Chapter 129: Killing the Right Envoy with a Single Finger—The Crown Prince’s Might!
In terms of race, there are two broad categories: Human and Myriad Tribes.
The human race is the most numerous, with the highest number of cultivators and powerful figures, and thus stands as its own major category. The Myriad Tribes, on the other hand, include races like the Jiao Dragon Clan, White Tiger Clan, Heavenly Fox Clan, Soaring Serpent Clan, and many more.
In the Heavenly Dao Domain, the power of the Myriad Tribes surpasses that of humans. Among them, the Kui Dragon Clan stands out due to its lineage, carrying the True Dragon Bloodline.
After hearing the full story, everyone finally understood the situation.
It all started when the Kui Dragon Clan’s envoy, visiting from the Heavenly Dao Domain, took a liking to the Jiao Dragon Divine Son, Yan Qing, and decided to take him back to make him a personal disciple of one of their great elders.
Overjoyed by this news, the Jiao Dragon Clan, eager to please the envoy, began capturing young girls from Qinglian Immortal Island as local “specialties” to offer as gifts. But they hadn’t anticipated Lin Qi’an’s arrival, who had crippled the Jiao Dragon Divine Son.
Now, the Xiling Spirit Temple sought a way to smooth things over, aiming to avoid offending both the Kui Dragon Clan and the Beiyang Crown Prince.
“So, your solution is to blame everything on Qinglian Immortal Island and let them bear the consequences?” Lin Qi’an asked calmly.
“Your Highness, you must understand that in this world, the weak becoming cannon fodder is common. This is to avoid angering a far more powerful foe,” Yue Lin responded, his tone righteous.
The people of Qinglian Immortal Island were both furious and terrified. They had been the most innocent party throughout this ordeal, yet now they were to be sacrificed to quell the wrath of the powerful!
Still, they dared not voice their anger. They had neither the strength nor the backing to resist the likes of the Xiling Spirit Temple or the Kui Dragon Clan. Surviving in this world of the strong devouring the weak was exceedingly difficult without a protector.
Lin Qi’an remained calm. “I’m curious about something,” he said. “How much profit does your Xiling Spirit Temple have tied to the Kui Dragon Clan? Your fear stems from the fact that this happened in the Western Sea, and you’re afraid that your interests will suffer if they retaliate.”
Yue Lin couldn’t respond. Cold sweat trickled down his back because Lin Qi’an had hit the nail on the head.
The treasures produced in the Western Sea—rare marine gems, pearls, and spirit fish—were all traded with external domains. The Kui Dragon Clan was one of their biggest customers. If that trade were to cease, the Xiling Spirit Temple would lose a significant portion of its revenue.
In modern terms, their GDP would take a massive hit. In comparison, sacrificing Qinglian Immortal Island was a small price to pay.
“Alright, I take back what I said earlier,” Lin Qi’an suddenly announced.
Everyone was shocked, especially Yue Lin, who wiped the blood from his mouth and forced a smile, clasping his hands in respect. “I knew Your Highness would see reason. The Xiling Spirit Temple will definitely express its gratitude to Tianjian City soon.”
Internally, though, Yue Lin sneered, You arrogant brat, flaunting your father’s name to act like a tyrant. Do you think we’re really giving you any face?
“You may have misunderstood again,” Lin Qi’an interrupted. “Earlier, I said if the Xiling Spirit Emperor himself came, I might give him some face. I take that back.”
Lin Qi’an stood up, and in front of everyone’s stunned gazes, he shouted, “To curry favor with the Myriad Tribes, you’re willing to sacrifice your fellow humans. If the Xiling Spirit Temple is full of such dogs, no matter how many come, I’ll kill every last one!”
As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Qi’an extended a single finger. A boundless surge of sword energy instantly filled the grand hall.
Winds howled, utensils shattered, and wooden tables splintered under the force. The sharp aura seemed ready to pierce the heavens, forcing everyone to instinctively activate their spirit energy to protect themselves as they scrambled backward.
