Divine Emperor Demon Emperor

The arrival of Ziyi and his two companions instantly brought the situation under control. One had to admit, the trio held immense prestige in the eyes of the Wind Forest Sect disciples.

"Senior Brother Ziyi, what do you plan to do next?" With everything settled, Chen Ming put on the air of a bystander and asked Ziyi with a smile.

Hearing this, Ziyi also smiled faintly, his gaze toward Chen Ming unwavering. "We leave for Celestial Eagle Valley in two days. That kid still hasn’t left, so he must be planning to go too. I’ll just kill him when the time comes for the Green Talent List."

Ziyi spoke with utter nonchalance, as if Lin Yun were an ant he could crush at will.

Chen Ming also smiled faintly at his words. He seemed to agree with Ziyi. Compared to the three of them, Lin Yun, at a mere Sixth Level of Qi Sea Realm, was indeed too weak to be taken seriously.

Afterwards, Ziyi and Ruhua gave some instructions to their respective subordinates. Then, the three of them went their own way and left.

Lin Yun, who had been watching from the shadows, only turned and disappeared into the darkness after the trio had departed. ’Those three, all about my age, have already reached the Primordial Ocean Realm.’

After seeing them, Lin Yun grew even more eager for the Green Talent List. It was a true battleground where all the young geniuses of the Southeast Domain competed.

Thanks to the intervention of the three prodigies, peace returned to Wind Forest City. Lin Yun remained hidden for the next two days. The expert from Celestial Eagle Valley was scheduled to arrive in Wind Forest City in two days’ time.

「Two days passed quickly.」

On this day, in the central plaza of Wind Forest City, the Grand Elder, Second Elder, Third Elder, the three Wind Forest Sect prodigies, and other disciples of the sect were all waiting early in the morning.

Every power in the Southeast Domain treated Celestial Eagle Valley with the utmost respect. They were the undisputed overlords of the region.

A shrill eagle’s cry echoed through the air. Following the sound, a colossal eagle appeared in the sky above the plaza. So immense it blotted out the sun, the eagle slowly descended, landing in the center of the square.

’A Tier Four Demon Beast...’ Looking at the eagle up close, they could see it was a genuine Tier Four Demon Beast—a Black Feathered Eagle.

As the Black Feathered Eagle landed, a middle-aged man stood upon its immense back. He wore the attire of Celestial Eagle Valley. Ignoring the stunned Wind Forest Sect disciples, the man leaped gracefully from the beast’s back, landing before the three Elders.

"Greetings, Elder Wu." Upon seeing the middle-aged man, the Grand Elder and the other two bowed respectfully.

Although this man was only at the Ninth Layer of Primordial Ocean Realm—the same cultivation as them—he was from Celestial Eagle Valley, making his status inherently superior to that of the Grand Elder and the others.

Elder Wu gave a slight nod, his eyes sweeping over the Wind Forest List geniuses standing behind the three Elders. His gaze finally settled on Ziyi and his two companions.

"Not bad. They should be able to make it onto the Green Talent List," Elder Wu commented dispassionately, giving a slight nod.

Finished, Elder Wu clearly had no intention of wasting any more time. With a wave of his hand, he said, "Let’s go."

As Elder Wu finished speaking, the nine remaining geniuses from the Wind Forest List—everyone except Lang Dan, who had been killed by Lin Yun—began to walk toward the Black Feathered Eagle. Just then, however, the figure of a young man slowly approached the plaza.

"Wait," the young man called out.

Hearing the shout, Elder Wu turned to look at the approaching youth. The members of the Wind Forest Sect saw him at the same time, and murderous intent instantly flashed across the faces of many disciples.

It was Lin Yun. No one had expected him to dare show his face, let alone so brazenly.

Watching Lin Yun approach, Chen Ming gave a faint, unreadable smile. Ziyi remained impassive, saying nothing. Jin Ruhua, however, unleashed her Elemental Power the very instant she saw Lin Yun.

"You brat! You actually dare to show your face? Good. Today, you die." Stepping forward to block Lin Yun’s path, Jin Ruhua snarled.

Lin Yun stared at the woman before him, slightly taken aback. He had seen her that night but hadn’t paid her much mind. Now, seeing Jin Ruhua face-to-face...

Lin Yun was truly amazed. To think such a woman existed in the world... It was simply...

Lin Yun was nearly six feet tall, yet he was still shorter than Jin Ruhua by half a head. Her terrifying musculature made him look positively frail by comparison.

After his brief shock, Lin Yun’s gaze completely ignored Jin Ruhua. He looked toward Elder Wu of Celestial Eagle Valley, bowed, and spoke.

"Elder Wu, my name is Lin Shan. I am one of the top ten geniuses on the Yanhuang List. Due to my training, I was unable to make it to the Capital City of Yanhuang Country in time. I was wondering if I might accompany you to Celestial Eagle Valley."

The reason Lin Yun dared to appear today was because of Elder Wu. As an expert from Celestial Eagle Valley, Lin Yun was certain that Elder Wu would not meddle in his conflict with the Wind Forest Sect. Furthermore, with Elder Wu present, the Wind Forest Sect wouldn’t dare act too presumptuously.

Hearing Lin Yun’s words, Elder Wu’s expression remained placid, betraying no emotion. He replied neutrally, "In that case, you may come with us."

"Hold on." The words had barely left Elder Wu’s mouth when Ziyi spoke up. He quickly strode forward and addressed Elder Wu politely.

"Elder Wu, this man has an irreconcilable blood feud with our Wind Forest Sect. Besides, as one of the top ten geniuses on the Yanhuang List, why would he be here in our Wind Forest City? Elder Wu, you must not be deceived by him."

Ziyi said calmly. After hearing this, Elder Wu turned his gaze to Lin Yun. A quick spiritual probe revealed that Lin Yun was only at the Sixth Level of Qi Sea Realm.

His brow furrowed. A hint of displeasure toward Lin Yun crept into Elder Wu’s expression. With such a low cultivation, and with Ziyi’s pointed reminder, Elder Wu was beginning to doubt Lin Yun’s identity.

"What proof do you have that you’re one of the top ten geniuses of the Yanhuang List?" Elder Wu demanded coldly.

Proof? What proof did Lin Yun have? The only thing that could prove his identity was his token as a disciple of Yanhuang Academy’s Genius Class.

Lin Yun glanced at Ziyi. He hadn’t expected the man to undermine his claim with just a few words. ’But to think he can deal with me that easily... that’s a bit naive.’

"Senior, everything I said about my identity is true. This is my Identity Token from Yanhuang Academy. Please, have a look." With that, Lin Yun handed his Identity Token to Elder Wu.

Taking the token, Elder Wu determined its authenticity with a single glance. "Yes, this is indeed an Identity Token from Yanhuang Academy. And a token for a student of the Genius Class, at that."

Elder Wu was still speaking when Ziyi interjected, "That only proves he’s a student at Yanhuang Academy. It doesn’t prove he’s a genius on the Yanhuang List."

A cold smirk played on Lin Yun’s lips. He looked at Ziyi and asked, "Then what must I do to prove my identity?"

"The Yanhuang List and the Wind Forest List are one and the same—everyone on them is a young prodigy. So, how about this? I won’t make things difficult for you. If you can withstand three blows from Junior Sister Ruhua, I’ll believe you’re one of the top ten geniuses of the Yanhuang List."

Hearing this, the smile on Lin Yun’s face grew even wider. ’This Ziyi is really something else.’