First Arrival at Dragon Firmament, Troubles Within and Threats Without

[Martial Sect... Water and Fire Sect...]

[Finished!]

He never dreamed that his mission to track down a murderer would lead him to simultaneously stumble upon the core successors of these two sacred lands!

Cold sweat poured down his forehead in a flash!

"Two... two fairies..." He hastily forced a smile that looked more like a grimace, bowing deeply as he lowered his posture. "I am Zhao Wujiang of the Ice Evil Sect. I was unaware that you two fairies were here. I apologize for any inconvenience caused!"

He knew in his heart that although he was also Golden Core, compared to the two people in front of him, he was worlds apart!

The Golden Core Elixir also has nine stages!

He himself was merely a "Fourth-Turn Mid-Grade Golden Core cultivator," and in the Ice Evil Sect, he could only be considered an ordinary elder.

But these two in front of us are the real deal... "Ninth-Turn Supreme-Grade Golden Core"!

That's the kind of being that went berserk on the "Astral Battlefield"! Truly... invincible among their peers!

"Oh?"

Shui Yan'er and Qin Rushuang both turned their gazes toward him.

Zhao Wujiang felt as if he were being crushed by two invisible, ancient divine mountains, making it difficult for him to even breathe!

"That... that..." he said with difficulty, pointing downwards, his voice trembling, "That... the person who killed my sect's deacon..."

Shui Yan'er and Qin Rushuang simply watched him quietly without saying a word.

Zhao Wujiang felt like he was about to cry.

Driven by a surge of survival instinct, he didn't hesitate and slapped himself hard across the face!

"Smack!"

"Just one Foundation Establishment died! Good riddance! Wonderful death!"

He declared righteously, "Those kinds of trash who tarnish the reputation of my sect should have died long ago! You two fairies need not concern yourselves with them! I... will take my leave now!"

He knew that today, he had to take a step back.

Otherwise, it wouldn't be a vast and boundless expanse.

Instead... there was no trace of the body!

On the other side, as the Dongfang Yueming pierced through the last mountain range, a magnificent city, resembling a coiled dragon, finally came into view.

That is where Dragon Firmament Academy is located— Dragon Firmament City.

However, as soon as he stepped through the city gate, Dongfang Yueming keenly sensed something was amiss.

A conversation filled with worry and sighs reached his ears from a pavilion not far ahead.

"Alas, the world is going to the dogs! How glorious my Dragon Firmament Academy was in its heyday! Now, it is beset by internal and external troubles, teetering on the brink of collapse!"

"Who can argue with that? The Dean is in seclusion, his fate unknown. Meanwhile, the Grand Elder, Shi Tianxiong, is colluding with outsiders; his wolfish ambitions are blatantly obvious!"

"I heard that the Grand Elder has completely sided with the ' Heavenly Star Sect '! He's planning to merge our entire Dragon Firmament Academy into it, making it one of their branch academies!"

"What?! The Heavenly Star Sect? That's a genuine second-tier power!"

"Although the Vice Dean strongly opposed it,... the Grand Elder's faction was simply too powerful to resist!"

Upon hearing this, Dongfang Yueming frowned slightly.

[Shi Qing...]

A sense of unease rose in his heart.

Given her nature of hating evil, she probably won't have an easy time in this kind of internal strife.

Without the slightest hesitation, he dashed towards the gate of the Dragon Firmament Academy!

Dragon Firmament Academy, in front of the mountain gate.

At this moment, it was already packed with people, bustling with activity.

Countless young geniuses from neighboring dynasties, filled with anticipation and excitement, lined up in long queues, awaiting the annual... entrance examination.

Looking at the bustling scene before him, Dongfang Yueming's eyes flashed with surprise.

I thought the infighting within the academy would make this place deserted. But I never expected...

"Hey bro, new here, huh?" A young man who seemed quite outgoing approached, grinning, and said, "Judging from your expression, do you think it's weird?"

"Yes, some."

"Hey, what's so strange about that!" the young man said in a low voice, with a mysterious tone, "Don't let the current state of the Dragon Firmament Academy fool you. It might seem like a chaotic mess right now, but things are about to change!"

"I heard that Elder Shi Tianxiong is about to take over the entire academy! At that time, our Dragon Firmament Academy will be merged into the true second-tier power, the ' Heavenly Star Sect '! That's a behemoth with Golden Core Ancestor at its helm!"

"Although that Grand Elder is ruthless, and his grandson Shi Hao is even more arrogant and domineering, bullying us ordinary students quite often... but... we can't stop them from getting on the Heavenly Star Sect Sect's coattails!"

"At that time, we'll all be disciples of a 'second-tier power'! It'll be a source of pride for us!"

Listening to the excited and hopeful discussions around him, Dongfang Yueming shook his head.

[A bunch of... idiots who got sold out and are still helping to count the money.]

He glanced at the seemingly endless line of new students registering, and his brow furrowed again.

[If we have to queue to get in, who knows when we'll get in.]

His gaze shifted to the other side, landing on that deserted passageway.

A striking banner hung high above.

[Dragon Firmament Academy urgently recruiting guest instructors! Only those at the Innate Realm are eligible!]

There, too, was a table, but behind it sat a middle-aged instructor whose aura had reached the Late-Stage Innate.

Without the slightest hesitation, Dongfang Yueming walked straight towards the passage.

"Hey! Bro! Where are you going?!" The outgoing young man next to him, seeing this, was shocked and quickly tried to pull him back. "Over there... you can't just wander over there!"

However, his hand grasped at empty air.

Dongfang Yueming's actions instantly attracted everyone's attention!

"Who is that guy? Is he crazy?"

"He... he wouldn't be thinking of going that way, would he?"

"Are you kidding me! That's... the channel for recruiting mentors!"

"That's right! To become a mentor at our Dragon Firmament Academy, you need to reach the Innate Realm at the very least!"

Amidst a chorus of shocked and uproarious discussion, Dongfang Yueming slowly walked up to the middle-aged instructor.