Heavenly Sword Finger!
The air twisted as thousands of strands of spirit energy coalesced into an invisible sword, piercing straight through Yue Lin’s forehead!
In an instant, Yue Lin felt a torrent of powerful energy rampage through his body, tearing apart his limbs and internal organs. His pupils dimmed, and he collapsed backward.
Dead.
The high and mighty Right Envoy of the Xiling Spirit Temple, who had brought a trove of valuable gifts, was killed by Lin Qi’an on the spot. No one had dared to imagine such a turn of events, yet here it was, unfolding right before their eyes.
The shock rippled through everyone, and soon it broke out in a unified cry:
“The Crown Prince is mighty!”
His fearlessness in the face of the Myriad Tribes and his unwavering stance to protect his fellow humans was a grand display of righteousness. It filled everyone present with admiration and respect.
Hearts burned with passion as the cheers echoed throughout the entire Qinglian Immortal Island. After today, everyone understood the Crown Prince’s true nature. Even if an emperor were to arrive, Lin Qi’an likely wouldn’t flinch—let alone a mere Right Envoy.
…
That night passed peacefully.
The following morning, someone came looking for Lin Qi’an.
Zi Lianyou was assisting Lin Qi’an with dressing when she heard a knock at the door. She went to open it and found the personal maid of the Qinglian Saintess standing there.
“What brings you here so early?” Zi Lianyou asked.
“The Saintess instructed me to bring tea for the Crown Prince…” The young maid replied timidly, clearly nervous. Lin Qi’an was a figure far beyond her reach, and just being in his presence was enough to make her feel faint.
“Oh, alright,” Zi Lianyou accepted the tray and placed it on the table inside. She mumbled, “Why send tea so early? How strange.”
“Hey, this tea smells pretty nice, like lotus flowers!” she remarked.
Lin Qi’an chuckled, “Just leave it there. I’ll drink it later.”
“Understood, Your Highness! If you enjoy tea, I could ask the Saintess to teach me how to brew it for you,” Zi Lianyou said with a smile.
Unbeknownst to her, this method wasn’t something she could learn.
What she didn’t know was that this tea had been steeped with Lu Miaoyin herself, who had soaked in the water all night! Drinking this tea would bring a sense of peace and clarity to the mind, offering an incredibly refreshing experience.
Lin Qi’an smiled, realizing that Lu Miaoyin was slowly being trained to his liking.
Stay a few more days here and see how the Xiling Spirit Temple plans to respond…
—
Xiling Spirit Temple.
“Outrageous! That Lin Qi’an has some nerve, daring to kill someone from the Xiling Spirit Temple in the Western Sea!”
“We treated him with respect, yet he shows no understanding of decorum.” The first person to receive the news was a high-ranking Divine Envoy, responsible for reporting directly to the Xiling Spirit Emperor.
“My lord… this Lin Qi’an has a history of killing—he’s already killed people from Nanyue before. He’s likely grown used to it by now.”
“If we don’t avenge this insult, others will start seeing the Xiling Spirit Temple as a weak target!”
“My lord, should we report this to the Xiling Spirit King?”
“A matter like this doesn’t require bothering the Great Emperor. I’ll employ a more subtle approach—use someone else’s blade to kill him and shift the blame!”
—
Jiao Dragon Clan.
Naturally, they too had learned about the death of the Xiling Spirit Temple’s Right Envoy. The entire clan was plunged into utter terror!
The Beiyang Crown Prince was so brazen, not even fearing the Xiling Spirit Temple. How long before he would turn his sights on their humble Jiao Dragon Clan? They feared they would be next on his list.
“I hate him, I hate him so much!” Yan Qing, now a cripple after having his dragon tendons extracted, slumped into despair and drowned himself in alcohol.
“Yan’er, the Xiling Spirit Temple has sent word.”
“What news?!” Yan Qing snapped out of his stupor.
“The plan is simple—push the Kui Dragon Clan to take action and let them deal with the Crown Prince. A perfect case of using another’s blade!”
