In that case, I suppose I interrupted your exam," Shen Qingyun said.

Zhanyan waved it off. "Not at all. We were already using our full strength before you arrived, and we still couldn't force the ape to open its third eye. Although the goal was to kill it before it could open the third eye, we underestimated its defensive capabilities. This exam was destined to be impossible."

"So, you are heading back now?" Shen Qingyun asked.

Zhanyan pondered for a moment before shaking his head. "It's rare to come out here. Even if we can't complete the exam, there is much to gain. I plan to take them to explore a bit further."

Shen Qingyun said nothing. He realized Zhanyan didn't want to return with them, but the intent to explore was genuine. He didn't press the issue and said, "Very well. Let’s meet again at Zixiao Academy!"

Zhanyan nodded. "If we do meet again, I’ll be your senior."

Shen Qingyun chuckled, offering no further response.

"Then let's part ways here!" Zhanyan declared.

After bidding farewell to the five, Shen Qingyun and Feng Chuxun continued their journey. They weren't in a hurry this time, strolling along at a leisurely pace—primarily because Feng Chuxun had not yet recovered.

Meanwhile, in a deep cavern, the Beiming Demon King assumed human form and looked into the darkness ahead. "Brother Hui, it has been a long time!"

In the darkness, the murky water churned, and a serpent covered in black scales emerged. Its dark, cold eyes glowed in the gloom as it spoke in a human voice: "Beiming, you haven't visited me in years. What wind blows you here today?"

"Haha, Brother Hui is in the midst of his transformation into a dragon; I wouldn't dare disturb you lightly," the Beiming Demon King laughed.

"Yet here you are, disturbing me," the serpent replied, its tone clearly showing dissatisfaction.

The Beiming Demon King was unfazed. "To be honest, Brother Hui, I have come to ask for a favor."

"Speak," the serpent replied coldly. Decades ago, it had decreed that no one was to disturb it, under penalty of death. But since the Beiming Demon King had come, it had to see him. As for its attitude, it didn't care.

"My offspring, Beiming Han, has been killed."

"Your offspring?" A look of thought crossed the serpent's eyes. "The one you used magic to delay its hatching?"

"Correct," the Beiming Demon King said.

"You treated it like a treasure. How was it killed?"

"No matter how precious, I cannot be by its side every moment," the Beiming Demon King said coldly. "And because of that, it died at the hands of another!"

"So?"

"Now that person has entered your territory. Since I cannot act freely, I have come to you," the Beiming Demon King said.

"Understood," the serpent replied. It knew the intent behind the Beiming Demon King's visit. It wasn't that the serpent couldn't allow the demon king to act, but they were too close to Zixiao Academy. If the Beiming Demon King acted and the academy intervened, it would be difficult to explain.

However, there were other ways. "Do you know what this person looks like?"

The Beiming Demon King waved his hand, and spiritual energy gathered in his palm, manifesting the image of a man. His features gradually sharpened, revealing the face of Shen Qingyun!

"A human?" The serpent’s voice held a trace of surprise; it clearly hadn't expected a human to be the culprit.

"Yes," the Beiming Demon King’s expression darkened.

"Very well. Come here!" The serpent swung its massive head and called out.

Before long, a beast-like silhouette walked in—a demonic bear. It bowed its head to the serpent and asked, "King, what are your orders?"

"Look at the Beiming Demon King's hand."

The bear looked at the hand, and Shen Qingyun’s face appeared before it.

"Have you seen it clearly?" the serpent asked.

The bear nodded. The serpent continued, "Spread the word about this person. Once found, report it immediately and capture him!"

"Yes!" The bear turned and walked out of the cave step by step.

"Beiming, are you satisfied?" the serpent asked.

"I am," the Beiming Demon King nodded.

"Good. Find a place to wait for the good news. I am returning to my seclusion." With that, the serpent coiled its massive body and dove back into the water.

A cold, murderous intent erupted in the Beiming Demon King's eyes. He sneered internally, "Shen Qingyun, don't think that just because you've left the Tianlan Dynasty, I can't reach you. Throughout the entire Southern Region, as long as you are within the territory of the demon race, I have plenty of ways to get my hands on you!"

The Beiming Demon King was confident that Shen Qingyun’s goal was likely Zixiao Academy. But he knew that Zixiao Academy wasn't a place one could enter just by wishing it. From another perspective, Shen Qingyun was fleeing, and fleeing was proof of his fear.

"Shen Qingyun, you cannot escape!" The Beiming Demon King’s icy voice echoed through the cavern.

Walking through the forest, Shen Qingyun suddenly shivered for no apparent reason and, with a feeling of unease, looked toward the left.

"What is it?" Feng Chuxun asked, looking at him with concern.

"Nothing," Shen Qingyun shook his head, though a thoughtful expression lingered in his eyes.