Chapter 8

Time flew swiftly, and before they knew it, the bustling day in Fire City had arrived.

On this day, the vast city was bustling with activity. The city lord was getting married, and to a principal wife at that, which was undoubtedly a grand event. Everywhere one looked, lanterns were hung and drums were beaten.

"The final selection of the Yanhuang Academy is being held at the city lord's residence today. After the city lord completes the wedding ceremony, he can watch the event with the guests, allowing the young people to perform and add to the festive atmosphere."

"It is said that the city lord will formally confer the title of heir to Young Master Li Zifeng after he obtains the Yanhuang Order, and announce it to the entire city."

"For our Fire City, this is truly a double celebration."

In the early morning, Li Tianming pushed Wei Jing into the courtyard, letting her enjoy the warm rays of the morning sun.

Mother knew that today was a special day.

"Mother, I should go now." With the Yanhuang Order, he would take her away from this place of sorrow.

"Go ahead." Wei Jing squinted in the sunlight, her long hair already gray, but still gleaming in the sun.

"Don't you have something inspiring to say? Give me some pep talk or something?" Li Tianming asked with a smile.

"What pep talk? Where is there any chicken blood?" Little Yellow Chicken flipped down from Li Tianming's head, looking fierce.

Her nervous appearance successfully made both mother and son laugh.

Amidst the laughter, there was no sense of tension before the battle.

"Go, I'll take a nap, and you'll be back." Wei Jing said gently.

This battle was important, but she did not give Li Tianming any pressure. She might be the person who had the most confidence in him in the world.

"Alright." Li Tianming helped her comb her white hair, his movements very skilled.

After combing it, he gently patted Wei Jing's shoulder, then without looking back, set off on his journey.

Under the sunlight, a tear rolled down from Wei Jing's squinting eyes, a smile curling at the corner of her mouth.

It seemed that this tear did not represent sadness or worry, but a new beginning.

Everyone knew how much dignity she had lost in Fire City, even her youth and dreams were buried here.

But today, she also yearned for her beloved child to reclaim everything that belonged to them!

...

Today, the city lord's residence in Fire City was like a heavily made-up beauty, brightly lit and bustling with people.

It was said that not only the prominent figures of Fire City, but also guests from many other cities, and even experts from the capital of the Vermilion Bird Kingdom, 'Yanzhou,' were present.

In this regard, Li Yanfeng, one of the top experts in the southern border of the Vermilion Bird Kingdom, had a great deal of prestige and influence, especially in recent years, his status had been rising.

Rumors had it that after establishing a connection with the Thunder Venerable's residence, Li Yanfeng's future was no longer limited to Fire City; he had even greater prospects.

In the southern border of the Vermilion Bird Kingdom, Li Yanfeng was undoubtedly the most prominent figure.

Li Tianming did not want to see him get married, so he planned to enter the city lord's residence only after the ceremony was over and the Yanhuang Academy final selection was about to begin.

"Li Tianming, you can't go in." When Li Tianming approached the city lord's residence again, the deputy commander of the city guard, 'Ma Chaoyuan,' stopped him with a cold expression.

"Why not?"

"You don't have an invitation, and you're not a member of the city lord's household. If you go in and cause a scene, my head will roll." Ma Chaoyuan said sternly. He wasn't a bad person, but he had to enforce the rules.

"Let him in." Just as Li Tianming was about to force his way in, a female voice came from inside. It was Li Xuejiao, who happened to be passing by.

With her word, Ma Chaoyuan did not stop him anymore, as it was no longer his responsibility.

"Don't cause trouble. Times have changed, don't go in standing and come out lying down." Ma Chaoyuan warned, giving Li Tianming a stern look.

"Thanks for the good luck." Li Tianming walked past him and entered the city lord's residence.

"You really dared to come. I thought you had already fled Fire City like a stray dog." Li Xuejiao crossed her arms, looking at him with a cold gaze.

"Is it at the Wind Listening Pavilion?" Li Tianming ignored her, looking ahead and getting straight to the point.

"Yes."

He knew why Li Xuejiao wanted him to come in; it was simply to make him fail and pay for beating her last time.

Li Tianming and she went directly to the 'Wind Listening Pavilion,' where the grand event was being held today.

The Wind Listening Pavilion was very large, with a huge square in front called the 'Wind Listening Terrace.' Li Tianming had almost spent sixteen years training and growing up on this Wind Listening Terrace.

