Chapter 169: Tianhai Dao Domain’s Ambush on the Crown Prince – Utterly Shameless!
“Did the Crown Prince really kill that six-layer source beast?”
“I’m stunned… Does this mean he intentionally lost to the Xiling Divine Son earlier? He could’ve beaten him easily?”
“It looks that way! Now that I think about it, that blood vomiting was so fake—like blood just costs nothing!”
“Ha! The Xiling Divine Palace was ridiculing us for a two-versus-one fight earlier. Wonder how they’re feeling now?”
This wave of events sent waves of euphoria through Tianjian City’s crowd. The Crown Prince never failed to amaze, having defeated the Xiling Divine Son, slain a six-layer source beast, and leveled himself up to six layers in the process. Now, his cultivation level matched those of the top prodigies.
The Xiling Emperor’s face turned darker than storm clouds, “Lin Weixuan, your son is truly dazzling—playing our Xiling Divine Son like a fiddle,” he sneered.
“Merely passable,” Lin Weixuan replied, his expression calm. Though brimming with pride, he betrayed none of it outwardly.
“Do you know your son killed Xiling Divine Palace members in the Western Sea recently?”
The crowd was stunned as the Xiling Emperor brazenly brought up old grievances. His original plan to have his Divine Son regain face by defeating Lin Qian had utterly crumbled. With that hope gone, he had to demand accountability for the prior incidents.
“Oh? Are you seeking an explanation?” Lin Weixuan’s eyes narrowed. “If he killed them, then so be it. What’s the issue?”
“You—” The Xiling Emperor’s fury was palpable. Lin Weixuan’s words were a slap to his face, uttered in front of everyone.
“If your juniors wish to challenge Qian, they’re welcome to try. But if any elders dare to intervene, my Tianjian City’s elite might take offense.” His words were spoken lightly, almost in jest, but carried an undeniable threat.
The meaning was clear: anyone from the older generation who touched Lin Qian would face the full might of Tianjian City.
The crowd remembered the stories—Lin Weixuan, the Sword Emperor, had once led the Sword Guards to sweep across the Canglan Dao Domain, leaving no survivors in his path. Though three millennia had passed, no one doubted he could do it again.
The warning wasn’t just for the Xiling Emperor—it was for any Great Emperor or Saint present, even those from the Tianhai Dao Domain.
A female Saint from the Kui Dragon Clan, who had entertained the idea of killing Lin Qian, trembled as a chill climbed up her spine.
The Sword Emperor feared no one.
—
Within the secret realm.
After much consideration, Lin Liuli said, “Qian, my spiritual power is nearly depleted. I no longer have the ability to compete for the top. I’ll leave the rest to you.”
“You’re leaving too?”
“Carry the burden for your elder sister as well. If you don’t win, I’ll make you regret it!” With a stern glare, she crushed her escape talisman, leaving behind a white source crystal before disappearing.
Helpless, Lin Qian absorbed her remaining energy and pressed forward. His journey after that was smooth—he defeated various source beasts, leveling up rapidly.
Occasionally, he feigned exhaustion and rested, ensuring he didn’t alarm the spectators too much.
—
The Third Day – Noon
“Look! The Blade Emperor’s disciple is facing the Kui Dragon Divine Son!”
“It’s another peak-level clash!”
When it came to inter-domain rivalries, honor was at stake. Despite the Blade Emperor’s disciple being an unpopular figure, he was a top-tier prodigy of the Canglan Dao Domain. If defeated, it would reflect poorly on the entire domain.
“Come on! Don’t embarrass your master!” the crowd shouted, their hopes pinned on Li Xuan.
Though he couldn’t match Lin Qian, he still sought validation by defeating others. Against the Kui Dragon Divine Son, his overwhelming blade techniques forced the latter into retreat.
The crowd erupted with cheers, but their joy was short-lived.
The Soaring Snake Divine Son suddenly joined the battle.
As soon as he entered, the balance tipped. Together, the Kui Dragon Divine Son and Soaring Snake Divine Son overwhelmed Li Xuan in a two-versus-one fight.
“Face me one-on-one if you dare!” Li Xuan bellowed, enraged.
Destined Children were notoriously obsessed with one-on-one battles, demanding fairness even against stronger opponents. Victory in such circumstances was the ultimate show of dominance.
“Can’t win? Then just get out. Stop embarrassing yourself!”
Neither opponent humored him, dismissing his challenge outright and pressing their attack.
Li Xuan, overwhelmed and humiliated, had no choice but to crush his talisman and retreat.
—
Canglan Dao Domain supporters were outraged.
“How shameless can they get? Two-on-one against a peer!”
“They call themselves Divine Sons? They’ve thrown all their dignity away!”
“Pathetic and disgusting behavior from so-called top prodigies!”
The Tianhai Dao Domain’s crowd responded with laughter.
