Chapter 164: The Crown Prince’s Unlimited Spiritual Energy—Defeating a Higher Level!
Lin Qi’an’s official entry into the Pilgrimage Path caused an uproar. Whether out of worry for him or anticipation of his failure, all eyes were on him. The screen displaying his location quickly drew a massive crowd of spectators.
Inside the secret realm, the scenery was breathtaking.
The horizon was painted with radiant, colorful clouds, and the lush forests brimmed with vibrant life, resembling an idyllic paradise. The expansive forest stretched endlessly, and even the birds hopping between the branches were pure white.
Every beast in the secret realm was created by the realm’s energy. Their colors denoted their tier: white for Tier One Spiritual Beasts.
Killing these creatures allowed pendants to automatically absorb their Spiritual Sources. With enough sources, participants could level up.
“Only about one-tenth of my power remains? The secret realm’s suppression is this strong?” Lin Qi’an mused as he assessed his strength.
To make full use of his power and even enhance it, leveling up was an urgent task. In his current state, he couldn’t even wield his Sacred Rank Weapon.
Without hesitation, Lin Qi’an began searching for spiritual beasts. Soon, a white rabbit darted into his path.
With a single finger, he unleashed the Heavenly Sword Finger, instantly vaporizing the Tier One beast into a wisp of energy. The pendant absorbed the energy, and his Spiritual Source meter ticked upward.
“He’s started hunting!”
“Come on, Crown Prince! Please don’t run into anyone yet—just level up quickly!”
“If he doesn’t reach Tier Two soon, everyone else will outpace him!”
Supporters began praying fervently for Lin Qi’an’s success.
He continued exploring the forest, dispatching white spiritual beasts with ease. But then, he encountered a green cat, a Tier Two beast.
“Crown Prince, avoid it for now! This isn’t the time to challenge a Tier Two!”
“It’s better to level up step by step. Don’t take unnecessary risks!”
To the crowd’s shock, Lin Qi’an strode forward without hesitation and summoned the Sword of Spiritual Energy, engaging the cat directly.
The beast’s agility proved troublesome, evading several strikes in a row. Growing impatient, Lin Qi’an resorted to the highly energy-intensive Ten Thousand Swords to Court, summoning a torrential storm of swords that rained down upon the cat.
Finally, it dissolved into a mass of light, and its energy was absorbed by his pendant.
“That was reckless!”
“Doesn’t he understand the importance of conserving energy?”
“Yes, the key to surviving the secret realm is efficiency—achieve the most with the least effort!”
“The Crown Prince wasted so much energy just to kill one Tier Two beast. This is a huge loss!”
“It’s like sprinting at the start of a marathon—you’ll exhaust yourself long before the finish line.”
While other participants treated their energy reserves like precious water in a desert, Lin Qi’an unleashed his strongest techniques without a second thought.
Watching him squander energy left the audience disheartened on his behalf. But Lin Qi’an didn’t share their concerns.
Killing the Tier Two beast provided a significant boost to his Spiritual Source, and with his unique advantage, energy conservation wasn’t an issue.
His unlimited spiritual energy allowed him to use abilities endlessly, like drawing water from an infinite ocean. Even a Great Emperor couldn’t match his reserves in the secret realm.
For Lin Qi’an, waiting an hour before entering had been well worth it. He continued his rampage, defeating several more Tier One beasts. Just as he was about to level up to Tier Two, an unexpected encounter occurred—a person appeared.
It was the worst-case scenario.
Lin Qi’an had come face to face with a participant from the Tianhai Dao Domain, a Holy Son who had already reached Tier Two.
“It’s over. The Crown Prince is in trouble now.”
“This is the downside of entering late. If he’d gone in earlier, he wouldn’t have fallen behind.”
“To lose to someone from the Tianhai Dao Domain? How humiliating!”
Lin Qi’an’s opponent was Xu Cheng, a prodigy from the Tianhai Dao Domain’s Eight Veins Sect. The sight filled the Tianhai Dao spectators with glee.
“Like father, like son. He just had to act arrogant.”
“I can’t wait to see how this plays out!”
“It’s a shame he didn’t run into the Golden Crow Divine Son, but this guy will do.”
The power gap between Tier One and Tier Two was immense, with Tier Two participants having double the strength of Tier One.
From the perspective of the crowd, Lin Qi’an stood no chance.
“Lin Qi’an? A Tier One Spiritual Source?” Xu Cheng laughed mockingly. “Looks like luck is on my side. Beating you will make me famous! If you surrender now, it might save you some humiliation.”
