Compared to ordinary beast blood, this one had a rich golden-red hue that looked extraordinary at first glance.
Without hesitation, Lin Xingyun immediately began refining his body using it. As usual, he prepared a large cauldron bath, pouring in a large quantity of body-tempering spiritual medicine.
Previously, after his physical strength had reached 100,000 kilograms, those spiritual medicines had little to no effect. But this time, he added a small vial of the Golden-Eyed Sun-Ni beast blood.
Ying Qing had warned him—the power of the Golden-Eyed Sun-Ni was incredibly violent. It must never be used in large amounts at once.
Sure enough, the moment the beast blood entered the mix, Lin Xingyun felt his organs burn and his skin tear apart. The golden-red liquid rampaged through his body like a potent toxin, causing excruciating pain while also pushing him past his physical limits.
It was as if a full reservoir had been suddenly carved deeper. The spiritual medicine that previously had no effect was now once again absorbed into his body, aiding in his further enhancement.
Four hours later, the beast blood and spiritual medicine in the cauldron were fully absorbed. Covered in sweat, Lin Xingyun finally exhaled in relief. After adjusting his breath for a while, he was delighted to find his physical strength had once again broken through the limit—reaching 130,000 kilograms!
“Just like this… continue refining the body. Once it reaches the peak, I’ll break into the Spirit Sea Realm!”
His eyes were filled with ambition. He wanted to cultivate to the extreme at every realm, laying a solid foundation. Only then could he compete with true paragons of his generation!
After a brief rest, he changed to a fresh cauldron of spiritual medicine and added another small vial of the Golden-Eyed Sun-Ni beast blood to continue the tempering. Fortunately, he had immense cultivation resources on hand, allowing him to spend freely.
As the saying goes—if you want to thrive out here, you need power and background!
…
…
Two months later, in the imperial martial arena.
The full court—officials, nobles, and royal kin—gathered in one place.
Because today was the day of the Heavenly Enlightenment Empire’s royal heir contest.
The Heavenly Enlightenment Empire was a martial empire. Each generation’s crown prince had to be selected through martial competition. To ensure fairness, only those at the Origin Palace Realm could participate. Anyone below that realm was automatically disqualified from the competition.
The goal was to select the most talented prince to inherit the throne.
At this moment, Xiao Chen sat beneath the arena with an extremely dark expression. The fury and frustration in his chest had reached their peak. He was like a powder keg—one more spark and he’d explode.
These days had been an endless chain of misfortune, as if cursed. And behind every calamity, whether directly or indirectly, was Lin Xingyun’s shadow.
He wasn’t stupid. Han Feng had already warned him: Lin Xingyun was likely targeting him deliberately. It would be best to leave the capital and avoid further trouble. As long as he lived, there was hope to rebuild.
But Xiao Chen was unwilling. He had to participate in this royal contest.
When his cultivation had been crippled, he had suffered the cold gazes and contempt of the ministers and his brothers. For years, the title of crown prince had been his greatest obsession.
Even if he had to avoid danger later, he’d do it only after winning the position of crown prince.
Han Feng couldn’t dissuade him, and could only advise him to be extra cautious.
On the other side of the arena, Lin Xingyun and Xiao Qianluo sat together, watching the battle.
Unlike the brooding, grim-faced Xiao Chen, Lin Xingyun looked completely refreshed.
Among them were pills, treasures, spirit stones, life-saving artifacts, and more.
For Xiao Chen, these were vital. For Lin Xingyun, they were just extras.
But the most critical item was a [Green Lotus Fire Seed].
Normally, one had to reach the Divine Fire Realm to cultivate their own divine fire. But some fire seeds were born naturally between heaven and earth.
For those cultivating fire-type techniques, such fire seeds provided immense assistance.
If one could merge them into their divine fire upon reaching the Divine Fire Realm, the benefits were immeasurable!
At this moment, Lin Xingyun’s villain points had increased dramatically from stealing opportunities and wrecking Xiao Chen’s mental state.
Meanwhile, Xiao Chen’s fate points had dropped to just 4,444.
With his own gains and Xiao Chen’s losses, Lin Xingyun had nearly bled him dry.
However, the system had warned that Children of Destiny were extremely tenacious. Their fate points could regenerate over time.
They were like leeks—cut them once, and they’d regrow.
