Chapter 173: Divine Beasts of the Imperial Dynasty

"Isn't this the infamous evil dragon of the Black Night Pavilion in recent decades? It is said that your missions have never failed," Li Mengjia looked at the mysterious figure of the black dragon and smiled, but his laughter was somewhat cold, causing the temperature of the entire hall to drop several degrees.

The disciples of the Star Pavilion looked at the mysterious figure known as the evil dragon with vigilance.

The evil dragon ignored them and stared straight at Li Mengjia, saying with a smile, "Li Yuanba is just a pawn. The real mastermind is Qin Jun. Even if you kill Li Yuanba, your grudge will not be resolved. He is a demonic king-level battle pet. If it were me, I would definitely not give up."

Li Mengjia's face instantly darkened.

"Qin Jun killed my junior brother. He must die. Why don't we join forces and achieve twice the result with half the effort?" The evil dragon continued to persuade. After observing Qin Jun for a long time and collecting a lot of information, he knew that there were many strong individuals around Qin Jun, and he alone would not be enough.

However, his father had assigned him the task, so he could only continue with it.

"Qin Jun..." Li Mengjia's eyes flickered. He naturally knew some rumors about Qin Jun and Li Yuanba. The cultivators joked that Li Yuanba was Qin Jun's lackey. At first, he didn't believe it, as both were monstrous geniuses, how could one serve the other? Moreover, Li Yuanba was obviously much stronger than Qin Jun. Now, it seemed that the rumors were likely true.

"If Qin Jun and Li Yuanba join forces, the outcome of this year's Hidden Dragon Martial Arts Tournament is almost certain. To prevent Emperor Nan Zhuo from trying to win over Qin Jun, I am planning to incite rumors in the streets, claiming that Qin Jun is the true culprit behind the branch of the Shenyantang in Luoyan City," the evil dragon said with a malicious glint in his eyes.

Little did he know, it was indeed Qin Jun who had done that.

Li Mengjia couldn't help but ponder. A sly smile appeared on his face, "If Qin Jun grows up, he might become someone like Ren Wuhui. Why should I let you kill him? What evidence do you have to prove that Qin Jun ordered Li Yuanba to kill my beloved pet?"

"Master, there are so many geniuses in the world, but how many are like Ren Wuhui? If he is dissatisfied with you, and if he grows up, the Nan Zhuo Empire will be blessed, but you..." The evil dragon stopped because he saw that Li Mengjia's expression had turned ugly, and he knew that his words had had an effect.

The biggest and most common flaw of those in power is their suspicion.

Although Li Mengjia understood that the evil dragon's words might not be true, he couldn't help but think in the worst direction. If Li Yuanba was killed by him, could Qin Jun get away with it?

Clearly not!

At the thought of this, a fierce light flashed in Li Mengjia's eyes.

...

Unaware that the Star Pavilion and the Black Night Pavilion were about to join forces to deal with him, Qin Jun arrived at a mansion in the territory of the Shenyantang.

"Until the end of the Hidden Dragon Martial Arts Tournament, you will all stay here. During your free time, you can roam around, but be careful not to cause trouble. Otherwise, you will be dealt with according to the law, without considering the opinions of your kingdom," Fei Yushu reminded them with a faint smile on his face, but his words carried a sense of oppression that brooked no doubt.

The group nodded and walked towards the mansion's gate.

"Qin Jun, Li Yuanba, come with me," Fei Yushu suddenly spoke, causing everyone's gaze to fall on Qin Jun and Li Yuanba. Qin Jun was taken aback for a moment, then nodded and led Li Yuanba towards him.

Sha Wujing and Taibai Jinxing followed closely behind, ensuring Qin Jun's safety.

Fei Yushu didn't say anything about it. After all, he had no intention of harming Qin Jun.

As they watched the group leave, the other participants from Luoyan City were in an uproar.

"They are trying to win over Qin Jun and Li Yuanba!"

"Hmm, at the Yulong Inn that day, Qin Jun refused the Shenyantang once."

"Things are different now. Back then, the Shenyantang sent an envoy, but this time it's a personal invitation from the five elders."

"Yes, with the recommendation of the five elders, if Qin Jun and Li Yuanba join the Shenyantang, they will soar to great heights!"

"Envious. Why is there such a big difference between people?"

The cultivators discussed fervently, but in the end, they could only enter the mansion and prepare to rest. As long as they performed well, they didn't need to fear someone like Qin Jun, a monstrous genius.

...

On the other side, Qin Jun and his group followed Fei Yushu to a small attic.

"I'll get straight to the point. I want to take you as my disciples and have you join our Shenyantang," Fei Yushu sat on a stone bench and smiled as he spoke.

As expected!

Qin Jun raised an eyebrow and then smiled, "The management of the Shenyantang is too strict. After the Hidden Dragon Martial Arts Tournament, I have to go back to be the emperor. I'm afraid it's not suitable."

The assassination that night had made him have no favorable impression of the Shenyantang, and he even felt a bit repulsed. How could he possibly join the Shenyantang?

"Don't worry, becoming my disciple doesn't require you to carry out tasks like ordinary disciples," Fei Yushu waved his hand and smiled.

Damn it!

My polite refusal is just to give you a way out!

Qin Jun cursed in his heart and began to think about how to refuse Fei Yushu. If he was too direct, Fei Yushu might hinder him in the subsequent competitions, no matter how strong he was, he was afraid of underhanded tactics!

"Chirp—"

Just then, a metallic screech came from high in the sky. Qin Jun instinctively looked up and was stunned, his face showing a look of disbelief.

In the sky, there was a giant firebird flying, its body engulfed in flames, making the sky seem like dusk was approaching. Even from a distance of several kilometers, its immense size was still awe-inspiring.

"So... big..."

Qin Jun was speechless, it was the first time he had seen such a large bird.

Does this description sound a bit strange?

Lord Qin shuddered all over, blinked his eyes, and upon closer inspection, he saw the giant firebird flying towards the towering palace in the center of the imperial capital.

Both Tai Bai Venus, Sha Wujing, and Li Yuanba were staring at the enormous firebird. Tai Bai Venus said with a serious expression, "I never expected to find a Vermilion Bird within the Southern Zhuo Dynasty!"

Vermilion Bird?

Lord Qin was shaken. If the Vermilion Bird had appeared, did that mean the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise also existed?

"Each dynasty has its own mythical beast," murmured Fei Yushu as he watched the Vermilion Bird fly away.

"Alright, you all take some time to consider this. I have to leave for something," said Fei Yushu before disappearing without a trace.

Lord Qin pondered, stroking his chin. Each dynasty has its own mythical beast? He remembered Tai Bai Venus mentioning that upgrading a kingdom to an empire was not just about increasing national strength, but also required other conditions.

Could it be that mythical beasts were one of those conditions?

"That Vermilion Bird possesses the strength of a sixth-level Heavenly Immortal," Sha Wujing said with narrowed eyes. This statement surprised both Tai Bai Venus and Li Yuanba. They couldn't discern the Vermilion Bird's strength, but Sha Wujing could. What did that mean?

It meant that Sha Wujing was at least a sixth-level Heavenly Immortal!

He was superior, not inferior!

"It seems that something big is about to happen in the imperial capital," Lord Qin said with narrowed eyes. The fact that Fei Yushu left in such a hurry indicated that something unexpected had occurred. Combined with the recent cases of cultivators dying in various cities, he increasingly felt that this year's Hidden Dragon Martial Arts Tournament was not going to be peaceful.