“The Kui Dragon Clan is not from the Canglan Dao Domain, so they aren’t afraid of the Sword Emperor. If they kill Lin Qi’an, it’s the perfect solution.”
“How do they plan to kill him? He has a powerful protector with him!” Yan Qing spat.
“The answer is to lure him in.”
“But Lord Kui may not be willing to get involved…” Yan Qing hesitated.
“Then we shall provoke him!”
The Jiao Dragon Clan’s leader and Yan Qing entered a deep, foreboding dragon cave, where Kui Zong resided.
Though Kui Zong’s cultivation was only at the Dao Transformation Realm, his backing was immense, and thus he had to be treated with utmost respect. The floor of the cave was littered with tiny white bones, remnants of the human girls that Kui Zong had devoured.
“Lord Kui!” the Jiao Dragon Clan leader called out.
“Did I not tell you to bring me more girls? Where are they?!” Kui Zong roared.
“Please calm your anger, my lord… Our Jiao Dragon Clan has been targeted. Even Yan’er’s dragon tendons were taken—this humiliation is unbearable!”
“WHAT?!”
The Jiao Dragon Clan leader had prepared a long, convincing speech, but it turned out he didn’t need it. Kui Zong was already infuriated.
The reason? Yan Qing was secretly the illegitimate son of one of Kui Zong’s high-ranking elders!
Years ago, one of the elders had a brief tryst with a female Jiao Dragon, resulting in Yan Qing’s birth. Kui Zong had been ordered to bring Yan Qing back to acknowledge him as the elder’s son.
If that elder discovered his illegitimate son had been crippled, the consequences would be unimaginable.
“Who?!” Kui Zong’s roar nearly collapsed the dragon cave. “Who extracted your dragon tendons? I’ll tear him apart and return them to you!”
Kui Zong’s fury shook the entire cavern, the sheer force of his anger radiating outward.
“If the tendons can be recovered, there’s a chance Yan’er may still be healed. But without them, all hope is lost.”
“It was Lin Qi’an who took the tendons! Not only that, but he also stopped us from capturing more girls and killed many of our people… He’s a damn menace,” the clan leader spat. “He’s protected by a powerful guardian, making him difficult to kill. However, if you are willing to intervene, we can lure him into a trap.”
Kui Zong narrowed his eyes. “You want to use me to eliminate him? Bold of you.”
“We wouldn’t dare…”
“Fine! It’s just one person. My clan has never feared anyone! Lure him to the dragon cave, and I’ll take care of it.”
“But what about the strong guardian by his side?” the clan leader asked cautiously. “Though her strength may be reduced in the water, she’s still not someone we can defeat.”
The Jiao Dragon Clan leader was well aware that his power, at the Sovereign Realm, wouldn’t be enough to hold off a Quasi-Saint, even in their home territory.
Kui Zong chuckled darkly, “I’ll coat the entire cave with Dragon Lust Venom.”
Hearing this, the Jiao Dragon Clan leader was secretly horrified. Dragon Lust Venom was a potent mixture created from the fluids secreted by dragons during childbirth, mixed with Mind-Bewitching Incense and Soul-Eroding Flowers.
It was a drug designed to overpower even the strongest will, amplifying primal urges. Even a Saint could fall prey to it, their power consumed by uncontrollable desires.
Rumor had it that the powerful guardian by Lin Qi’an’s side was a woman. Kui Zong laughed sinisterly.
“Let’s see how she handles the true nature of dragons…”
“Excellent!” The Jiao Dragon Clan leader nodded. “If this plan succeeds, we’ll be able to escape. And if we’re pursued, we can flee to the Heavenly Dao Domain under your protection.”
“Naturally. The Kui Dragon Clan is always open to new allies.”
And so, the plan to kill the Beiyang Crown Prince was perfectly set into motion. Even the escape plan was foolproof. This time, they intended to give Beiyang a shock it wouldn’t forget.