“See that? You Canglan Dao Domain folks love to fight each other while we advance.”
“One of your best is already out. Who’s left to threaten us?”
“Don’t forget, several of your prodigies are after that Lin Qian too.”
“Haha! Keep it up, Canglan! You’re your own worst enemy!”
The rivalry between the domains was palpable, with disdain and mockery exchanged freely. In the secret realm, the situation was bound to escalate further.
Losing to an external foe was the most infuriating defeat, and misfortune rarely comes alone.
On another battlefield within the secret realm, Zhao Yunji faced off against the Golden Crow Divine Son. While they were evenly matched in talent, Zhao Yunji’s signature technique, the Violet Heaven Divine Thunder, couldn’t be fully unleashed due to the realm’s restrictions.
Eventually, she was forced to retreat from the secret realm, marking another external defeat for the Canglan Dao Domain.
As morale among the Canglan Dao Domain plummeted, the Tianhai Dao Domain seized the moment to mock them.
“Didn’t you call us shameless for a two-versus-one? What now? Beaten fair and square in a one-on-one?”
“Why don’t you come up with another excuse? Haha!”
“Losing is losing. Stand straight when you take your blows. Ever heard of the saying ‘to the victor goes the spoils’?”
Tensions between the two domains escalated as more participants were eliminated. The air was thick with hostility, and the rivalry reached a boiling point.
The greatest concern was that only two top prodigies remained for the Canglan Dao Domain—Lin Qian and Ye Yun. Yet, these two were sworn enemies, making any notion of cooperation impossible.
In stark contrast, the three Divine Sons of the Tianhai Dao Domain had formed an unshakable alliance, creating a lopsided disadvantage for the Canglan Dao Domain.
“Don’t lose hope!”
“The Crown Prince is about to reach a ninth-layer source level! Once that happens, he’ll regain his full strength.”
“Yes! The other participants are still stuck at the eighth-layer. Believe in the Crown Prince!”
“Wait, you don’t get it—that’s exactly the problem. Once the Crown Prince ascends to the ninth-layer, his aura won’t be suppressed by the secret realm anymore. His position will be exposed for all to see.”
“Everyone will know where he is. It’ll definitely draw a massive siege!”
—
Within the secret realm the Soaring Snake Divine Son and Kui Dragon Divine Son had just finished absorbing Li Xuan’s source essence. As they prepared to leave, they sensed an overwhelming aura surging into the heavens.
“Someone’s reached the ninth-layer source level?!”
“Already? That’s too fast!”
“If they reach the tenth-layer, they’ll gain the secret realm’s full power. We can’t let that happen. We must kill them now!”
“Go!”
Indeed, the first to reach the ninth-layer was none other than Lin Qian. Despite being the last to enter the secret realm, he was the first to reach this critical level.
Reaching the ninth-layer granted participants the ability to sense others’ auras. The secret realm now turned into a hunting ground, with the ninth-layer being the hunter and everyone else below that the prey.
By hunting others, one could absorb their source essence and ascend to the tenth-layer. Achieving the tenth-layer in the Pilgrimage Path meant becoming nearly invincible due to the realm’s tremendous power boost.
This made it imperative for the remaining participants to stop Lin Qian at all costs. More and more participants began converging on his location.
“Wait, it’s the Crown Prince? Let’s not get involved in this mess…”
“Agreed. If the Crown Prince takes first place, it’ll still be a victory for the Canglan Dao Domain.”
Upon realizing Lin Qian’s identity, many participants from the Canglan Dao Domain wisely backed away, leaving the conflict to play out.
However, those determined to hunt Lin Qian were all from the Tianhai Dao Domain.
Leading the charge were the Kui Dragon Divine Son (Kui Xiao), the Golden Crow Divine Son (Jin Lingkong), and the Soaring Snake Divine Son (Teng Kong), joined by over a dozen other Tianhai Dao Domain participants.
They surrounded Lin Qian in a tight formation, knowing that if they failed to eliminate him now, they’d never get another chance once he reached the tenth-layer.
“Unbelievable! So many people are ganging up on the Crown Prince. This is shameless!”
“It’s within the secret realm’s rules. We can only hope the Crown Prince defeats them all…”
“If the Crown Prince loses, the Canglan Dao Domain will likely lose the entire competition.”
“But how can he win against more than a dozen opponents? This is too much, even for him.”
No one knew. Even though Lin Qian had demonstrated power beyond his peers, facing so many opponents simultaneously at higher source levels was an almost impossible task.
This battle had the eyes of both domains locked on it. Victory or defeat here would determine the ultimate winner of the Pilgrimage Path.
Even Zhao Yunji, having recently retreated, clenched her fists tightly, silently rooting for Lin Qian. This was no longer just about individual pride—it was a battle for the honor of the Canglan Dao Domain, resting entirely on Lin Qian’s shoulders.