Chapter 165: A Chance Encounter with a Little Admirer—Lin Qi’an Gets Invited Into a Cave
Lin Qi’an found himself face-to-face with a Tier Three spiritual beast—a blue wolf, formed by the secret realm’s energy.
The colors—white, green, blue, purple, orange, red, gold, black, and multicolored—represented the nine tiers. Higher-tier beasts yielded far more Spiritual Source energy when defeated.
“If the Crown Prince manages to kill this Tier Three beast, I’ll start questioning reality itself!”
“That would mean he’s no longer human but an outright monster!”
Lin Qi’an hesitated briefly before stepping onto the treetops, using the leaves as a springboard to escape. He didn’t engage in battle.
It wasn’t because he couldn’t win but because he shouldn’t. Lin Qi’an knew countless eyes were on him, analyzing his every move. His earlier display had already been extreme enough.
If he went further, it might attract the attention of powerful figures, who could suspect him of possessing a heaven-defying treasure.
After all, unlimited spiritual energy was a concept far too terrifying to ignore.
A brute might celebrate such power and plow forward, crushing everything in their path. But restraint, Lin Qi’an knew, was often the greatest form of wisdom.
Once night fell and the lake’s surface stopped reflecting images from the secret realm, he could unleash his full power without fear of exposure.
—
“He escaped! Thank goodness!”
“I won’t lie—watching him flee makes me feel relieved. At least it proves he’s still human and not some terrifying anomaly!”
“Exactly. If he had fought that Tier Three beast and won, it would’ve been terrifying!”
Seeing Lin Qi’an retreat eased the tension for many spectators. A person could be powerful, even extraordinary, but they couldn’t defy understanding.
Having twice or three times the normal spiritual energy was within the realm of possibility—perhaps gained through a fortunate encounter. But having ten or twenty times more?
That would only incite fear and greed, with others coveting whatever miraculous treasure allowed such power.
“Now that the Crown Prince is resting, he might have a chance to catch up to the others ahead of him.”
“Indeed! His spiritual energy seems more abundant than even some peak Heaven Dominion Realm experts. There’s still hope!”
With Lin Qi’an retreating, the audience began shifting their focus to other prodigies, such as Zhao Yunji, Lin Liuli, and the Divine Sons of the Tianhai Dao Domain.
By the time most participants’ Spiritual Sources reached Tier Three, exhaustion had already begun setting in, forcing them to take breaks to recover.
—
As night fell, visibility in the secret realm diminished. The lake’s reflective surface, which mirrored the participants’ movements, now only showed vague outlines or nothing at all in areas shielded from the moonlight.
Lin Qi’an arrived at a cliffside. The darkness was his ally now, and he could finally act without restraint.
Just as he was about to begin his rampage, a faint voice called out from a cave below the cliff.
“Crown Prince? Over here! Quickly, come inside!”
“Huh…” Lin Qi’an paused, unsure if he should ignore the invitation. Deciding to investigate, he approached the source of the voice.
The caller was a young woman in a pale yellow dress with a round, adorable face that made her look like a steamed bun. She had a delicate charm and a youthful innocence.
She was a disciple from the Flying Star Sect of the Eastern Domain and a direct student of the sect master.
“What are you doing here?” Lin Qi’an asked.
“I’m hiding to rest, of course. Aren’t you doing the same? Come inside—it’s safe in here!”
By now, most participants would have taken a break to recover after such an intense day. That’s what she assumed. She couldn’t have known that Lin Qi’an had been preparing for a night of slaughter.
As soon as she led him into the cave, she used her spiritual energy to push a large stone in front of the entrance, sealing it securely.
Lin Qi’an raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
“Wow! I can’t believe I ran into you, Crown Prince! My luck is amazing!”
“Oh, by the way, my name is Ling Zhi, and I’m from the Flying Star Sect in the Eastern Domain!” Ling Zhi looked both excited and nervous as she spoke, even shrinking back slightly as she continued.
“Please don’t attack me, okay? Let’s just rest here for now, and we can fight again after we’re both fully recovered…”
Seeing her fearful expression, Lin Qi’an reassured her, “Don’t worry. Since you invited me here, I wouldn’t repay you with hostility.”
As they spoke, Ling Zhi couldn’t help but notice Lin Qi’an’s pendant.
“What tier is your Spiritual Source, Your Highness? Let me take a look… Huh? Only Tier Two?”
Her surprise was evident. Even she had already reached Tier Three. With Lin Qi’an’s strength, she had expected him to be at least Tier Four by now. How could he still be at Tier Two?
