Chapter 147: Feigning Injury, Unexpectedly Luring His Elder Sister
Lin Qi’an entered the forest, where towering trees, though blocking out the sky and sunlight, still allowed faint beams of light to filter through the dense canopy.
The interwoven foliage formed an endless sea of green above. However, beneath this vibrant and lush scenery lay a dangerous truth—the forest was crawling with ferocious beasts and demonic creatures. A single misstep could lead to becoming their prey.
Lin Qi’an frowned as he read the task. A wave of discomfort hit him, “What kind of trash task is this?”
The goal of the beast-hunting competition was to kill beasts, yet the system wanted him to lure beasts to the Destined Children, essentially serving them on a platter.
He scoffed. “I’ve never seen a protagonist get killed by beasts. They’re always treated like stepping stones for leveling up, delivering easy experience points.”
“Invert? What does that mean?”
“Oh? Now this sounds interesting!” Lin Qi’an’s interest was piqued.
Typically, his luck value would only increase after seizing the core fortune of a protagonist. To have a task directly grant it was a rare opportunity.
“Let them run around dealing with beasts while I wait for the rewards to come to me. That’s the way it should be,” he chuckled. “Running around to attract beasts only to get killed by protagonists is just stupid.”
Executing the plan, however, posed a challenge. He needed to orchestrate a scenario where the Destined Children would lure beasts toward him. Given their intent to kill him, and the competition rules prohibiting direct attacks in the first round, beasts became their only viable weapon.
Lin Qi’an concluded that he needed to show a vulnerability—like being injured and immobile. Seeing him as a sitting duck, the Destined Children would surely plot against him.
The plan was set. All that remained was to stage an injury convincingly.
Lin Qi’an ventured deeper into the forest. Soon, his first target appeared.
“Look! The Crown Prince has encountered a beast!”
With his reputation from winning the Great Hunt, Lin Qi’an remained a focal point of attention. This event, being a key competition between two Dao Domains, drew even more eyes.
The moment news spread that he had engaged a beast, all attention shifted toward him.
“It’s the Eight-Eyed Demon Ape!”
The screen displayed a ten-meter-tall ape. Its dense fur, bulging muscles, and eight blood-red eyes made for a terrifying sight. Its protruding fangs gleamed menacingly.
“If I recall, capturing that creature once required three mid-Celestial Realm experts.”
“Indeed, its speed and strength are outrageous. Its real power rivals a mid-stage Celestial Realm cultivator.”
“The Crown Prince is starting off with a tough one!”
“Relax. For someone like him, this beast shouldn’t pose a problem.”
The spectators had complete faith in Lin Qi’an’s strength. After all, he had overcome countless higher-level opponents. Those familiar with his true abilities, like Zhao Qingmeng, believed even ten such beasts would pose no threat.
Yet Lin Qi’an’s performance was surprising. He engaged the demon ape in an even match, with neither gaining the upper hand.
“What’s going on? This isn’t like the Crown Prince…”
“With his strength, shouldn’t he have killed it instantly?”
“Yeah, this is strange.”
Zhao Qingmeng’s sharp instincts immediately detected something deliberate.
“There’s no way he’s struggling. He’s doing this on purpose.”
She knew Lin Qi’an could easily take down even peak Celestial Realm beasts. A mid-stage beast was hardly a challenge for him. Su Xueni and Ran Yuwei, who had been around Lin Qi’an long enough, also recognized the act.
However, the majority of spectators were unaware. Even Lu Weishuang’s eyes betrayed a hint of worry—she couldn’t gauge Lin Qi’an’s true strength.
At this moment, the battle took a sudden turn.
The Eight-Eyed Demon Ape roared and raised its iron-like fist, slamming it down with devastating force. Leaves scattered as the wind howled.
Boom!
The impact struck Lin Qi’an head-on, sending him flying like a cannonball. He smashed through countless trees, leaving a trail of destruction as a terrifying shockwave spread across ten miles.
When the dust settled, the screen shifted to Lin Qi’an. To everyone’s astonishment, he was retreating, his complexion pale and sickly, as though gravely injured.
