March 17.
Although summer had already begun, Di Ta Peak was still cool in the early morning.
Xia Manggan, having just emerged from the quiet room, could not help but take a deep breath. He immediately felt refreshed inside and out.
"Young Master."
Beishan Hu, who had long been waiting respectfully outside the quiet room, stepped forward. "Ji Ning and Mu Zishuo have arrived."
"Didn't I tell them there was no need to see me off?"
Xia Manggan strode toward the courtyard.
More than three months had passed since the battle in the Dao Discussion Hall.
Today was the day he had set to leave the Black-White Academy for the Red Dragon Mountain Range—namely, the Anchan Branch of the Yinglong Guard—to take the assessment.
Yesterday, when he went to bid Immortal Hanshan farewell, he happened to run into Ji Ning and Mu Zishuo along the way and casually mentioned it to them.
He had not expected the two of them to come specially so early this morning.
"Senior Brother Xia Mang."
"Senior Brother Xia Mang."
When they saw Xia Manggan striding over, Ji Ning and Mu Zishuo both rose and bowed.
Three months was not long.
Yet compared to when they had first entered the Academy, much of the youthful immaturity had faded from their faces. Their auras and Origin Force fluctuations had also grown considerably stronger.
"Junior Brothers, I'm only leaving briefly this time. At most, I'll be back in a little over three months after finishing the Yinglong Guard assessment." Xia Manggan smiled and shook his head. "There is no need to be so formal."
"Senior Brother is the first among us new disciples to earn Master's approval and be allowed to venture out," Mu Zishuo said with a smile. "Brother Ji Ning and I still cannot leave the Academy for now. So the hope of slaughtering enemies in all directions after going out and spreading the fame of our Black-White Academy far and wide can only rest on Senior Brother Xia Mang for the moment."
Ji Ning, standing beside him, also smiled and nodded, his gaze carefully examining Xia Manggan.
Over the past three months,
because their mountain abodes stood next to each other, he often saw Xia Manggan practicing the great divine abilities of Law of Heaven and Earth and Three Heads and Six Arms.
Occasionally, he would also come spar with Xia Manggan, and they would exchange insights into close-combat killing techniques for Fiendgod Body Refining.
Thus, he was quite familiar with Xia Manggan's aura and the changes in his Divine Body.
Yet for some reason, he felt that Xia Manggan's Divine Body was different today.
It was as though a Human Rank magic treasure had suddenly risen another level and become an Earth Rank magic treasure.
The treasure light that had once shone outward had all withdrawn, becoming even more restrained, as though—
Its radiance concealed within, a treasure hid its brilliance?
Ji Ning secretly shook his head. He decided that he must be overthinking it.
"Enough. We can catch up when I return."
After chatting with the two for a while, Xia Manggan saw that the Sun Star had already risen and stood to depart.
Suddenly—
"Young Master Xia Mang."
A gentle voice came from the distant sky.
Xia Manggan looked up.
He saw a sailing ship flying over, from which two graceful figures descended.
They were Jiu Lian and Luo Qing, whom he had met once three months ago.
"Why are you two here as well?" Xia Manggan asked in puzzlement.
He had not intended to be away for long this time, so aside from telling his master, Immortal Hanshan, and his two neighboring junior brothers, he had not informed anyone else in the Academy.
But judging from how the two women looked ready for a long journey, could it be...
"Last time, when we heard that Young Master Xia Mang was going to join the Yinglong Guard, Qingqing and I had already been planning to take the assessment as well."
Jiu Lian said softly, "So I asked Young Master Hu that if Young Master Xia Mang..."
Xia Manggan glanced sideways at Beishan Hu.
Beishan Hu hurriedly sent him a mental message in explanation. "I was thinking that the Yinglong Guard assessment would take three months. Since Young Master would not allow me to accompany him, bringing along two beautiful fellow disciples pleasing to the eye could at least relieve his boredom. And Jiu Lian's background is extraordinary. Even if Young Master wished to take her in, it..."
"This is the first time, and it will be the last."
Xia Manggan's gaze was cold as he spoke directly before everyone present. "If you dare make decisions for me again, then get back to the Anchan Marquis Mansion."
"Yes. Young Master, I know I was wrong."
In an instant, Beishan Hu's back was drenched in cold sweat.
Whoosh.
Ripples spread through space.
Xia Manggan vanished directly from the courtyard.
"Sister?" Luo Qing looked at Jiu Lian.
But Jiu Lian first said to Beishan Hu, "Young Master Hu, Jiu Lian failed to consider things carefully this time and caused you to be reprimanded."
"It is not Immortal Jiu Lian's fault. I was the one who overstepped my bounds. I should have sought Young Master's instructions first."
