53: Old dog, have you lost all humanity? The destructive power of Xuan Yuan Bai Ying is utterly insignificant to Xu Tian.

"Not going?" Cao Meng looked at his inexpensive and beautiful Master on the distant stage. He gave her a reassuring smile.

The Li Clan Sword Tomb, a place of great renown, is a Holy Land for all Sword Cultivators. The former Li Imperial Clan maintained its millennium-long dynasty largely due to this Sword Tomb.

Cao Meng had heard so many legends about this Sword Tomb that his ears were practically calloused.

Tales of someone observing swords for ten years and becoming a Sword Immortal overnight.

Of a Senior Brother gaining insight into a divine sword's Sword Intent, causing his strength to skyrocket.

Of someone becoming obsessed with observing swords, slaughtering their entire family... During the Li Imperial Clan's heyday, six out of ten Land Immortals in the entire Eastern Continent were named Li.

How could he not go and reap some benefits from such a treasure trove?

Moreover, there were also the ancient seven swords of absolute gods there, which originated from the same source as his seven absolutes flying swords.

As for danger?

Cao Meng didn't care. With the immeasurable sword gourd and the Sword Puppet Li Daoxuan, who was already in the Holy Land and fearless, safety should be guaranteed.

Furthermore, his Empress Revered Master had not objected to him going; she seemed to have other plans.

"Dean, I won't be going!" Senior Sister Qing Luan declared loudly on the Dragon Elephant No. 3 arena.

"Isn't Senior Sister Qing Luan a Sword Cultivator? Why wouldn't she go for such a good opportunity?" As soon as she spoke, the Disciples below the stage erupted in an uproar.

An opportunity countless Sword Cultivators would beg for, and Senior Sister Qing Luan was refusing it?

"Oh?" Void Sword Walker's expression changed slightly, and he looked at Qing Luan with a puzzled gaze.

Could it be that she had sensed something?

However, since Qing Luan chose not to go, he couldn't force her and could only nod in agreement.

"I don't cultivate the Dao of the sword, so I won't be going either!" Junior Sister Nether Pupil announced loudly on the Golden Core No. 2 arena.

"Me too!"

"I won't be going either..."

In the end, out of thirty-four winners, ten chose not to enter the Sword Tomb. Besides Qing Luan, all of these ten did not cultivate the Dao of the sword.

"Alright, that's settled then!"

Void Sword Walker said with a gloomy face, "Everyone gather at the training grounds five days from now. This Revered Master will take you to the Li Clan Sword Tomb. You are dismissed!"

The Academy's Dao Trial Assembly concluded.

It had determined the four great Dragon Elephant True Inheritances, the top ten Golden Core Disciples, and twenty Qi Sea Realm prodigies.

Moreover, the strength of the Disciples determined in this year's Dao Trial Assembly clearly surpassed previous years.

Xuanyuan Baiying's overwhelming dominance, peerless and unmatched, naturally went without saying.

Cao Meng emerged as a dark horse, clashing with a Land Immortal-level Sword Essence and emerging victorious. With the strength he displayed, the Academy would likely gain another individual capable of being ranked on both lists.

Besides these two, Qing Luan, ranked third among the four True Inheritances, and King Gou Yuan Hao, ranked fourth, both displayed remarkable strength.

This should have been a cause for great celebration.

According to custom, the Academy would have generously rewarded and celebrated to encourage the Disciples to continue striving for greater achievements.

But this year, Void Sword Walker didn't seem to be in the mood, or rather, he simply didn't want to reward certain individuals on the stage, so he simply skipped that segment!

"This old dog, is he really not even pretending to be human anymore?"

Cao Meng shook his head, speechless. Each time the Academy's Dao Trial Assembly determined the four great True Inheritances, they were supposedly allowed to enter the White Deer Cave once.

The White Deer Cave had a mystical environment, and those who entered for the first time were bound to gain great rewards, even having a chance to obtain treasures left by ancient Great Masters.

Cao Meng had originally held a glimmer of hope for acquiring a treasure.

He never expected this old dog to be so ruthless!

"Alright, old dog, you brought this upon yourself!"

It just so happened that the immeasurable sword gourd still lacked two sword puppets, and this old dog's cultivation was just barely suitable.

With a thought, the five divine swords, which had returned to the Spirit Treasure Realm, flew into the seven absolutes sword box.

A box of twelve swords. After returning, he would let the immeasurable sword gourd nourish them, and then completely refine the thousand illusions mask... Hehe~

"Junior Brother, you and Revered Master have truly deceived me." Cao Meng had just stepped off the arena when Senior Sister Qing Luan walked over, a look of playful annoyance on her face, her cherry lips pouting so much they could hang two oil bottles.