The audience erupted into chaos, especially those from the Tianhai Dao Domain, as mockery filled the air.
“So, this is all the kid’s got? And he dares to participate? Looks like the standards for the Canglan Dao Domain’s competition aren’t very high!”
“He might just die in there if he’s not careful. No need for the elders to do anything.”
“The so-called Crown Prince of Beiyang is so pathetic, getting beaten this badly by a mid-stage Celestial Realm beast.”
“Boring. Let’s go watch someone else.”
Disinterested viewers began shifting their focus to other dazzling prodigies. However, Lin Hongyu was panicking.
“Mother! What if Brother is really hurt? What should we do?” she asked in a rush.
“Don’t worry, he’ll be fine,” her mother replied with a calm demeanor. “During the Great Hunt, Lin Qi’an already killed a Celestial Realm demonic beast in seconds. Now, he’s even stronger. That boy must have his own plan. Let’s not worry for now.”
Meanwhile, other geniuses began showcasing their remarkable abilities.
“Look! Li Xuan just subdued a peak Celestial Realm beast!”
“As expected of the Blade Emperor’s personal disciple. Impressive!”
“Ye Yun is so strong! He just annihilated two mid-Celestial Realm beasts that were ganging up on him!”
“That divine aura… is that the Divine Son of the Kui Dragon Clan?”
The first round had turned into a magnificent display of talent, with prodigies from all factions shining brilliantly. Nearly everyone met expectations, slaying beasts and advancing triumphantly.
Everyone, that is, except Lin Qi’an. After his apparent loss in the first battle, he simply sat on the ground, quietly “recovering” and making no further moves.
The first to notice Lin Qi’an was Xi Chao, the Divine Son of the Western Tombs. From afar, he saw Lin Qi’an sitting cross-legged, completely still.
“He’s healing his wounds?” Xi Chao sneered. “Looks like the Crown Prince of Beiyang is only good for charming a few women.” A sinister gleam flashed in his eyes. “This seems like an opportunity.”
Since direct attacks on participants were forbidden in the Beast Hunting Competition, if Lin Qi’an were killed by a ferocious beast while recovering, it would be entirely permissible. Xi Chao grinned. This was the perfect scenario for borrowed blades.
An idea quickly formed in his mind. He began driving more ferocious beasts toward Lin Qi’an’s location, intending to give him a deadly “surprise.”
“What’s going on with the Divine Son of the Xiling? Why is he herding beasts instead of fighting them?” the spectators wondered in confusion.
Beast after beast was drawn toward Lin Qi’an’s position, the ground trembling with their approach as their roars echoed through the forest. The commotion soon caught the attention of other participants, who rushed over to investigate, including Lin Liuli.
When Lin Liuli arrived, she was shocked to see Lin Qi’an seemingly injured, fending off attacks from a Wild Ghost Lizard that was relentlessly trying to break through his defenses.
“Lin Qi’an!” she shouted, immediately descending to his side. With a single palm strike, she sent the lizard flying, making it cough up blood as it retreated. Turning to her brother with concern, she asked, “You’re injured? What happened?”
“Uh… I got careless and underestimated my opponent during the fight,” Lin Qi’an said, taking advantage of the situation to deceive her.
“Idiot!” Lin Liuli snapped, her expression a mix of worry and frustration.
From what she could see, Lin Qi’an’s cultivation seemed to only be at the early Celestial Realm. Coupled with the rumors she had heard, she couldn’t accurately assess his true strength, so she believed him.
After all, being at the early Celestial Realm in a competition filled with powerful beasts made getting injured entirely plausible.
“Focus on recovering. I’ll guard you!” she declared firmly.
“Sis, you don’t have to—”
“Shut up and listen. As long as I’m here, no one will harm you.”
“…”
Lin Qi’an felt both touched and exasperated. He hadn’t anticipated his sister would show up, and this was truly an accident. Now, he could only hope that once the Destined Children lures a tide of beasts his way, Lin Liuli would be able to hold her ground.
