With Zhao Ruoning providing protection, the Jiang Family elder did not dare to make a rash move.
However, now that Ye Qing had taken the initiative to speak up and refuse Zhao Ruoning's sanctuary, the Jiang Family Patriarch had every justification to strike openly.
"Hum!"
Suddenly, a violent burst of energy erupted.
The Jiang Family elder launched a powerful, aggressive attack.
Ye Qing summoned the Shura Blood Sword, and a streak of blood-red sword light flashed across the void, slashing horizontally through the air.
Now that Ye Qing's cultivation had broken through to the Yuan Condensation Realm, he was no longer the person he used to be!
Wielding the Shura Blood Sword, he could unleash far greater might.
Even when facing an expert in the Origin Pill Realm, Ye Qing had the confidence to stand his ground.
Having broken through to the Yuan Condensation Realm, primordial energy had formed within Ye Qing's body.
Bolstered by this primordial energy, the power of the Shura Blood Sword became even more terrifying.
The blood-red sword light crisscrossed the air.
In an instant, the Jiang Family elder was forced back.
Seeing the Shura Blood Sword in Ye Qing's hand, clear terror flashed in the elder's eyes.
While Ye Qing's cultivation might not have been much to speak of, the Shura Blood Sword in his hand was undeniably terrifying!
Several Li Family elders were also present.
Their eyes were chillingly cold.
Back in the past, within Golden City, Ye Qing had killed Li Feng, the young master of the Li Family.
The news had already reached the Li Family.
The elders of the Li Family had always wanted to settle the score with Ye Qing.
Tonight, at Zhao Ruoning's banquet, they had originally intended to wait for an opportunity to strike.
Since Ye Qing had rejected Zhao Ruoning's help, the two Li Family elders present didn't bother to waste words; they charged straight at him, releasing an extremely violent aura.
"Stop!"
Zhao Ruoning suddenly made her move, and a shrill, piercing cry echoed through the sky.
The next moment, a terrifying pressure burst forth.
Zhao Ruoning manifested her bloodline manifestation.
The illusory projection of a golden phoenix appeared, lifelike and brimming with endless majesty.
Golden Phoenix Bloodline!
One of the legendary supreme bloodlines.
It shook the entire venue!
The Li Family and Jiang Family elders present all turned pale.
As much as they wanted to kill Ye Qing, the bloodline pressure unleashed by Zhao Ruoning was simply too terrifying.
Without even needing to strike, she had completely suppressed the several Origin Pill Realm elders present.
They didn't even know what tier Zhao Ruoning's manifested Golden Phoenix Bloodline truly was!
However, one thing was certain: the might of the Golden Phoenix Bloodline was far beyond anything they could hope to contend with!
For a martial artist, bloodline talent was paramount.
Zhao Ruoning's bloodline completely dominated the entire arena.
"Ye Qing is my friend!"
Zhao Ruoning reiterated firmly.
"I said it before—no one is allowed to touch him!"
Zhao Ruoning's icy voice echoed throughout the Hall of Heroes.
The many young talents present were utterly shocked.
They simply could not understand why Zhao Ruoning was going to such lengths to protect Ye Qing.
Looking at Ye Qing's cultivation, it was nothing special! He had no particular fame in the capital, nor was he the scion of some prestigious aristocratic family.
"Let's go!"
The two Li Family elders immediately let out cold hunts.
Under the oppressive might of Zhao Ruoning, they had no other choice but to leave.
"Ye Qing, we will settle this score another day!"
"My Jiang Family will not let this rest!"
The Jiang Family elder flicked his sleeve and departed.
In truth, even without Zhao Ruoning's intervention, given the strength of the Jiang Family elder, he wouldn't have been entirely certain of successfully finishing off Ye Qing.
The Shura Blood Sword in Ye Qing's hand was simply too bizarre!
The Jiang Family and Li Family elders left, taking a group of young talents from their respective families with them.
Many people had departed from the Hall of Heroes.
The atmosphere grew heavy and oppressive.
Everyone's heart was filled with profound shock.
Ye Qing had displayed formidable strength, first killing Jiang Ming and then holding his own against a Jiang Family elder.
This was more than enough to prove his prowess.
However, the capital was overflowing with proud prodigies.
Seeing Ye Qing favored by Zhao Ruoning, the other proud talents naturally felt dissatisfied.
Their eyes directed toward Ye Qing were filled with jealousy!
