"Brother Ling, everything now depends on you."

Feng Yan sighed softly. He had just broken through to the Human Emperor realm and should have been at the height of his confidence. Instead, he suffered a devastating blow and even lost an arm. The turn of events was truly miserable.

"Brother Feng, right?"

Since Ling Feng had no intention of taking him along, Lin Mu did not press the matter. With Ling Feng's strength, even the Heaven Slaying Ten Absolutes had fallen to him. Dealing with a rebel in the Tianbai Empire should be effortless.

Lin Mu strode over to Feng Yan's bedside and introduced himself.

"My name is Lin Mu. I am one of Brother Ling's companions from Dongling Immortal Pool. I am rather curious about Brother Ling's past. If Brother Feng does not mind, perhaps you could tell me about this Yan Jinghong. Who exactly is he?"

At Lin Mu's question, Li Fei and the others instinctively leaned closer with piqued curiosity .

They were equally interested in learning what Ling Feng had been like before he became the monster they now knew.

"I have not yet had the chance to thank Brother Lin for speaking up on my behalf earlier."

Feng Yan glanced at Lin Mu and nodded slightly.

"Very well. To be honest, I do not know that much about Brother Ling either. However, he is the great benefactor of the Feng family and the only person I truly admire in this lifetime. My acquaintance with him began on the Battlefield of the Gods and Demons..."

...

Meanwhile, Ling Feng had no time to spare. His thoughts were still with the companions and elders he had left behind in the Tianbai Empire. The moment he left Iron Ice City, he headed straight south, traveling through the night without stopping.

Three days later, Ling Feng arrived in a southern commandery of the Tiansheng Empire. Only then did he take out the token given to him by the Tianbai Emperor's spiritual manifestation and activate the teleportation array leading to the Misty Ghost Forest.

This shortcut alone saved at least seven or eight days of travel.

Although his strength had grown tremendously and he had already stepped into the Human Emperor realm, Ling Feng did not hurry to meet the Tianbai Emperor's spiritual manifestation to receive the remaining Primordial Locks. For now he simply used the Misty Ghost Forest as a relay point so he could reach the Tianbai Empire more quickly.

Each time a Primordial Lock was planted, the body required a period of adjustment. Ling Feng had no time for that now. He could only wait until the crisis in the Tianbai Empire was resolved. When he returned to the Dongling Immortal Pool later, he would come back to receive the remaining Qi Refining Primordial Locks.

After arriving in the Misty Ghost Forest, Ling Feng set out immediately and headed for Hanwu County city.

Hanwu County served as the capital of the Seven Northern Counties. Anyone traveling toward the Xianzong Mountains had to pass through this city.

After entering the city, Ling Feng gathered information at taverns and teahouses. The rumors confirmed his fears. The Tianbai Empire had effectively fallen under the Yan family's control. Fortunately, Hanwu County lay far from the imperial capital and had not yet suffered the worst of the upheaval.

With a faint hope in mind, Ling Feng made his way to the Treasure Pavilion of the Ouyang family. He hoped to find Ouyang Jing there and ask about the situation of their classmates from Tianwei Academy.

Among the four major academies of the imperial capital, Tianwei Academy had been Ling Feng's alma mater. The academy also maintained close ties with the Cangqiong Sect. If the Cangqiong Sect had suffered a severe blow, Tianwei Academy was unlikely to have escaped unscathed.

Before long, Ling Feng arrived at a grand and lavish storefront. This was the local branch of the Treasure Pavilion.

The moment he stepped inside, a maid approached with a polite smile.

"Sir, are you here to buy or sell valuables?"

With the empire in chaos, business had become increasingly difficult. Establishments like the Treasure Pavilion saw very few customers these days. Anyone with spare money preferred to spend it on medicinal pills or weapons rather than antiques or jade ornaments.

"I am here to find someone."

Ling Feng casually took out a Treasure Pavilion Token. It had been given to him long ago by Ouyang Rui, the second elder of the Ouyang family. Anyone who possessed this token received VIP treatment at Treasure Pavilion branches throughout the empire.

Ling Feng rarely used it now since he possessed the Supreme Black Diamond Card from the Tianmeng Chamber of Commerce.

"You are?"

The maid looked at Ling Feng with surprise. Anyone who owns a Treasure Pavilion Token was certainly not an ordinary guest.

"My name is Ling Feng. Has Ouyang Jing returned home?"

"You mean the Second Young Master?" The maid nodded repeatedly. "Yes, he has returned. He even brought several classmates from his academy. I heard the situation in the imperial capital has become extremely chaotic. Even Tianwei Academy has suffered a serious impact."

"Just as I expected."

Ling Feng frowned. If Tianwei Academy had been struck, what had become of Elder Yan?

His fist tightened as a suffocating aura suddenly surged outward, startling the maid.

"Sorry!"

Ling Feng quickly restrained his aura and regained his composure.

"Take me to see Ouyang Jing immediately."

"Yes."

After sensing that terrifying presence, far beyond anything the elders of her own family could match, the maid did not dare delay for even a moment. She hurriedly led Ling Feng toward the rear hall.

Soon they arrived outside a quiet courtyard.

"This is where the Second Young Master and his classmates are staying..."

The maid had just begun to introduce the place when Ling Feng's figure flashed forward and entered the courtyard.

Inside, Ouyang Jing sat together with several students from Tianwei Academy, all sighing in frustration. They had been living peacefully at the academy until the old emperor suddenly died. Chaos then erupted throughout the entire empire.

As the imperial capital, their city had been struck first.

The first group of officials who dared oppose the Yan family's rule included figures such as Yue Zhonglian, the Sect Leader of the Cangqiong Sect. He had been hung from the city tower and left exposed to the sun while being whipped day after day. His fate could only be described as tragic.