Beishan Hu shook his head with a bitter smile. "Everyone, since my young master is gone, I must return to the manor as well. I will not keep you any longer."
He needed to hurry home and consult his father about how he could remedy the situation.
Inside the sailing-ship magic treasure.
"Sister, are we still going to the Red Dragon Mountain Range?"
Luo Qing recalled Xia Manggan's cold gaze from earlier. Though it had not been directed at her, her heart still tightened in waves.
At that moment,
Xia Manggan had seemed to her like a True Dragon, coldly looking down upon a swarm of ants.
"We're going." Jiu Lian's answer was resolute.
"He ignored us completely and just teleported away..." Luo Qing's eyes widened. "We're still going?"
"Precisely because of that. As long as we appear before him again, he will have no reason..."
As Jiu Lian spoke, she noticed Luo Qing looking her up and down and could not help frowning. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Senior Sister," Luo Qing asked directly, "do you want Young Master Xia Mang to become your Dao companion?"
Jiu Lian was first taken aback, then calmly replied, "Among the female disciples of the Academy's third generation... aside from Senior Sister Yu Wei, who has not stated her position, who would not want him as a Dao companion? Don't you want that too, Qingqing?"
"I..."
Luo Qing wanted to say that she did not.
But he was powerful, monstrously talented, and had a shocking background...
Every quality a female immortal cultivator could dream of in a Dao companion was gathered in one man. How could she possibly not want that?
Only—
"Sister, I know my own limits. Young Master Xia Mang is far too distant from me." Luo Qing shook her head. "But you, Sister, are the next leader of the Dongyan Clan and are equally of noble birth. You also possess the Immortal Lotus Dao Body, Yin Essence..."
"Qingqing! What nonsense are you saying? Had I known, I never should have told you the secret of my Dao Body."
Even the usually composed Jiu Lian could not help showing a trace of embarrassment and anger. "Besides, choosing a Dao companion depends more on what one's heart feels. I... forget it. If you are unwilling to accompany me, I will go by myself."
"I'll go, I'll go." Luo Qing hurriedly took Jiu Lian's hand. "How could I let Sister take such a risk alone? Even if Young Master Xia Mang gives us more cold looks, let me bear them all."
...Boom!
The sailing-ship magic treasure tore through the airwaves and sped toward the Black-White Academy's outer boundaries.
Ji Ning and Mu Zishuo stood atop Di Ta Peak, watching from afar.
"Senior Sister Jiu Lian... I heard many senior brothers are pursuing her and want her as their Dao companion." Mu Zishuo said enviously, "Now even though Senior Brother Xia Mang ignores them, she still wants to chase after him to the Red Dragon Mountain Range. What devotion."
"How do you know Senior Sister Jiu Lian is still going to the Red Dragon Mountain Range? Maybe they are simply going out to adventure." Ji Ning glanced at Mu Zishuo. "And how old are you? You are not even fifteen yet. You're just a little brat. What do you know about devotion or Dao companions?"
After saying that, without waiting for Mu Zishuo to reply, he tossed out, "I'm going back to cultivate."
Then he transformed into a streak of sword light and flew toward Beiming Peak.
Mu Zishuo chased after him, shouting indignantly, "Senior Brother Ji Ning, you're only two years older than me..."
Their youthful voices echoed between the three mountain peaks.
Only after a long while did they gradually fade away, and peace returned.
Red Dragon Mountain Range.
A massive winding mountain range shaped like a dragon.
The entire range was covered in a layer of fiery red.
From afar, it looked like a crimson divine dragon soaring above the endless wilderness.
Whoosh.
A great black ship dove down and landed directly on Welcome Guest Peak, at the dragon-head portion of the Red Dragon Mountain Range.
Then the great black ship vanished, and Xia Manggan appeared where it had been.
In the distance, two Purple Mansion cultivators clad in fiery red armor strode over and barked coldly, "Why have you come to the Red Dragon Mountain Range?"
"I'm looking for someone." Xia Manggan replied calmly. "Tell Lianshan to come out."
"Lianshan?" The two Purple Mansion cultivators were puzzled. Was there such a person in the Yinglong Guard?
Suddenly—
"Haha, Young Master, I guessed you would come."
Immortal Lianshan appeared out of thin air and came before Xia Manggan.
"Oh? How did you guess?"
Xia Manggan was curious.
"Two little girls arrived just now. I have seen them outside Young Master's Di Ta Peak." Immortal Lianshan smiled and asked, "Hadn't they arranged to meet Young Master?"
"..." Xia Manggan shook his head.
He had merely made a trip to Heavenly Treasure Mountain, yet the two of them had already arrived ahead of him.
...They really were determined.
The second update is here. Updates will continue tomorrow morning at 11:45. It's a new week, so please vote and support!
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