Now, the Wind Listening Pavilion was crowded with people, and many young people had been waiting for a long time, filled with excitement.

The city lord had just completed his wedding ceremony in front of many high-ranking officials, which meant that the Yanhuang Academy final selection, as a part of the celebration, was about to begin!

Li Tianming chose to come at this time because he did not care who Li Yanfeng was marrying. He had already been expelled from the city lord's residence, and everything here was no longer related to him.

"This new lady of Fire City is both beautiful and alluring, truly a beauty that brings disaster. No wonder she has bewitched Father so much." Li Xuejiao said, looking in the direction of the Wind Listening Feast. She had just seen Li Yanfeng's new bride.

However, Li Tianming was not interested in any beauty. His goal today was only one: Li Zifeng, and the Yanhuang Order.

To put it more complexly, it was to let everyone in Fire City see that he, Li Tianming, had returned, and then he would leave here with dignity!

He had already seen Li Zifeng, who was waiting in front of the Wind Listening Pavilion. As the focus of everyone's attention, Li Zifeng was dressed very formally today, but even so, he could not hide his carefree nature.

Now, a group of his friends were gathered, discussing topics such as the figure of a certain female beast master and the skills of the top performer at the Jade Green Tower.

The Yanhuang Academy final selection had many talented young men and women from various places, many of whom were very attractive, but even so, Li Zifeng was still a standout among them.

No wonder it was rumored that Li Yanfeng was very satisfied with his growth and performance over the years.

"Father has already arranged a teacher from the Yanhuang Academy for Second Brother, who will specifically protect him. You never had such treatment, did you?" Li Xuejiao said with a cold laugh.

She stood next to Li Tianming to watch him lose face up close.

Just as she finished speaking, a group of people appeared on the Wind Listening Pavilion, taking their seats on the high platform, from where they could easily see the entire Wind Listening Terrace.

As the main character of the day, Li Yanfeng naturally took the central seat.

This man was tall and straight, with slightly graying temples. After sitting down, he placed his hands on the armrests of his chair, his hands strong and powerful, exuding boundless strength.

Just by sitting there, he had a commanding presence that made the previously noisy Wind Listening Terrace fall into a dead silence. The young people, under his aura, dared not lift their heads.

Born from humble beginnings, Li Yanfeng was a prodigy in his youth. He started from scratch, fought his way through, and now sat in the position of city lord of Fire City. Many of his legendary stories were still told among the people.

Next to Li Yanfeng, a woman in red sat gracefully. Although she did not possess Li Yanfeng's aura, she was the focus of attention at this moment.

Li Xuejiao said this woman was a temptress, and indeed, she was.

She wore a bright red silk dress with a low neckline, her alluring figure was far beyond that of a teenage girl. In the sunlight, her face was like a lotus, her eyebrows like willows, her skin as white as snow, and her eyes, more enchanting than peach blossoms, were very captivating. Her black hair was styled into a high beauty bun, and the pearls in her hair sparkled in the sunlight. Her red lips were slightly upturned, as if the entire city lord's residence was already under her control.

She was Li Yanfeng's new wife, 'Liu Qing,' from the Thunder Venerable's residence.

Even among the guests, there were many experts of Li Yanfeng's level, and his other six wives were also present, but on this grand occasion, none of them could match the brilliance of these two.

Especially the world-class temptress, who made the young men's mouths dry and dared not look at her for too long.

Li Tianming glanced at her too. He indeed admitted that this woman was very charming, her allure enough to make one lose their heart, but she was from the Thunder Venerable's residence, and with such an identity, Li Tianming only felt disgust.

Their appearance for the competition indicated that the Yanhuang Academy final selection was about to begin.

"Feng, I can see that within Fire City, Zifeng indeed has no real opponents." On the Wind Listening Pavilion, Liu Qing's voice was soft and sweet.

"Zifeng has grown well in Fire City." Li Yanfeng said.

"I heard you have another son who once went to the Yanhuang Academy and offended our Thunder Venerable's 'Little Monster'?" Liu Qing asked.

"He is already a waste, no need to mention him again." Li Yanfeng said with a deep gaze.

"Oh, I understand." Liu Qing smiled, her face like a peach blossom.

Amidst the attention of the crowd, Li Yanfeng waved his hand, and someone immediately came out to announce, "The Yanhuang Academy final selection is now officially beginning."

At that moment, the Wind Listening Terrace erupted!

"I, will fight!" As expected, with Li Zifeng's showy and arrogant personality, he had no patience.

