Chapter 166: Dragon’s Might and Divine Fire Stun the Little Fangirl!
The might of the Ancestral Dragon shook the three cultivators, forcing them to retreat several steps.
After ascending to Tier Two, Lin Qi’an could now summon the power of the Nine Yang Divine Fire, which was perfect for handling multiple opponents at once. Golden flames surged continuously, surrounding the trio in a blazing circle.
It was a prison of fire.
“A mere Tier Two dares to face the three of us? You’re overestimating yourself!”
“Attack!”
Just as the three prepared to break through the flames and retaliate, a deafening Dragon Roar erupted again. The sound was so terrifying it felt as if their eardrums would burst. Their minds reeled, their vision blurred, and their balance faltered.
The intensity wasn’t strong enough to knock them out completely, allowing them to recover quickly.
“Hold on! He can’t possibly sustain this for long!”
“Such a terrifying dragon’s might, combined with the power to suppress us beyond his level, must be draining his spiritual energy rapidly!”
They weren’t overly frightened, certain that Lin Qi’an was merely making a desperate stand. It wouldn’t be long before exhaustion set in, giving them the chance to strike back.
When the second wave of the Dragon Roar ended, Ling Zhi finally removed her hands from her ears. She was utterly stunned by what she had witnessed: the Crown Prince of Beiyang was suppressing three cultivators at once.
This was her idol. Even at Tier Two, he could hold his own against three people. If he were Tier Three, he might outright dominate them all!
Just as she started marveling at his power, a third Dragon Roar erupted.
“Ahhh!” Ling Zhi clutched her ears in pain, feeling the lingering vibrations even though the roar wasn’t aimed at her.
Meanwhile, the Nine Yang Divine Fire continued to blaze, forcing the trio to expend all their energy to resist its heat. The pattern repeated, with Lin Qi’an’s roar disrupting their concentration and the relentless fire wearing them down.
Ling Zhi stood frozen, her hands over her ears, her eyes wide in disbelief. She stared at Lin Qi’an as though she’d seen a ghost.
All by himself, he had reduced the three cultivators to complete immobility.
“This… this is impossible!”
“How does he still have so much power? Is his spiritual energy endless?”
“It burns… It hurts… I can’t hold on anymore!”
Unable to endure, the trio finally crushed their escape pendants, disappearing in flashes of light. In their place, glowing orbs of spiritual energy floated in the air, remnants of their Spiritual Source.
Lin Qi’an calmly absorbed all three, instantly ascending to Tier Three. His power surged to new heights, and the thunderous energy of his lightning techniques was now accessible.
Ling Zhi was utterly dumbfounded. She stood there in a daze, unable to process what had just happened. After a long pause, she finally stammered, “Th-they were defeated… just like that?”
“What else did you expect?” Lin Qi’an asked nonchalantly.
“Oh my heavens! Crown Prince, are you even human? Even in this secret realm with suppressed powers, you defeated three people all by yourself!”
Ling Zhi’s voice was filled with admiration, and she nearly burst with excitement. She seemed moments away from throwing herself at him, declaring her undying adoration.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll be on my way,” Lin Qi’an said as he turned to leave.
“Wait! Don’t go just yet! Your Highness, why don’t you take my Spiritual Source as well?”
“…What?”
“This is my final contribution to the cause!”
“You’re forfeiting?”
“I just want to return to my sect and brag to everyone about meeting you!”
“…”
“Crown Prince, please carry my spirit with you and aim for victory!” With those words, Ling Zhi crushed her escape pendant, leaving behind another glowing orb of spiritual energy.
Lin Qi’an sighed and absorbed her Spiritual Source before continuing his journey.
———
Outside the Lake
The night was quiet since the lake’s surface no longer reflected the happenings within the secret realm.
Suddenly, three cultivators were ejected from the realm, flying out of the lake in flashes of light. Their unexpected return caused a stir among the onlookers.
“People are getting eliminated even at night?”
“And three of them at once? That’s unusual.”
“Wait, were they defeated by the same person?”
At first, nobody paid much attention to this development. However, shortly afterward, another figure emerged—a young woman. Unlike the defeated trio, she seemed overjoyed, practically skipping with excitement.
Ling Zhi sprinted back to her sectmates, a wide grin plastered across her face.
Her senior brothers and sisters approached her, pity evident in their expressions.
“Ling Zhi, you’re out too?”
“I have amazing news! I met the Crown Prince of Beiyang himself!”
“What?!”
Her sectmates crowded around, stunned by her revelation.
“Were you defeated by him?”
“It’s incredible that he’s still so strong even after entering the secret realm late. Truly unbelievable…”
“No, no, no!” Ling Zhi shook her head vigorously. “The Crown Prince defeated those three cultivators in an awe-inspiring display! I voluntarily forfeited after that—just to come back and brag!”
“The three of them were beaten by the Crown Prince?”
“That explains why they all came out together…”
The overwhelming might of Lin Qi’an left everyone in awe and envy.
“The Crown Prince can now take on three opponents at once… His growth is terrifyingly fast!”
Expressions of both amazement and admiration filled the faces of the crowd.
