Chapter 244: Chapter 243: The Return
The stewards from the various countries stared at the white light before them. A person would appear with every flash, and whenever a steward saw a genius from their own country, their heart would leap with joy.
Anyone who survived the Thousand Rivers Secret Land, even if they couldn’t enter the Celestial Profound Sect, was destined for an extraordinary future after being forged in such a trial of blood and fire.
Ling Xiao was ecstatic. He had never felt so glorious in his entire life.
WHOOSH—
A white light swept past, and a young man slowly emerged from within. His expression was serene; he showed none of the wild joy of survival like the others, nor was he dejected or lost.
Everyone felt a jolt and couldn’t help but turn to look.
This person was none other than Wen Qingye!
Ling Xiao strode over to Wen Qingye in a single bound, beaming as he looked at him. He laughed heartily. "Excellent! Excellent!"
Wen Qingye nodded but said nothing.
Before long, everyone had emerged from the Thousand Rivers Secret Land. Wen Tongyu and several people from the Purple Sun Prefecture stood silently beside Ling Xiao.
At that moment, Yanl Yu walked over. He looked at the crowd and nodded. "The trial in the Thousand Rivers Secret Land is now over. Will everyone whose Array Disc is covered in Talisman Seals please step forward?"
Upon hearing this, the crowd quickly stepped forward.
Yanl Yu looked at the first person and asked, "Country of origin? Name?"
Zhou Yuling’s voice trembled slightly as she spoke. "Lan Country. Zhou Yuling."
"Next!" Yanl Yu took her Array Disc. With a wave of his hand, the characters for "Zhou Yuling" and "Lan Country" appeared upon its surface.
"Lanyu Country, Tangg Hai!"
"Lan Country, Xue Jing!"
"Celestial Martial Country, Nie Shuang!"
"Celestial Martial Country, Yann Chuxue!"
...
One by one, they stepped forward and presented their Array Discs. Finally, Wen Qingye also took out his Array Disc and handed it to Yanl Yu.
After collecting all the Array Discs, Yanl Yu nodded at the crowd. "Alright. The Thousand Rivers Secret Land trial has come to a perfect conclusion. In two months, I will be waiting for all of you at the Celestial Profound Sect."
After speaking, Yanl Yu finally broke into a smile. He then turned to Wang Hao, and together they mounted a Golden Shuttle, transforming into a streak of golden light as they departed.
Once Yanl Yu and Wang Hao had left, the eyes of most people from the other countries fell on Wen Qingye and his group, their gazes hostile.
"We should leave, quickly," Ling Xiao said in a low voice.
The group from the Celestial Martial Country nodded in understanding. Wen Qingye had killed many people from the Fifteen Countries in the Thousand Rivers Secret Land. Although the authority of the Celestial Profound Sect kept them in check for now, there was no guarantee these people wouldn’t try to strike from the shadows.
Five days passed in the blink of an eye, and Wen Qingye and the others returned to the Imperial City of the Celestial Martial Country.
Down below in the Imperial City of the Celestial Martial Country, tens of thousands of people lined the streets. A dense, dark sea of figures filled the view, their faces overflowing with joyous smiles as they waved their arms, creating a tremor that shook the air.
Many young maidens craned their necks, looking up at the Demon Beast in the sky with a hint of shyness and anticipation in their eyes.
The Demon Beast slowly came to a stop in the central square. The powerful gust of air from its descent didn’t scatter the crowd; on the contrary, it made even more people surge forward. If not for the guards holding them back, the mob would have likely swarmed them.
"Eighth Brother, you’ve finally returned," Ling Yao said with a smile, walking over quickly.
Ling Xiao leaped down from the Demon Beast’s back and knelt respectfully. "Greetings, Your Majesty!"
"Greetings, Your Majesty!" the others echoed, jumping down from the Demon Beast and kneeling behind Ling Xiao.
Ling Yao quickly helped Ling Xiao to his feet, saying excitedly, "No, there’s no need for that."
Ling Wei, who was standing behind Ling Yao, scanned the group and raised a delicate eyebrow.