This fellow, clearly possessing formidable combat power comparable to a Land Immortal, yet he pretended to be a Qi Sea Realm sword-nurturing boy, causing her to worry about him for so many years and almost falling out with Revered Master over it.

Turns out, the Revered Master and Disciple pair were putting on an act.

"I deceived you..."

Cao Meng was somewhat speechless; this matter was simply impossible to explain.

"Alright, it's a good thing you're strong; I'm not blaming you," Qing Luan smiled charmingly.

"Let's go, we'll go see Master. This time, two of us Disciples entered the True Inheritance, and Junior Sister Nether Pupil also secured the second rank among the top ten Golden Core Disciples. We can finally hold our heads high. Master will surely be very happy."

"Senior Sister, please wait." Xu Tian finished speaking and quickly walked in front of Xuanyuan Baiying.

"You were waiting for me?" Xu Tian smiled.

"Don't you have any questions for me?" Xuanyuan Baiying's bright eyes held a hint of a smile.

"Oh, yes, of course, I do."

Cao Meng jolted, almost forgetting about this matter.

He almost forgot that the original body still had a mother, and this inexpensive fiancée in front of him seemed to be the one that woman had desperately arranged for him.

However, four years ago, she contracted a strange illness and then disappeared.

This matter was probably related to Xuanyuan Baiying.

Having taken over someone else's son and gotten a formidable, inexpensive fiancée for free, it would be too unreasonable not to ask about it.

"Aunt Qing is in my Xuanyuan Secret Realm." Before Cao Meng could ask, Xuanyuan Baiying waved her slender hand, and a pearly-white energy barrier enveloped the two of them, ensuring that their conversation wouldn't be overheard.

"She helped my Xuanyuan Family search for and open our ancestral Secret Realm, but her Divine Soul consumption was too severe, causing her to fall into a coma!"

"Is that so!" Cao Meng's expression subtly darkened.

Xuanyuan Baiying said with a look of shame, "But don't worry, Aunt Qing has shown great kindness to my Xuanyuan Family, and we won't stand by idly. I am currently looking for a remedy."

"Then I'll leave it to you." Cao Meng nodded and added, "Can I visit your Xuanyuan Secret Realm?"

"Of course you can." Xuanyuan Baiying smiled, "After this Qingyun Dao Trial Assembly concludes, you can return with me."

After a brief chat, Xuanyuan Baiying removed the isolating barrier.

"Xuanyuan, is that you?"

A figure in a red dress appeared before them.

It was none other than Xu Tian.

This fellow stared intently at Xuanyuan Baiying, with a look of greed and infatuation.

"Xu Tian... Junior Sister, do we know each other?" Xuanyuan Baiying was slightly taken aback, a flicker of disgust and confusion in her eyes.

Do I know this demon?

"Ah~" Xu Tian was startled and quickly said, "A year ago, I once saw Senior Sister by the Luoshui River. At that time, Senior Sister, you single-handedly killed the eighteen giant whale bandits above the Luoshui, saving a group of people, and I was one of them... Senior Sister, your stunning grace, I, your Junior Brother, have never forgotten."

"Also, I, I am a man, not a wo..."

Xu Tian explained incoherently, his eyes filled with anticipation.

At this moment, he even ignored the existence of Cao Meng, his sworn enemy.

"Oh, I remember now, you were the most beautiful woman in a red dress on the Giant Whale Boss's pleasure boat... It seems Junior Brother, you still prefer being a woman~" Xuanyuan Baiying's eyes widened, her face filled with revulsion.

"What?"

"Oh my~"

The surrounding Disciples erupted in an uproar!

Cao Meng was also stunned.

What was happening? He had originally thought this fellow was going to stage a dramatic love triangle with him over his fiancée.

He never expected... this Prince, His Highness, was actually a professional cross-dresser. Was it his destiny to be this way?

Xuanyuan Baiying's single sentence nearly made Xu Tian vomit blood from anger:

"No, Senior Sister Xuanyuan, listen to me explain... I'm not..."

"What you are has nothing to do with me." Xuanyuan Baiying smiled charmingly, linking her slender arm with Cao Meng's, "Junior Brother, let's go."

"What!"

"How could Senior Sister..."

"This~"

Xuanyuan Baiying's small hand linking with Cao Meng's shocked countless onlookers.

These two, actually~

"Cao~ Thief!"