“Ling Zhi, did you get a chance to grow closer to him? Maybe you’ll catch his eye!”
“That’s right, this might be your golden opportunity!”
“I can’t believe you just forfeited like that… What a waste!”
Ling Zhi shook her head, her expression dreamy, almost as if she were lovestruck. “Meeting the Crown Prince alone is enough for me. I don’t dare hope for anything more.”
Meanwhile, the three cultivators who were defeated returned to the Tianhai Dao Domain camp, their faces filled with shame.
“You were defeated by Lin Qi’an?”
Their admission caused an uproar among their peers.
“That’s impossible! He was recklessly expending spiritual energy earlier. By now, he should have been resting to recover, not still fighting at full strength!” An elder’s voice carried both shock and disbelief.
For three people to lose while working together was already disgraceful enough. Losing to someone at Tier Two was downright humiliating.
“You’ve embarrassed us completely! Don’t breathe a word of this and keep quiet!”
Most had assumed Lin Qi’an would fall behind significantly after entering the secret realm late. But now, it seemed the outcome might be quite different…
—
The Following Day
As morning arrived, the lake once again began to reflect the events within the secret realm.
“I found him! Look, there’s the Crown Prince!” someone exclaimed, drawing a crowd to watch eagerly.
Lin Qi’an was stretching as he stepped out of a cave, looking refreshed and completely at ease.
“So, even monsters need rest…” someone muttered.
“Wait, wait!”
“Is that… Tier Four Spiritual Source?”
“What the—? I thought he was at Tier Two yesterday!”
“This is insane! He’s leveled up twice in a single night. He’s already caught up with the leaders!”
“What on earth happened last night…?”
The crowd was dumbstruck, rubbing their eyes as if trying to dispel an illusion. But no matter how hard they tried, the image remained the same.
Lin Qi’an, who started far behind everyone else, had miraculously caught up with the leading participants on the first day.
The Sword Emperor, watching calmly, broke into a smile. “It seems my son does have the right to be arrogant. What do you think, everyone?”
The other strong cultivators were too stunned to respond.
Those with enmity toward Lin Qi’an, in particular, wore expressions as sour as vinegar. Seeing him stumble was proving to be a near-impossible feat.
Internally, however, the Sword Emperor wasn’t as composed as he appeared. He transmitted his thoughts through divine sense.
“Qingzhu, when did our son become this strong? His talent is no less monstrous than mine in my youth!”
Lady Qingzhu’s response came swiftly. “Correction—your past self wouldn’t even make a ripple before our son’s current abilities.”
The Sword Emperor: …
Good thing he’s my son.
—
Elsewhere in the secret realm, the Xiling Divine Son, Xi Chao, had ascended to Tier Five Spiritual Source, garnering praise for his rapid progress.
“His control over spiritual energy is absolutely precise, wasting not even a drop. That’s how he’s been able to ascend so quickly!”
The Xiling Emperor nodded in satisfaction. No matter how dazzling Lin Qi’an’s performance was, as long as Xi Chao maintained the lead, victory would be theirs.
However, a surprising development unfolded—Xi Chao encountered Lin Liuli. It seemed fortune favored the destined, as the Destined Son crossed paths with the Destined Daughter in the vast secret realm.
The Xiling Emperor smirked. Lin Liuli hailed from the Tianjian Holy City, just like Lin Qi’an. If Xi Chao could defeat her, it would serve as sweet retribution.
At that moment, Lin Liuli was locked in battle with a Tier Five Spiritual Beast. If Xi Chao joined the fray, the combined pressure would undoubtedly overwhelm her.
What happened next, however, left everyone speechless. Xi Chao didn’t attack her—instead, he helped her!
The Xiling Emperor nearly spat out blood in frustration.
“That boy! What is he doing? Does he think this is a courting opportunity?”
—
Inside the Secret Realm
Xi Chao unleashed his Ice and Fire Divine Art, descending upon the battlefield like a divine hero. In mere moments, he vanquished the Tier Five Spiritual Beast, leaving behind a glowing orb of spiritual energy.
Lin Liuli, currently at Tier Four Spiritual Source, was naturally slower than Xi Chao in terms of progress. After all, he was the Destined Son.
“Miss Lin… I mean, Daoist Lin Liuli, are you alright?” Xi Chao asked, correcting himself awkwardly.
Unexpectedly, Lin Liuli adopted a defensive stance, her gaze icy and full of hostility. She didn’t appear the least bit grateful.
During the first round of the tournament, Xi Chao had deliberately lured beasts to attack Lin Qi’an. Lin Liuli had never forgotten this. Anyone who sought to harm Lin Qi’an was her enemy.
—
Not far away, Lin Qi’an used his Heavenly Fated Villain Divine Eyes to observe the scene.
“Xi Chao,” he muttered, “you really can’t resist trying to charm my sister, can you?” A sly smile crossed Lin Qi’an’s face as he retrieved a small blood bag from his spatial storage.
Once bitten, the bag would release a dramatic amount of blood, allowing him to feign serious injury.
“If my sister sees me getting hurt, she’ll definitely get angry.” He sighed with mock remorse.
“I really am a terrible person.”