"Where is Wen Qingye?" Ling Wei asked, stepping forward.
Ling Xiao slowly replied, "Wen Qingye has already returned to Phoenix City."
"What!?" Ling Yao was startled. He quickly turned to Liu Ying behind him and commanded, "Quickly, draft an imperial edict for me."
It wasn’t just Ling Yao; the crowd behind them let out a tidal wave of groans, clearly disappointed to the extreme.
Ling Xiao pondered for a moment before saying, "In my opinion, it would be best to return and think this through carefully before we act."
"Mm, Eighth Brother makes a good point." Ling Yao calmed down and nodded. "Qig Mountain Academy cultivated a figure like Wen Qingye. It seems this year’s resource allocation needs to be re-evaluated."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Nie Qinglan cried out excitedly upon hearing Ling Yao’s words. With just one sentence, Ling Xiao had resolved the predicament Qig Mountain Academy had faced for years.
’Wen Qingye... I really wasn’t wrong about him back then.’ Nie Qinglan’s heart was filled with wild joy.
Beside them, the expressions of Liu Ying and Shu Jiuyi both changed, but they remained silent.
Standing in the back, Wen Tongyu watched the surrounding crowd and listened to their cheers, feeling a sense of deep satisfaction in his heart, even though he knew the cheers were not for him.
Liu Ying slowly walked over at this moment, patting Wen Tongyu on the shoulder with a smile. "It’s not a big deal. Life is full of twists and turns. A true expert is one who encounters setbacks, grits their teeth, and endures."
The others from the Purple Sun Prefecture who overheard Liu Ying’s words all subconsciously lowered their heads.
Wen Tongyu looked at Liu Ying and nodded heavily, but his heart was filled with bitter resentment. ’Nie Shuang and Yann Chuxue both have the chance to go to the Celestial Profound Sect, but I don’t. How could I possibly be content with that?’
However, Wen Tongyu did not grasp Liu Ying’s underlying meaning. Liu Ying was, of course, referring to the matter with Ling Wei, something Wen Tongyu was still unaware of.
A moment later, Liu Ying seemed to think of something, and a sharp glint flashed through his eyes.
...
By this time, Wen Qingye had already arrived back in Phoenix City. The streets were bustling with people, all discussing the events of the Thousand Rivers Secret Land, though the most recent developments had not yet reached their ears.
Wen Qingye made his way through the sea of people and, before long, arrived at the Zhang Mansion.
Red cloth was draped everywhere around the Zhang Mansion, and several servants were bustling about at the entrance, making arrangements for what looked like a joyous celebration.
Wen Qingye calmly walked over and asked one of the young servants, "Is there some sort of happy occasion happening here?"
The young servant looked Wen Qingye up and down. Wen Qingye rarely appeared in the front courtyard, so it was only natural that the servant didn’t recognize him.
The young servant smiled and said, "Of course, a grand celebration is about to happen at our Zhang Mansion! You must not be from Phoenix City, or how could you not know about this big news?"
The young servant glanced around before lowering his voice. "Isn’t it about the princess breaking off her engagement? The rumor is that the princess looked down on Wen Tongyu and has taken a liking to Wen Qingye instead. So, there’s no chance of Wen Tongyu becoming the Prince Consort anymore. That means our Young Miss will naturally be the principal wife."
Hearing the servant’s words, Wen Qingye just smiled faintly without saying anything. ’With Ling Wei’s arrogance and coldness, this is exactly her style—swift and overwhelming, catching everyone completely off guard.’
The young servant added with a smile, "Young Master, don’t forget to stop by the Wen Family for the wedding banquet then! It’s going to be a non-stop feast, with more than enough for everyone!"
Wen Qingye nodded and walked into the Zhang Mansion.
"Young Master, are you looking for someone? Let me guide you," the young servant asked, confused, as he saw Wen Qingye walking right into the Zhang Mansion.
Wen Qingye shook his head. "I can go in by myself. I know this place very well."
The young servant watched Wen Qingye walk in on his own, scratching his head and muttering, "’Knows it very well?’ How is that possible? ’I’ve never seen you before.’"
