The moment those final words reached his ears, Wang Xuan's expression changed abruptly.
"What? He isn't dead?!"
"How is that possible? Didn't you already kill him?!"
Wang Xuan's voice rose three pitches!
He had seen it with his own eyes—the Bewitching Envoy had been killed by Li Qingyi's Sword Pill, his very corpse blasted into fragments!
He could not have been more dead!
Yet now Li Qingyi was telling him that the Bewitching Envoy might not be dead!
How could that be possible!
A chill instantly surged through Wang Xuan's heart!
The Blood Sacrifice overseen by the Bewitching Envoy this time had practically been ruined by Wang Xuan alone!
If there was anyone the Bewitching Envoy hated most, it was undoubtedly him!
With the Bewitching Envoy's strength, if he wanted revenge, Wang Xuan's current power would be utterly incapable of withstanding it!
Seeing Wang Xuan somewhat flustered, Li Qingyi immediately explained, "You don't need to worry too much. This is only my guess."
"I dealt with the Bewitching Envoys of the Pity Life Sect before. I know those fellows are exceedingly crafty."
"I'm merely somewhat concerned."
"Besides, even if he is still alive, he has less than one percent of his strength left. You need not worry too much."
Wang Xuan nodded slightly, though his expression remained grave.
"Alright, I'm leaving."
"I hope that when we meet again, it will be in the Demon Slayer Division."
With those words left behind, Li Qingyi vanished from sight.
Watching Li Qingyi depart, Wang Xuan could not help tightening his grip around the token in his hand, panic churning in his eyes!
"The Demon Slayer Division's trial..."
"I must pass it!"
"And I must obtain a spot in the Soaring Dragon Assembly as well!"
Wang Xuan murmured to himself.
He let out a deep breath and steadied his emotions.
Whether the Bewitching Envoy had truly died or not, he needed to become stronger in order to protect himself in these troubled times!
Not long after Li Qingyi left, another set of footsteps sounded.
Yang Tianfeng entered the tent.
"Greetings, Centurion!"
Seeing who it was, Wang Xuan hurriedly clasped his hands in salute.
Yang Tianfeng wore a broad smile and waved his hand. "No need for such ceremony."
"How is your body? Do you feel discomfort anywhere?"
Wang Xuan replied, "Reporting to Centurion."
"This subordinate is temporarily unharmed."
Yang Tianfeng nodded, his gaze falling upon the token in Wang Xuan's hand.
"It seems you agreed to her offer."
At those words, Wang Xuan's expression changed slightly.
Just as he was about to explain, Yang Tianfeng said, "No need to explain. I understand."
"I already know everything about Chillshadow Gulch. With your talent, joining the Demon Slayer Division truly is the best choice."
"If I were the one choosing, I would join the Demon Slayer Division too!"
Wang Xuan said nothing.
Yang Tianfeng smiled. "Don't be nervous."
"I did not come here to call you to account!"
"I came this time to bring you good news!"
"Oh, good news?"
"Could it... be about the Soaring Dragon Assembly?"
Wang Xuan asked doubtfully.
Yang Tianfeng chuckled. "It seems you already know."
"After discussion between myself and the other two Centurions, we have decided to let you take part in the selection competition for the new recruit camp's Soaring Dragon Assembly slot."
"With your current strength, it should be enough."
Hearing this, joy rose in Wang Xuan's heart.
"Thank you, Centurion!"
Yang Tianfeng waved his hand. "Don't celebrate yet."
"You are merely being sent to compete. Whether you can obtain a Soaring Dragon Assembly slot still depends on yourself."
"For White Water County's Soaring Dragon Assembly preliminaries this time."
"A total of four factions will participate."
"Our military camp has ten people in all."
"The new recruit camp will have you, Lu Yang, and Fan Hong. As for the other seven, they were selected from other military camps."
"Besides our military camp, the other three factions are the martial academies, the noble clans, and several small sects within White Water County."
"Together, there are more than a hundred people."
"Whether martial academies, noble clans, or even small sects, they raise disciples differently from our military. They emphasize elite cultivation."
"So in terms of strength, the people sent by our military camp are actually the weakest."
"You had best prepare yourself for that!"
Wang Xuan nodded slightly at this.
Those in the military were almost all born into poor families.
Even if there were disciples of noble clans, they would not start as common soldiers. Instead, they would head for prosperous places and become Banner Chiefs or even Hundred Captains directly.
"But you need not worry."
"There are still three days before the preliminaries."
"During these three days, I will personally guide your cultivation. If you have any difficulties in Martial Path cultivation, I will help you resolve them."
When he finished speaking, Wang Xuan looked at Yang Tianfeng in surprise.
He was about to take the Demon Slayer Division's trial. By all rights, he was someone about to leave, yet Yang Tianfeng still valued him so highly!
That truly surprised him!
Seeing Wang Xuan's expression, Yang Tianfeng said, "What, do you think I'm treating you too well?"
Wang Xuan said awkwardly, "This subordinate does not understand why Centurion values me so highly. What if I fail to win a slot? Would that not disappoint you, sir?"
Yang Tianfeng burst into laughter. "Disappoint me?"
"No! This Centurion has great confidence in you!"
"As for why I am helping you, the reason is simple."
"This Centurion originally came from the Black Tortoise Battalion in the Imperial Capital, but due to certain reasons, I came here."
"If you can participate in the Soaring Dragon Assembly and achieve a ranking, this Centurion will be able to return to the Imperial Capital as well!"
"Do you understand now?"
Wang Xuan instantly understood upon hearing this.
"If that is what Centurion means, then this subordinate understands."
Yang Tianfeng laughed heartily and patted Wang Xuan's shoulder.
"Don't feel pressured!"
"This Centurion has great confidence in you!"
"Besides telling you about the Soaring Dragon Assembly, I have another gift for you!"
"A gift?"
A flicker of delight appeared in Wang Xuan's eyes.
Yang Tianfeng smiled. "You ruined the Pity Life Sect's Blood Sacrifices twice and rendered great merit. According to the military camp's rewards, even becoming a Hundred Captain would not be out of the question!"
"But your cultivation has not reached that level, and you will be leaving soon. So this Centurion exchanged your military merit for something else!"
"This is a fine item I had someone obtain from the borderlands. Step back a little!"
Wang Xuan immediately stepped back.
Yang Tianfeng raised his right hand. The Storage Bag hanging from his waist flashed with light, and a dense, bloody Baleful Intent swept out!
It instantly filled the entire tent!
Wang Xuan's pupils contracted. Bloodlight churned in Yang Tianfeng's hand, and when it dispersed, a heavy bow, black from end to end and wound with golden dragon patterns, appeared before him!
The instant the black heavy bow with its golden dragon trim appeared, Wang Xuan felt Killing Intent rushing toward his face, along with an incomparably powerful aura!
"This... this is!!!"
Wang Xuan's eyes widened as he stared fixedly at the bow.
"This heavy bow is called the Black Serpent Bow!"
"It is a low-grade Treasure Artifact!"
"It was forged from the bones and blood sinews of demons. It is more than enough to meet your current needs!"
"This Centurion knows your archery is extraordinary, so I specifically sought it out for you!"
"Come!!!"
"Take it in hand and give it a try. Let's see whether you can tame this Black Serpent Bow!"
Before you continue