The civil and military officials who joined Yue Zhonglian in resisting Yan Jinghong met equally grim ends. Some were executed, others imprisoned. For several days the blood of these officials reportedly stained the palace walls red!

Mu Yunsang, the director of Tianwei Academy, could not escape the purge either. Following Yue Zhonglian's example, he too was arrested and thrown into the death row prison.

Mu Yunsang had once served as the Imperial Mentor. If even a figure of his status could be imprisoned, then from that moment onward almost no one in the royal court dared oppose the Yan family.

As for Mo Yan, the Fourth Prince who now sat on the throne, he was nothing more than a puppet emperor without real authority.

"Second Brother!"

At that moment a familiar voice sounded.

Ouyang Jing's eyelids twitched. When he turned around, he immediately jumped to his feet.

"Big Brother!"

He could hardly believe his eyes.

Ever since Ling Feng left for Tianmang Fortress, there had been no news of him. More than half a year had passed since they last met.

"Big Boss Ling!"

"Brother Feng!"

Hearing Ouyang Jing's shout, the other students turned around as well. Their faces lit up with excitement.

Ling Feng had finally returned!

"It's all of you!"

A faint smile appeared on Ling Feng's face. Besides Ouyang Jing, several familiar faces stood within the courtyard. He Yiming, Wang Yishan, Yang Jun, Zhou Kai, and Zhou Yun were there. Even Ye Nanfeng, Lin Mochen, and several members of the Tianfeng Sword Team had gathered together.

After the battle against the Royal Sword Team, Gu Tengfeng and Gong Cheng had graduated from Tianwei Academy and joined the Northwestern Army. The remaining team members had not yet completed their studies, so they stayed at the academy.

When turmoil erupted in the imperial capital, these students who had settled there suddenly found themselves without homes. Since the Seventh Northern Counties remained relatively stable, they followed Ouyang Jing to Hanwu County.

"Brother Feng, I never thought I would still be alive to see you again. Am I dreaming?"

Wang Yishan rushed forward with tears streaming down his face. Ling Feng rolled his eyes and pressed a hand against the man's shoulder.

"Calm down!"

"I can't!"

Wang Yishan shouted loudly. "Brother Feng, you have no idea what happened in the imperial capital! Luckily we escaped early. Otherwise we would have been trapped inside the city. If that happened, you might never have seen us again."

"I roughly know what happened."

Ling Feng sighed softly. His gaze moved across Ouyang Jing and the others.

"Second Brother, aside from you, did anyone else manage to escape?"

"I am not sure."

Ouyang Jing shook his head.

"After the director was arrested and thrown into prison, Tianwei Academy existed in name only. I wanted to persuade Instructor Leng and Mentor Su to leave with us, but they insisted on staying. They said they would live and die with the academy!"

"Instructor Leng and the others..."

Ling Feng clenched his fists. The Yan Jinghong of the past might have disdained using hostages to threaten him. The current Yan Jinghong was likely very different.

Anyone connected to Ling Feng could become a target. Even Leng Jianfeng and Su Qingxuan might not escape his grasp.

"What about Hongxiu? And the people in my General Weiyuan's Mansion?"

Ling Feng's heart tightened. With the empire in chaos, his residence could hardly remain untouched.

"The General Weiyuan's Mansion..."

Ouyang Jing let out a long sigh.

"It has already been turned into a prison. I believe Hongxiu and the others are being held inside. Big Brother, you must not act rashly. Yan Jinghong clearly intends to lure you into a trap!"

"I understand."

Ling Feng nodded slowly. The imperial capital had already undergone a complete purge. Anyone connected to him likely faced grim circumstances.

However, since Yan Jinghong intended to use them as bait, their lives should remain safe for the time being.

The only question was the fate of Elder Yan.

And Yue Yunlan. With her father captured, the Yue family must also be suffering greatly.

"This is my fault. My moment of mercy allowed Yan Jinghong[1] the chance to rise again."

Ling Feng's brows furrowed deeply as killing intent blazed in his eyes.

"Brother Feng, you must not underestimate Yan Jinghong."

Seeing the hatred on Ling Feng's face, Lin Mochen quickly spoke up.

"You don't know what happened that day. The Sect Leader of Cangqiong Sect joined forces with several Human Emperor experts from the imperial court, yet they still failed to defeat Yan Jinghong. Instead, they were severely injured by him. Compared to the time he fought the Royal Sword Team, he has become an entirely different person."

"I will be careful."

Ling Feng nodded. He looked at his old companions for a long moment.

"Second Brother, Hanwu County is still relatively safe. Stay here for now. I need to gather more information elsewhere, so I cannot remain long."

"Understood. Big Brother, take care of yourself. You must save the others."

Ouyang Jing spoke with a grave expression.

"I will."

Ling Feng nodded firmly. He had not expected the Tianbai Empire to undergo such earthshaking changes in just half a year. If his guess was correct, the sudden death of the former king was closely tied to Yan Jinghong.

Yan Jinghong had once been nothing more than a domineering martial fanatic. Now he had transformed into a calculating tyrant who manipulated power with ruthless precision.

What had he experienced to change so completely?

Ling Feng shook his head. After bidding farewell to Ouyang Jing and the others, he headed south once more.

He had briefly worried about the situation of the Divine Ling Sect. However, since even Hanwu County had not yet been greatly affected, the sect hidden within the Xianzong Mountains should remain safe for the time being.

For now, he decided not to disturb Duanmu Qingshan and Lin Xian'er. They deserved time to rest and recover.

1. Author's note: Read chapter 1111-1113, it may be related to future chapters.