They also possessed all sorts of bizarre life-saving methods. To fully deplete their fate and kill them wasn’t easy.
But Lin Xingyun wasn’t in a rush. In fact, he looked forward to it.
Children of Destiny always stumbled into strange encounters. Who knew when one might bring in the snake tribe’s queen, a poison maiden skilled in healing, or a wounded sect master using an alias?
When that happened, he’d have no choice but to accept the benefits in their place!
…
As the royal competition progressed, princes battled one after another.
With exceptional talent and Han Feng’s guidance, Xiao Chen cut down all opponents and reached the final round.
“The final round! Fourth Prince Xiao Zhen versus Ninth Prince Xiao Chen!”
“This is a friendly match. Please, both princes!”
With the martial officer’s announcement, Xiao Chen and Xiao Zhen stepped onto the stage.
“Ninth Brother, please.” Xiao Zhen cupped his hands.
“Be careful, Fourth Brother!” Xiao Chen replied before the two immediately clashed.
Xiao Zhen, being older, had long reached the late stage of the Origin Palace Realm and was just one step away from the peak. His cultivation was solid and his foundation strong.
In their initial exchange, Xiao Chen was at a disadvantage.
“Heaven Flame Ninefold Turn!”
With a shout, Xiao Chen ignited blazing flames within his body. His aura soared to the late Origin Palace Realm!
But it was barely enough to regain balance. He still couldn’t overpower Xiao Zhen.
Originally, if Lin Xingyun hadn’t stolen his opportunities, Xiao Chen’s cultivation would have already reached the late Origin Palace Realm. With techniques like the Sword Soul Emperor Scripture and Wind Thunder Mirage, victory would’ve been easy.
Now that he’d been drained dry by Lin Xingyun, his combat power had plummeted.
Soon, the boost from Heaven Flame Ninefold Turn began to weaken. Without the [Green Lotus Fire Seed] to support it, the technique’s effect was significantly reduced. This chapter is updated first at novelping.com.
If this dragged on, defeat was inevitable.
“No! I can’t lose! Master, help me!” Xiao Chen’s face twisted with unwillingness as he called out in his heart.
A formless soul force surged from the Heaven-Earth Ring and flowed into his limbs and bones!
Though his cultivation didn’t rise, his strength more than tripled!
“Ninefold Impact Fist!”
Without hesitation, he channeled spiritual energy into his right fist and struck with full force.
The explosive sonic boom echoed across the arena!
Xiao Zhen tried to block, but was instantly blasted out of the arena. He landed with a heavy thud, coughing up a large mouthful of blood, his aura visibly weakened.
“Ninth Prince wins!”
“Congratulations to Ninth Prince!”
As the adjudicating martial officer shouted, all ministers and nobles rose to congratulate Xiao Chen.
This victory meant he had won the title of crown prince!
“Hah… hah… I finally… finally did it!” Xiao Chen, catching his breath, felt a rush of joy. “Master, I did it!”
This moment was everything he’d waited for.
He looked around, receiving congratulations from nobles and royal family members alike. For a while, he felt ecstatic and full of pride.
The only regret was injuring his Fourth Brother Xiao Zhen—known for his righteousness and kindness toward all his siblings. He had never mistreated Xiao Chen.
But now, he was gravely injured and being carried away for treatment…
“Sorry, Fourth Brother. Glory demands sacrifice. I’ll compensate you later.”
After glancing at Xiao Zhen, Xiao Chen didn’t hesitate any longer. He leapt off the stage, head held high, and strode toward the throne.
Seeing his father Xiao Yang’s approving gaze, Xiao Chen was even more elated.
Next, he would be officially appointed crown prince in front of the entire court!
On the other hand, Lin Xingyun clicked his tongue in amusement, frowning slightly. “Tch, that looked fun. Makes me want to fight someone too.”
He sighed.
In the past, his weak cultivation, poor battle skills, slow comprehension, and the constant distraction of dealing with various women had left him little chance to spar with others.
But now it was different. He had transformed. He too wanted to battle and kill.
The path of cultivation was one of endless fighting. Only through countless battles, blood, and bones could one rise to the level of Great Emperor!
Just as Lin Xingyun’s fighting spirit surged—Ying Qing, standing beside him, suddenly spoke up…