Lin Qi’an smiled faintly, his demeanor calm and composed. “That won’t be necessary.”
“Then let’s see what you’ve got!”
The battle erupted.
Lin Qi’an opened with one of his trump cards—Dragon Roar. The ancestral dragon’s might caused a violent mental shock in Xu Cheng.
Outside the secret realm, this move would have left his opponent coughing blood, but due to the realm’s suppression, the effect was significantly reduced.
Taking advantage of the brief pause, Lin Qi’an unleashed the Heavenly Sword Finger, and a savage burst of sword energy exploded against Xu Cheng’s body.
Xu Cheng, however, managed to withstand the attack, merely staggering back a few steps.
“Hahaha!” Xu Cheng laughed triumphantly. “I can’t believe I blocked one of the Crown Prince’s divine abilities! This must be my lucky day!”
Everyone knew that in the outside world, Xu Cheng wouldn’t even qualify to stand against Lin Qi’an. But inside the secret realm, where power was suppressed, the rules allowed him to put up a fight.
“The Crown Prince’s divine abilities don’t seem to be working—this is bad…”
“Damn it!”
Just as the audience began to despair for Lin Qi’an, another Dragon Roar resounded.
As Xu Cheng reeled from the second shock, Lin Qi’an followed up with another Heavenly Sword Finger.
“Wait… Is the Crown Prince risking everything? He’s using the Dragon’s Might consecutively!”
“This level of spiritual energy consumption is reckless. Even if he wins this fight, he’ll have no strength left for later rounds!”
“He must be desperate to save face. Let’s see if his energy runs out first or if Xu Cheng collapses under the pressure.”
Lin Qi’an’s relentless combo of divine techniques seemed almost invincible.
The Dragon Roar disrupted Xu Cheng’s focus, while the Heavenly Sword Finger delivered crushing strikes. Xu Cheng was forced to retreat step by step as Lin Qi’an advanced leisurely, as if on a casual stroll.
Finally, after the eighth Heavenly Sword Finger, Xu Cheng spat out a mouthful of blood.
“This… This is impossible!” Xu Cheng was utterly shaken.
Lin Qi’an had unleashed the Dragon’s Might and divine techniques eight times, yet his spiritual energy showed no signs of depletion.
In contrast, Xu Cheng himself was visibly running out of stamina and could no longer hold his ground.
As the next Heavenly Sword Finger prepared to strike, Xu Cheng panicked. Without hesitation, he crushed his pendant, signaling his surrender.
With a faint cracking sound, Xu Cheng was officially eliminated.
Lin Qi’an casually approached and gathered all the Spiritual Sources left behind, fully absorbing them into his pendant. His Spiritual Source level not only reached Tier Two but even exceeded it slightly.
“The Crown Prince… won! He actually forced someone out of the secret realm!”
“This is incredible! He used pure divine power to dominate his opponent!”
“Wait a minute… How is he still using divine techniques like they’re free? Isn’t he worried about exhausting his energy?”
The lakeside spectators erupted in astonishment. Lin Qi’an had shattered their expectations once again. Even in the Pilgrimage Path, he had managed to achieve what seemed impossible—a decisive victory over a stronger opponent through sheer force.
The Tianhai Dao Domain’s supporters, however, wore grim expressions.
“No problem. He’s definitely drained now. There’s no way he can keep competing.”
“Exactly. That must’ve been his last burst of strength. If I were him, I’d just quit now before embarrassing myself further.”
Among the few who truly understood Lin Qi’an, such as Zhao Qingmeng and Su Xueni, doubt began to creep in.
They knew Lin Qi’an’s character. He wouldn’t act recklessly without reason. Did he have another card up his sleeve?
—
“Lin Weixuan, your son fights like a brute,” one Great Emperor remarked. “If he had a clearer understanding of himself, his future accomplishments would be far greater.”
Lin Weixuan frowned slightly. He, too, felt that Lin Qi’an’s approach seemed reckless. However, he refused to believe his son was merely a thoughtless brute.
The Literary Saint and the Ink Saint had both praised Lin Qi’an extensively, and earning their recognition required more than brute strength.
Lin Weixuan thought to himself, ‘What kind of trick are you playing this time, you sly fox?’
For those curious about Lin Qi’an’s next move, the answer came quickly.
He encountered a blue spiritual beast—a Tier Three Beast. If Lin Qi’an fled, it would confirm he had no strength left to fight. But if he dared to face the beast…
That was simply impossible.