Just as the selection began, he was the first to step onto the Wind Listening Terrace and summoned his companion beast, the 'Purple-Eyed Ming Bird,' from the companion space.

The Purple-Eyed Ming Bird, burning with purple flames, stood side by side with the heroic Li Zifeng, exuding a scorching and fierce aura. The Purple-Eyed Ming Bird, with its two eyes, was extremely fierce, and its gaze made many people shudder.

"Who dares to come up and fight? I'm not afraid of a series of battles!" Li Zifeng scanned the crowd, his youthful blood boiling, full of passion and fighting spirit.

On the Wind Listening Pavilion, Li Yanfeng heard many praises.

"City Lord Li, your son is truly a hero, full of courage, daring to be the first to step up and accept the challenge."

"It's clear that his Purple-Eyed Ming Bird has truly inherited the city lord's skills."

Li Yanfeng smiled slightly and said, "Zifeng has made great progress recently. In Fire City, he surpasses his peers, so he is naturally confident."

"Indeed, he is much stronger than the previous one." An old man sighed.

"Li Tianming? What a pity." Another person sighed.

Li Yanfeng did not like hearing them discuss Li Tianming, especially with so many people from the Thunder Venerable's residence present, but there were always a few who were not very smart.

"Don't mention those who are not here." Li Yanfeng's voice grew cold.

Those who understood quickly shut up. After all, they had all heard that before the wedding, Li Yanfeng had divorced his wife and expelled the mother and son, ensuring that Fire City would no longer have that laughingstock.

While they were talking, someone had already stepped up to challenge Li Zifeng.

A beast master and their companion beast faced off against another beast master and their companion beast.

The challenger was named 'Du Yong,' and his companion beast was a 'Green Wind Wolf.' When this large wolf with green fur appeared in front of the Purple-Eyed Ming Bird, everyone knew it was just cannon fodder.

Sure enough, Li Zifeng did not even move, and his companion beast drove the opponent and the wolf off the stage, burning them black.

"Too weak, are they all useless? Keep coming!" Li Zifeng was very arrogant, and his actions were particularly brutal.

He was lazy to fight more, and under the rules of the competition, he intimidated others by severely injuring his opponents, so he could get the Yanhuang Order faster!

Another person stepped up, and Li Zifeng did not move again; his fifth-stage companion beast handled it!

A fifth-stage companion beast had a very high growth limit! Anyone with a fifth-stage companion beast was basically a genius in the Vermilion Bird Kingdom.

"Is there anyone else?" Li Zifeng dominated, eliminating over ten people, mostly with fierce defeats, leaving the Wind Listening Terrace in chaos.

The later challengers posed a slight threat, but they were still no match for him.

"Li Zifeng, has he broken through to the seventh stage of the Beast Pulse Realm?"

"So strong, it must be. Four years ago, when Li Tianming obtained the Yanhuang Order, he was only at the sixth stage of the Beast Pulse Realm."

"Unbelievable, Li Zifeng is even more talented, no wonder the city lord favors this second son."

"Seventh stage of the Beast Pulse Realm, he's sure to enter the Yanhuang Academy."

"See, the city lord is already smiling."

Indeed, seeing Li Zifeng's dominance, defeating over thirty people without a single worthy opponent, he was truly shining, making Li Yanfeng very proud.

About half an hour later, Li Zifeng had defeated everyone, and no one dared to step up anymore.

"Truly a prodigy, a world-class talent! Our Fire City's heir should be such a remarkable youth!"

"Li Zifeng, though a bit arrogant, is indeed a true successor to the city lord!"

For a moment, praises were everywhere.

While praising, they naturally thought of the person who had dominated here four years ago. Although they felt sorry, given Li Yanfeng's attitude and the scandal three years ago, they still had to say: those who are pitiable must have something hateful about them.

The new future of Fire City was undoubtedly in Li Zifeng.

"Father, no one is challenging anymore, I've won." Li Zifeng was very satisfied, looking up at the Wind Listening Pavilion with excitement. When he saw Li Yanfeng's smile, he knew everything was settled.

On the Wind Listening Pavilion, Li Yanfeng suddenly stood up, lightly leaping down in front of Li Zifeng. Although it looked light, the pressure he brought to the young people was like a giant beast landing, even the Purple-Eyed Ming Bird was now crouching on the ground under his authority.

Perhaps, in his hand, he already held the Yanhuang Order from Yanhuang!

...

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