For Zhao Ruoning to protect Ye Qing to this extent, she must have held him in extremely high regard.
Otherwise, she would never have done such a thing!
Inside the Hall of Heroes, the banquet came to a temporary pause.
Following the storm between Ye Qing and the Jiang Family, the other young talents present had lost much of their enthusiasm for the remainder of the banquet.
Zhao Ruoning escorted Ye Qing out.
Along the way, she didn't say much.
However, the admiration in her beautiful eyes was quite apparent.
"Miss Zhao, why did you help me?"
Just as he was about to leave, Ye Qing couldn't help but ask once more.
He and Zhao Ruoning were, in reality, mere strangers who had happened to cross paths.
Ye Qing simply couldn't fathom why Zhao Ruoning kept helping him!
Chapter 29: The Emperor Star Academy Jade Talisman
"Didn't I already tell you last time? Because you're handsome!"
Zhao Ruoning said with a smile.
Ye Qing's mouth twitched.
He certainly didn't believe Zhao Ruoning's nonsense!
If it came to looks, Ye Qing was indeed quite handsome.
However, relying solely on good looks to make someone constantly help him was probably out of the question!
"Fine, since you won't say, then I won't ask!"
"However, I will repay you for all your help in the future!"
With that, Ye Qing took his younger sister and left the Hall of Heroes.
Tonight's situation proved that not only was the Jiang Family out to get him, but the powerful Li Family was as well.
Back in Golden City, Ye Qing had killed many members of the Li Family, forging a blood feud—the kind where one side had to die.
Without Zhao Ruoning stepping in tonight, Ye Qing's situation would have been genuinely perilous.
Dealing with Origin Pill Realm experts was still quite troublesome for Ye Qing. At best, he could manage a fight against someone who had just stepped into the Origin Pill Realm, and that still required unleashing the full might of the Shura Blood Sword!
Along the way, Ye Qing returned to the inn.
Now, all that was left was to wait for tomorrow's Emperor Star Academy enrollment trials.
That night, Ye Qing and Ye Mengling rested in their room.
Suddenly, Ye Qing's eyes narrowed slightly as he sensed a powerful aura right outside his room.
However, that powerful aura did not seem to carry any hostility toward Ye Qing.
With a soft squeak, Ye Qing pushed open the door.
There, standing at the threshold, was an elderly woman with white hair.
"Senior, you are..."
Ye Qing's eyes narrowed. The white-haired woman gave him a terrifying feeling—she was at least an Origin Pill Realm expert, and quite possibly even stronger.
"My young miss sent me!"
"You may rest easy tonight, young master!"
The white-haired woman spoke slowly.
Ye Qing nodded.
"Please convey my thanks to Miss Zhao."
With that, Ye Qing returned to the room to watch over his sister as she rested.
With the white-haired woman present, Ye Qing felt much more at ease.
Her strength was formidable!
Zhao Ruoning sending her here was clearly out of concern that people from the Jiang and Li families might come make trouble again.
While they didn't dare make a move at the Hall of Heroes, now that Ye Qing and Ye Mengling were back at the inn, the Jiang and Li families wouldn't have so many misgivings.
If they were to attack, it would be extremely disadvantageous for Ye Qing.
Zhao Ruoning's foresight was thorough indeed. She believed in seeing a good deed through to the end!
The white-haired woman stood guard at the doorway like an iron pagoda.
The aura emanating from her made ordinary people too afraid to even approach.
Ye Qing estimated that her cultivation had reached the Life Wheel Realm.
In the Great Zhou Empire, the legendary Life Wheel Realm undoubtedly represented top-tier combat power.
The night passed quietly.
Ye Mengling slept soundly.
Ye Qing stayed by her bedside the entire night without sleeping, sitting cross-legged in meditation.
In theory, with the white-haired woman providing protection, Ye Qing didn't need to worry.
However, Ye Qing was accustomed to cultivating at night.
Now that his cultivation had reached the Yuan Condensation Realm, going without sleep for a few days and nights posed no problem at all.
Meditating allowed him to absorb the primordial energy of heaven and earth, yielding far better results than simple sleep and rest.
Early in the morning, his younger sister woke up.
"Brother, can we go to Emperor Star Academy today?"
Ye Mengling sat up, rubbed her eyes, and broke into a brilliant, smiling face.
She had clearly already put the events of the previous night behind her.
As long as she was by Ye Qing's side, her spirits remained high.
"Yes! As long as I can become an inner disciple of Emperor Star Academy, we'll be able to live right inside the academy!"
