Blazing Firebird

In truth, was Yinghuo really only a high-grade sixth-order companion beast?

Actually, no.

This starstone simply could not test the bloodline of a Primordial Chaos Giant Beast.

After becoming a companion beast, it carried bloodline shackles upon its body. All the starstone could test was its current outward appearance.

Just like the six star-points in its eyes.

In truth, those might have been six resplendent seas of stars.

While Li Tianming and Mu Wan were talking, the entire Yanhuang Battlefield was still in an uproar.

Everyone wanted to know Li Tianming's identity.

"What breed is this little chick?" Instructor Mu Wan asked.

She considered herself well-traveled and knowledgeable, yet she had never seen such a sixth-order little cutie.

"Well, it's called... a 'Blazing Firebird,' I guess..." Li Tianming made up a name on the spot.

Little Yellow Chick was deeply dissatisfied with that name. After all, he was the Eternal Purgatory Phoenix.

Just as he was about to furiously denounce Li Tianming, Li Tianming reached out and pinched his beak shut with two fingers, successfully silencing him.

At the same time, Instructor Mu Wan publicly announced, "Li Tianming's companion beast, the 'Blazing Firebird,' is a high-grade sixth-order companion beast. Its realm is the ninth level of the Beast Pulse Realm."

In truth, Li Tianming was only at the eighth level of the Beast Pulse Realm.

However, when Instructor Mu Wan tested Little Yellow Chick's Beast Essence, it was even more abundant than that of the ninth level of the Beast Pulse Realm.

Moreover, she could clearly tell that it was not in the Spirit Source Realm, so she temporarily classified it as being at the ninth level of the Beast Pulse Realm.

Instructor Mu Wan had expected that announcing Little Yellow Chick's grade would not cause much of a sensation, since everyone had already seen it.

What truly caused an uproar was Li Tianming's name. As long as one person remembered his scandal from three years ago, word would spread from one to ten, ten to a hundred!

Then it would spread throughout the entire venue!

Next, both Yanhuang Academy and Flame Capital would know that he had returned!

This was Li Tianming's goal. He was not afraid of making a grand spectacle of his return. In any case, everything he did would sooner or later make a grand spectacle.

This time, he used Little Yellow Chick's grade to announce his return and display himself before everyone in one stroke.

From now on, he would not need every person he met to marvel that he had actually dared to return to Flame Capital.

"Li Tianming! Isn't he that scum whose companion beast was executed three years ago after he drugged and molested Lin Xiaoting's girlfriend?"

Sure enough, once those words spread, an even greater uproar erupted across the Yanhuang Battlefield.

This matter did not cause a stir because of Li Tianming, but because it involved Lin Xiaoting.

And Lin Xiaoting was now the number one genius of the Academy's Heavenly Court, the faith of countless disciples!

At that moment, countless clamors surged like waves. Li Tianming stood where he was, calm as the breeze and light as the clouds, watching the shocked, contemptuous, and mocking gazes fixed upon him.

Everything was exactly as he had expected. He was not angry, because that was simply life.

If one wanted to grow stronger, one had to smile in the face of cold words and biting ridicule, then make them shut their mouths.

He could feel that many people were in turmoil because of him right then. That was a kind of splendor too, was it not?

For example, Chen Ding and Chen Ying, who stood behind him.

They had long known Li Tianming's identity. Yet when his high-grade sixth-order companion beast appeared, they had still been immersed in their admiration for Chen Yao. Now, however, they were dumbfounded.

They simply could not accept this reality. The trash in their eyes had a companion beast of a higher grade than theirs...

The expressions on their faces were especially spectacular.

Yet among the seated spectators, there were expressions even more spectacular—those of Li Yanfeng and Liu Qing.

They had once been certain that Li Tianming's companion beast was a First-Order Companion Beast. Li Yanfeng had been certain that Li Tianming could only remain in the Beast Pulse Realm for his entire life, so he had completely abandoned this son.

But now, the moment Little Yellow Chick's grade was revealed, it was undoubtedly the fiercest slap across his face.

"Impossible! The starstone must be broken! I saw that companion beast's eyes. It had only one star-point!" Liu Qing said incredulously.

She knew very well what a sixth-order companion beast meant. It meant that Li Tianming was no longer a good-for-nothing.

He could continue to improve in the future and might even reach Li Yanfeng's level.

Had they known this would happen, Li Yanfeng might not have abandoned this son.

All her doubts vanished into thin air when the second starstone appeared.

"Could it be that this little thing absorbed a divine source and evolved? That's too absurd! Could a first-order companion beast withstand the power of a divine source?" Liu Qing continued chattering away.

But beside her, Li Yanfeng's gaze was icy, and his expression was somewhat ugly.

Before this, even though Li Tianming had taken the divine source and the Yanhuang Order, he had never thought highly of him.

Because he knew Li Tianming's weakness. He knew that his current strength was merely the last flicker before the lamp went out, and that Li Tianming was destined to remain trash.

But now, Li Tianming's only weakness was gone.

He had transformed into a genius with a boundless future, truly making a comeback.

As a father who had personally abandoned his son, he truly felt as sick as if he had eaten dog shit.

He remembered the look in Li Tianming's eyes when he demanded to be respectfully escorted out of the city. He remembered Wei Jing's composure when she left. All of it had long shown that mother and son would not simply fall and stay down.

"Brother Feng, don't be like this. Once you make a choice, there is no turning back. No matter how heaven-defying this son becomes in the future, he has nothing to do with you," Liu Qing said, as if she knew what he was thinking.

"I merely underestimated him," Li Yanfeng said through gritted teeth.