Lin Qi’an casually dismissed her concerns, attributing it to bad luck. He intended to rest briefly before leaving. The cover of night provided the perfect opportunity to surge ahead in levels without being observed.
Outside the cave, the forest was quiet and still, but Lin Qi’an’s thoughts churned with anticipation. It’s time to show them the real game.
From the bushes outside the cave, three figures crouched stealthily, their eyes fixed on the entrance. They were all cultivators from the Tianhai Dao Domain.
Yes, they had formed an alliance. The rules didn’t explicitly forbid teaming up. As long as you didn’t mind being seen as dishonorable and embarrassing your sect or elders, anything was fair game.
At night, with visibility low, alliances could run rampant without fear of exposure.
This trio’s combined strength was formidable—two Tier Three Spiritual Sources and one Tier Two.
“Did you see that? Another man just went into the cave!”
“Yeah, a man and a woman. Their Spiritual Sources will be split evenly among the three of us—easy pickings!”
“Let’s go, time to strike!”
Killing spiritual beasts was one way to gain Spiritual Sources, but defeating other participants was far quicker. Some people avoided hunting beasts altogether, focusing solely on hunting their peers.
—
Inside the cave, Lin Qi’an was casually chatting with Ling Zhi.
A small oil lamp flickered on the rock wall, casting warm light over the scene.
He quickly realized this girl was a devoted admirer, practically buzzing with excitement. The flickering flame illuminated her rosy, round face, adding to her innocent charm.
“When we get out of here, I’m totally bragging about this to my master and senior brothers!” Ling Zhi declared gleefully.
She was like a fangirl meeting her idol. Lin Qi’an had no doubt that if smartphones existed in this world, she’d be snapping selfies and posting them everywhere.
Suddenly, a muffled thud reverberated through the cave. The boulder sealing the entrance trembled, dislodging small rocks and dust.
“Someone’s here!” Ling Zhi exclaimed, immediately on alert.
Lin Qi’an sighed, exasperated. “You know, if you hadn’t sealed the entrance so tightly, people might not have realized someone was inside.”
“W-Well… don’t sweat the details! What do we do now?”
“What else? We go out and fight. We can’t exactly run away now.”
“Alright, let’s give it our all!” Ling Zhi readied herself for battle, her face determined.
With a deafening crash, the boulder at the entrance shattered into pieces, revealing three men standing in its place—all from the Tianhai Dao Domain.
The trio froze momentarily upon seeing the pair inside, then broke into smug grins.
“Well, well, who would’ve thought we’d run into the Crown Prince of Beiyang in a place like this? What a pleasant surprise!”
“Wait a minute. The famous Crown Prince is only at Tier Two? Is he here to serve himself up on a silver platter?”
Ling Zhi’s face flushed with anger as she pointed at them. “You… you formed an alliance? Shameless!”
The trio laughed mockingly. “Oh, please. Isn’t this girl with you an ally too?”
“We’re just resting!”
“Yeah, sure. Rest all you want—it doesn’t matter. Nobody can see us at night anyway, so who cares if we teamed up?”
Ling Zhi felt a wave of panic. Their opponents’ combined strength far outweighed hers and Lin Qi’an’s.
“Crown Prince, you should escape! I’ll hold them off!” she declared resolutely.
“Can you even manage that?” Lin Qi’an asked instinctively, tilting his head.
“Can you not ask such an obvious question right now?!” she shouted, flustered.
She had hoped to make a noble sacrifice, but Lin Qi’an’s casual skepticism made her feel more embarrassed than heroic. She just wanted to protect him—someone who bore the hopes of so many—and ensure he didn’t get eliminated here.
What she didn’t expect was for Lin Qi’an to take a step forward instead of retreating.
His white robes shimmered in the firelight, his figure tall and graceful, exuding an aura of effortless confidence. Ling Zhi’s heart skipped a beat.
’Is the Crown Prince planning to protect me?’ she wondered.
But he was only at Tier Two! With the secret realm suppressing cultivation, how could he possibly defeat these three?
“Well, well. Lin Qi’an, are you seriously planning to play the hero at Tier Two? This should be fun.”
“Looks like we hit the jackpot today. If we manage to take him out, the rewards will be endless!”
The three cultivators knew that eliminating Lin Qi’an would secure them glory within the Tianhai Dao Domain. After all, even their domain’s top Divine Sons struggled to deal with him.
Lin Qi’an chuckled lightly.
“Ling Zhi,” he said calmly, “I suggest you cover your ears.”
“Eh?” Though puzzled, Ling Zhi instinctively obeyed, pressing her hands over her ears.
The next moment, a deafening Dragon Roar erupted, shaking the entire cave to its foundation.