"I heard there are outstanding alchemists and renowned physicians inside Emperor Star Academy!"
"Little sister, I will cure your congenital chill condition very soon!"
Ye Qing said solemnly.
Joining Emperor Star Academy wasn't just about boosting his own strength; it was also for his sister's chill condition!
With talented individuals emerging in droves and strong experts crowding the academy, he might just find a solution there!
...
Before long, Ye Qing and his sister arrived outside Emperor Star Academy.
The academy's recruitment of new disciples was taking place just outside its gates.
By the time Ye Qing arrived, many proud talents had already gathered outside the academy.
Among them were even peerless prodigies who had reached the Origin Pill Realm.
To have broken through to the Origin Pill Realm before the age of twenty meant their talent was terrifying!
For ordinary geniuses, becoming a disciple of Emperor Star Academy was simply impossible.
If Ye Qing wanted to bring his sister along to live inside the academy, ordinary disciples likely didn't even have such privileges.
One had to bear in mind that his sister couldn't cultivate and was merely an ordinary person.
Presumably, one had to become an exceptionally outstanding disciple of Emperor Star Academy to be permitted to bring outsiders to live within its grounds.
Outside the academy, it was a sea of people.
Many proud talents had already made their preparations.
Ye Qing's arrival immediately drew the attention of the crowd.
Some of the proud talents present had attended Zhao Ruoning's birthday banquet the previous night.
At the banquet, they had witnessed Ye Qing's astonishing strength, leaving their hearts deeply shaken.
Regardless of anything else, Ye Qing possessed the capital to contend with an Origin Pill Realm elder of the Jiang Family.
Among the youth of the Great Zhou Empire, very few could achieve such a feat.
"Everyone, the new disciple assessment of Emperor Star Academy is about to begin!"
"If you obtained a jade talisman from our academy in advance, step forward and hand it over, and you may directly become inner disciples of our Emperor Star Academy!"
Amidst the crowd, a black-robed elder spoke up.
His gaze landed on Ye Qing, a flash of cold intent blooming in his eyes.
It seemed his hostility toward Ye Qing ran deep.
Ye Qing's eyes narrowed slightly; he had a lingering feeling that this elder from Emperor Star Academy was harboring malicious intentions!
However, since the academy's elder had spoken, and Ye Qing possessed a jade talisman, becoming an inner disciple should theoretically be a done deal.
The various privileges enjoyed by inner disciples of Emperor Star Academy far surpassed those of outer disciples.
Outer disciples could only live alone in the outer courtyard and were not permitted to bring anyone in with them.
Furthermore, the quality of instruction and the various cultivation resources available to outer disciples paled significantly in comparison to those of inner disciples.
"Swish!"
Holding his sister's soft hand, Ye Qing stepped out from the crowd.
The cultivation aura emanating from Ye Qing was unremarkable, placing him nearly at the very bottom tier.
After all, among the younger generation in the capital of the Great Zhou Empire, anyone daring to come participate in the Emperor Star Academy admissions was at least in the Yuan Condensation Realm.
Moreover, quite a few of them had reached the Condensing Yuan Sixth Stage or higher, boasting formidable talent!
And yet, even they were considered relatively ordinary figures within the capital.
The true proud talents of the capital had already broken through to the Origin Pill Realm before the age of twenty.
Furthermore, most of them had awakened bloodlines that reached the five-star level, while slightly lesser ones possessed four-star bloodlines.
"Elder, I have a jade talisman!"
Ye Qing walked up to the Emperor Star Academy elder and produced the jade talisman he carried.
The jade talisman of Emperor Star Academy was crafted from special materials, making it recognizable at a glance.
The talisman Ye Qing produced was the genuine article!
"You do indeed have a jade talisman, but you cannot become an inner disciple of our Emperor Star Academy!"
The elder said with a gloomy expression and an icy tone.
Chapter 30: Emperor Star Academy Assessment
Ye Qing's expression shifted slightly.
If he couldn't become an inner disciple, he would be separated from his sister.
Because outer disciples had no authority to bring anyone to live within the academy.
If he could only become an outer disciple, his choice would undoubtedly be to leave Emperor Star Academy and join another sect or faction!
While Emperor Star Academy was the strongest force in the Great Zhou Empire, that didn't mean joining other sects or academies offered no future.
In martial arts cultivation, one ultimately had to rely on oneself!
