Upon hearing this, Feng Chenlan slapped her face away, and the latter staggered and fell to the ground.

"The Empress has lost her composure. Guards, escort the Empress back to the Phoenix Palace. She is not to leave the Phoenix Palace without my order."

Nalan Yao stood up, dusted herself off, and said arrogantly, "Feng Chenlan, even if you despise me, you can only be bound to me for the rest of your life. That lonely ghost will never come back! Give up on that idea. We are destined to hate each other in this life..."

=======

Xuantian City.

"Haha, I heard that the Princess of Qinglong Kingdom will also be attending the Wentian Academy's admissions this year!"

"That's the most beautiful woman in Qinglong! I wonder if I'll get to feast my eyes on her!"

"Pshaw, even glancing at a goddess like that would be blasphemy!"

"I heard that Her Highness the Eldest Princess broke through to the Spirit Saint realm at the age of fifteen, and at seventeen this year, she has already reached the Spirit Emperor realm. Such a cultivation speed is something that ordinary people can only envy!"

"Yes! She truly deserves to be called the number one genius girl in Azure Dragon!"

"I heard that Her Highness the Eldest Princess and the young master of the Nangong family have entered into a marriage agreement. They are truly a match made in heaven!"

Xuantian City is the closest city to Wentian Academy, and cultivators heading to Wentian Academy must pass through Xuantian City.

Therefore, Xuantian City is overcrowded every year at this time.

Not only were there disciples from various powerful families, but also some independent cultivators!

On the mainland, rogue cultivators have the lowest status. No matter how high their cultivation or talent, if they offend a powerful family, they will be hunted down and will almost certainly perish. However, if they can join the Wentian Academy...

Even those ancient martial arts families have to think twice.

The streets were bustling with people of all kinds.

"Roar—!" Suddenly, a beastly roar that pierced the clouds came from the Wuwang Mountains outside Xuantian City.

"Such powerful beastly breath!"

Several factions have gathered in the mountains covered with towering ancient trees.

Suzaku! It's Suzaku!

"The Vermilion Bird is a divine beast!"

In an instant, all the cultivators from Xuantian City flocked to the Wuwang Mountains.

No one can resist the allure of mythical beasts!

"Awooo—" A beastly roar came from the horizon. Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a spirit beast carriage slowly flying in from the horizon.

"Isn't this Her Highness the Princess's mount?"

"Yes, Princess Qinglong!"

The way everyone looked at the carriage was filled with admiration and excitement; after all, she was the number one genius girl on the continent!

"Your Highness, the Vermilion Bird's aura is in the southeast direction." Gui Yan stood outside the carriage, looking at the direction shown on the compass in his hand.

"Let's go take a look. It just so happens that my Gu Diao hasn't eaten in a long time." Feng Wan played with the storage ring on her ring finger, and the Gu Diao totem appeared behind her, looking extremely vicious.

If she could devour the Vermilion Bird's soul, her Gu Diao would surely ascend to the level of a divine beast! Moreover, her Gu Diao could transform into any form, and at that time—it would transform into the appearance of a Vermilion Bird.

Feng Wan's lips curled slightly. Then she would be the first summoner on the continent to possess a divine beast.

"Yes, Your Highness."

Gui Yan drove the spirit beast chariot and flew towards the location shown by the compass.

Feng Wan lifted the carriage curtain with her slender hand, revealing a large number of independent cultivators already gathered below.

All sorts of praises reached Feng Wan's ears, and she was very pleased.

With a slight smile, Feng Wan was the most noble woman on the Canglan Continent!

However, the aura of the Vermilion Bird attracted not only Feng Wan, but also various other forces.

In an unnamed dense forest, towering trees rose from the ground, and suddenly—! Bang bang bang! The melodious sound of the zither instantly transformed into countless deadly intents.

Within the barrier set up by Jun Liuyue, all the towering trees were uprooted, and birds and beasts scattered in fright!

Rumble—

Feeling the ground tremble, Liuyue paused slightly.

What happened?

Immediately afterwards, the ground shook again. Liu Yue removed the barrier, and a powerful beastly aura swept over them.

"Vermilion Bird?"

This atmosphere is both strange and familiar.

This successfully made Jun Liuyue frown, and then several flying beasts appeared in the sky.

A roar followed, and with a loud crash, a flying beast was shot down, crashing straight towards Jun Liuyue.

Jun Liuyue: ...

Good grief, you can get shot even when you're lying down?

Jun Liuyue, clutching the Fuxi Qin, leaped backward, almost simultaneously retracing her steps from the spot where she had just stood—

The flying beast smashed a crater more than a meter deep, and the ground shook violently.

Jun Liuyue had already retreated to a safe distance when a streak of azure beastly shadow tore through the void.

A giant, fan-shaped claw reached out to grab Jun Liuyue in the woods. The ancient trees could have blocked it, but when Liuyue was cultivating earlier, they had all been knocked down! In an instant, there was no shelter whatsoever around her.

Damn it! Liu Yue threw the Fuxi Qin into the space, but when the powerful beastly breath came crashing down, her shoulder was grabbed.

*Snap!* At the same time, the dagger pierced the claw that was holding her, but the claw was thicker than a city wall!

Whoosh! She was grabbed by the Vermilion Bird and lifted into the air.

"What, what is that?"

Not far away, the elders of the various forces besieging the Vermilion Bird saw that the Vermilion Bird's claws seemed to have grabbed something...?!

"Could it be that I'm getting presbyopia?"

"That's a person!"

"Don't let it escape."

The leading elder gave the order.

The flying beasts immediately flew towards the Vermilion Bird, attempting to surround it completely.

Whoosh! A sharp, piercing wind whistled past her ears as her arm was caught in Zhuque's claws, the sharp claws piercing her shoulder.

Below is a bottomless abyss.

"Damn it!" The poisoned needle from her sleeve suddenly pierced out, and Zhuque cried out in pain. Now's the time! Liuyue leaped forward and grabbed Zhuque's feather.

The delicate feathers couldn't support a person's weight at all. Zhuque thrashed about wildly, and just as Liuyue was about to be thrown out, the dagger in her hand plunged fiercely into Zhuque's thigh.

Half a dagger sank into its flesh, and with a whoosh, it tore open a deep, bloody gash that revealed the bone.

Liu Yue gripped the dagger, her body suspended in mid-air.

At the same time, the flying beasts surrounded the Vermilion Bird.

Liu Yue leaped into the air and hid in the tail feathers of the Vermilion Bird. Ugh! She almost vomited as soon as she regained her footing.

"You brat, get out here right now!" A deep, angry voice rang out, and Zhuque angrily swung her buttocks.

"It's so high, how am I supposed to roll down? If I fall, I'll be turned into mincemeat!" Liu Yue suppressed the urge to vomit.

"Ha, stubborn fools! You damned humans, treacherous and cunning!" Zhuque twisted his body desperately, trying to throw the little girl away.

But Liuyue remained as still as a rock, completely unmoved.

Just then, the flying beasts surrounded the Vermilion Bird, and a killing formation appeared all around.

"Vermilion Bird, if you submit now, I may spare your life."