"Brother Feng, rest assured. The one he offended is the little monster of our Thunder Lord Manor. He picked up his life three years ago. The more talented he is, the more he will seek revenge—and the more he will walk straight into his own death."

"So, I advise you to stay even farther away from him. Just watch as he completely destroys himself."

Liu Qing clung tightly to his arm. They were now grasshoppers tied to the same rope.

"What are you thinking? How could I possibly regret my choice? Since I severed ties with him and chose you and Thunder Lord Manor, how could I regret it just because that boy has shown some talent?"

"Besides, as you said, he offended someone he should never have offended. He is destined for a miserable end."

Li Yanfeng's gaze became resolute once more.

No matter how Li Tianming performed, he would not regret his choice.

"Brother Feng, you're so good to me. I want to bear you a child, a child truly belonging to us," Liu Qing said sweetly.

"Good." Li Yanfeng wrapped an arm around her slender waist, and a smile returned to his face.

Yet Li Tianming on the Yanhuang Battlefield was like a dazzling star. Even if Li Yanfeng closed his eyes, he still felt a stinging pain behind his eyeballs.

In truth, there was one more person who felt exactly the same way.

That was the distinguished guest in the private room—Madam Xue Lan.

When Chen Yao performed brilliantly, she had been receiving the envy and flattery of the elegantly dressed ladies. Just as she was feeling immensely pleased with herself, an even more dazzling light caught her eye.

"Who is that?" many of the ladies asked curiously.

"That light is so intense. Of course, it's still a little inferior to Chen Yao's."

She felt guilty even saying that, because anyone with eyes could see that the light which appeared later was stronger.

Xue Lan was slightly displeased.

However, Chen Sheng had said that Chen Yao had many competitors this time. Not to mention the Vermilion Bird Royal Clan, even Thunder Lord Manor and the Heavenly Mechanism Palace had supreme geniuses of the same generation.

Thus, it was not surprising for light of the same caliber to appear in the Yanhuang Battlefield.

But when she noticed everyone discussing that youth's identity, she became rather curious.

Her seat was in an excellent position, and she could see the youth standing beside the light at a glance.

"Did I see wrong?" She froze for a moment, rubbed her eyes, and looked closely again. Her expression went completely blank.

"How could it be him?!" Xue Lan cried out.

She had lost her composure somewhat, because she simply could not believe it. She had never imagined that this light came from the "plain youth" who had visited the Chen Palace a few days ago.

Hadn't they said his companion beast was dead?!

Hadn't they said he could only use a ferocious beast as a companion beast?!

Hadn't they said he was merely the laughingstock of Yanhuang Academy?!

Wei Jing had already reached the end of the road and was on the verge of death. Her child was also destined to be filthy and miserable, so why had something like this happened today?

"Sister Lan, do you know this person?"

"Sister Lan truly has extensive connections. She even knows this unfamiliar youth."

When the ladies saw her lose composure, they hurriedly asked. They could even find an opportunity for fawning flattery in this.

Xue Lan's expression was somewhat ugly.

How was she supposed to answer them?

Tell them that he was Wei Jing's child?

She absolutely would not say it.

Thus, she could only shake her head. "I saw wrong. I do not know this person."

In truth, all the ladies could see that something was wrong with Xue Lan. She seemed extremely displeased and deeply frustrated, even somewhat hysterical.

So they exchanged glances and understood that saying less from then on was the safest course.

As for why Xue Lan was suffering so much, they did not dare speculate.

Not until Instructor Mu Wan announced Li Tianming's name and caused a huge commotion did someone among them finally remember.

"So it's him. I heard my child mention his disgraceful deed. It seems he drugged and violated a young lady, but that young lady was Lin Xiaoting's woman, so his companion beast was executed."

"This child looks quite well-behaved. He is actually a molester?"

"You really cannot judge a person by appearances. Honestly, people like this are the most detestable. They lack the ability to pursue a girl, so they want to force themselves on her."

They discussed it one after another, their faces filled with disgust.

"Yes. Who knows what kind of upbringing could raise such trash?" Xue Lan composed herself.

Only after she said those words with a smile did she feel much more at ease.

The discussion on her side was merely a tiny snapshot of the entire venue.

At that moment, people everywhere were discussing and mocking Li Tianming for actually daring to return.

The way they looked at Li Tianming changed from envy to disdain, then to contempt.

They gathered in twos and threes, laughing at Li Tianming's lecherous conduct from three years ago.

"Does hearing all that make you feel bad?" Instructor Mu Wan stood beside him and asked softly.

Li Tianming felt somewhat grateful to her, because she seemed to trust him.

Back then, although Mu Qingqing and he had dated in secret, as his instructor, she might have known that he and Mu Qingqing had once been together for a year.

With that as the premise, Li Tianming had no need whatsoever to drug anyone.

"Instructor, there is no pain in this world that can compare to them killing Jin Yu before my eyes," Li Tianming said with a smile.

Having weathered storms and waves, how could he be knocked down by mere rumors and gossip!

"You've changed quite a bit, young man." Instructor Mu Wan gave a playful smile.

But the next moment, her expression turned serious. "You have delayed enough time. Even if you are a celebrity, do not affect the palace examination. Go down."

"Understood, Instructor. This year, I still want to become your disciple!" Li Tianming said.

"There is still one more trial to pass." Instructor Mu Wan blinked.

Li Tianming nodded and walked down. Before he had even left the field, he heard Instructor Mu Wan suddenly shout, "All of you, shut up! The palace examination will continue. If you want to discuss things, go outside and discuss them!"