"Kid, your cultivation is too poor; you simply cannot meet the recruitment standards of our Emperor Star Academy!"
"A jade talisman in your hands is useless!"
"You'd better scram back where you came from!"
The Emperor Star Academy elder sneered, his eyes filled with icy hostility.
Ye Qing's expression darkened.
For the other party to show such a lack of face felt deliberately targeted at him!
"Elder, those with a jade talisman are entitled to enter Emperor Star Academy and become inner disciples. Your actions surely violate the rules, don't they?"
Ye Qing said in a deep voice.
"Do my actions require you to chime in and interrupt? If I say you don't pass, then you don't pass!"
"With your cultivation level, the only way for you to join Emperor Star Academy is by passing the assessment!"
The Emperor Star Academy elder continued.
Ye Qing's eyes narrowed.
Having him take the assessment wasn't a problem in itself.
However, what worried him was whether this academy elder would continue to make things difficult for him!
"If you aren't participating in the assessment, get lost and stop wasting everyone else's time!"
The elder said coldly, his eyes sharp with hostility.
From the conversations of other martial artists participating in the trials, Ye Qing learned that this elder from Emperor Star Academy was known as Elder Li!
Ye Qing suspected there might be some connection between him and the Li Family.
Otherwise, there was no reason for him to be targeted like this.
"Fine, I'll participate!"
Ye Qing nodded and walked back into the crowd.
Apart from the martial artists taking the assessment, there were many spectators present.
Furthermore, the academy had designated a specific viewing area for incoming spectators.
Ye Qing settled his sister in the spectator area and then prepared to take part in the Emperor Star Academy assessment.
In theory, passing the academy's regular assessment would only make one an outer disciple.
However, exceptional performance could still earn one the status of an inner disciple.
Emperor Star Academy was divided into the outer courtyard, inner courtyard, and core courtyard!
Inner disciples constituted the backbone of Emperor Star Academy.
Yet above the inner disciples lay the legendary core disciples.
The perks and privileges they enjoyed were even more generous!
Core disciples were extremely few in number.
Every single core disciple received heavy emphasis and nurturing from the academy.
By comparison, inner disciples could merely be considered outstanding, whereas core disciples were true monstrous talents.
Wanting to become a core disciple of Emperor Star Academy likely required breaking through to the Origin Pill Realm before the age of twenty at the very least.
Otherwise, there was simply no hope whatsoever!
As time passed, more and more martial artists arrived to take part in the Emperor Star Academy assessment.
There were easily around a thousand people!
Moreover, the young martial artists who dared to come practically all held a degree of confidence in their own strength.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have dared to show their faces here.
"Everyone, the new disciple assessment of Emperor Star Academy now begins!"
"Please move and follow me into the outer courtyard to begin the test!"
With those words, Elder Li of Emperor Star Academy led the group inside the academy grounds.
The assessment venue had been set up further inside.
Within the academy lay a vast martial arts drill field.
And upon that drill field stood numerous golden war drums.
Whether one could pass the introductory assessment depended entirely on those golden war drums.
Those who could make the war drums resound would earn a chance to become a disciple of Emperor Star Academy.
Those who couldn't even make the golden war drums ring were destined to have no ties to the academy.
Many of the young martial artists present cast their gazes toward the golden war drums on the drill field, eager to try!
"Everyone, the first stage of the Emperor Star Academy new disciple assessment is to make the golden war drums sound twice! As long as you can achieve that, you will have the chance to proceed to the next round of trials!"
As Elder Li's voice faded, the first round of the assessment officially commenced.
The assessments of Emperor Star Academy were notoriously difficult—a fact well known to everyone.
Just making those golden war drums on the drill field resound was bound to be a formidable challenge!
A brilliant light flashed in Ye Qing's eyes.
He was eager to try the upcoming assessment!
Striking the golden war drums tested one's physical strength, the abundance of primordial energy within their body, and their bloodline.
The stronger a person's combat power, the easier it was to make the golden war drums ring!
Ye Qing possessed the six-star Desolate Fire Dragon Bloodline, which provided a considerable amplification to his physical strength.
Having powerful bloodline strength was his greatest capital.
"Brother, do your best! I believe you can definitely do it!"
Not far away in the spectator area, Ye Mengling gazed at Ye Qing with eyes full of anticipation.
"Mm!"
Ye Qing smiled.
However, the number of golden battle platforms on the drill field was limited, requiring participants to queue up for the assessment.
It wasn't Ye Qing's turn just yet.