As the scattered whispers entered Liu Ruyan’s ears, it felt as though countless needles were stabbing her heart. The discomfort was unbearable.
Disgusting!
It had been Qin Hengyu who forced her from the borderlands to the Great Qin Holy Land.
He was the one who forced her to become Royal Consort.
He had begged repeatedly to give her those gifts.
Even—
Many of those gifts had been for her family, not for her personally.
The pressure had fallen on her shoulders, yet Qin Hengyu indulged himself in self-satisfaction every day.
Now, just to reclaim those items, he slandered her in every possible way, taking the role of the good person for himself while leaving her as the villain?
Qin Hengyu was no good person.
On the contrary—
Ye Xingchen spoke sweetly and was her junior brother.
What was wrong with caring for him a little?
In her heart, Liu Ruyan completely absolved herself of responsibility.
However, she could not endure being called shameless.
With that, she threw the Azure Primordial Profound Ice Sword from her hand onto the ground.
She then removed the storage ring from her finger and tossed it down as well.
“Who wants these things? Take them back!”
“I hope your future Royal Consort will not despise your stinginess. As for the Great Qin Holy Land, I misjudged it. It is nothing but a selfish Holy Land.”
Even as she left, she took the opportunity to belittle the Great Qin Holy Land, completely forgetting the benefits she had once received.
Then again, if Liu Ruyan were someone who repaid kindness, even ten-thousand-year profound ice would have melted. There would have been no Ye Xingchen in the novel.
In the end, flies do not land on seamless eggs.
“Remember to inform your father and grandfather. Tomorrow, when I annul the engagement, I will also reclaim what belongs to the Great Qin Holy Land.”
“Since we are cutting ties, let us do so cleanly. It will be better for both of us,” Qin Hengyu reminded her.
“Hmph!”
“Who wants any connection with you? Junior Brother, let’s go.”
Liu Ruyan’s eyes were slightly red, whether from reluctance to part with the sacred artifact or from anger.
Even at such a moment, she did not forget Ye Xingchen. As she pulled him away, Ye Xingchen cast a reluctant glance at the items in Qin Hengyu’s hand.
He knew very well that the storage ring contained many valuable items. In the past, Liu Ruyan had given him good things from within it.
Sensing his emotional change, Liu Ruyan comforted him softly, “Junior Brother, I believe in your talent. Even without the Great Qin Holy Land, relying on the Liu family’s resources, I can raise your cultivation.”
“In the future, you will certainly not be inferior to Qin Hengyu, who only knows how to bully others with power.”
As if to provoke Qin Hengyu deliberately, she spoke loudly.
Whatever.
Watching them leave, Qin Hengyu stretched out his hand and retrieved the Azure Primordial Profound Ice Sword and the storage ring.
At the instant Liu Ruyan threw them down, he had already seen her fate dim slightly.
Both the storage ring and the Azure Primordial Profound Ice Sword were covered in golden fate.
Especially the Azure Primordial Profound Ice Sword, whose golden fate had condensed as thick as paper.
This seemingly ordinary sacred artifact had an extraordinary origin. It once belonged to the Saintess Qingyuan.
Among historical Saint Realm figures, Saintess Qingyuan was exceptionally renowned.
Not only was she peerlessly talented, but even Great Emperors had pursued her without success. She was also one of the rare women capable of battling Emperor Realm experts while at the Saint Realm.
People often said that if not for the unparalleled Great Emperor of that era, she would have been crowned Female Emperor above all men.
That was Saintess Qingyuan.
Of course—
If it were merely a sacred artifact, it would not possess such abundant fate.
Within the Azure Primordial Profound Ice Sword lay a hidden treasure map.
It led to Saintess Qingyuan’s secret treasury and inheritance.
Qin Hengyu knew this only because he had read the novel.
In the later novel—
To save Ye Xingchen, Liu Ruyan shattered the sword in a desperate final strike and by sheer luck obtained that secret treasury.
Even without exceptional talent, that inheritance enabled her to reach the Saint Realm and protect the Liu family.
Heaven-Swallowing Demonic Art!
Qin Hengyu wasted no time and immediately began absorbing the fate from the Azure Primordial Profound Ice Sword and the storage ring.
Under his absorption, invisible strands of golden fate flowed into the pillar above his head.
The black fate column lightened slightly, turning into a grayish-black hue.
Not easy.
At the same time, his cultivation realm, which had stagnated for a long time, began to loosen slightly.
Hm?
This was an unexpected delight.
The mist parted, revealing a heavenly staircase.
Above the nine layers, a celestial palace seemed to exist.
Body Tempering Realm, Qi Sea Realm, Palace Opening Realm, Divine Power Realm, Dragon Ascension Realm, King Realm, Emperor Realm, Venerable Realm, Saint Realm, Emperor Realm…
After tempering the body, cultivators opened a Qi Sea in their dantian.
When the Qi Sea surged, they could dispel the mist at the center of the brow.
Thus glimpsing the Ninefold Heavenly Palace.
The Heavenly Palace nourished divine sense. Divine sense sought divine powers.
With divine powers, one established the Dragon Ascension Pillar.
Flawless was King.
Leakless was Emperor.
Tribulation Crossing was Venerable.
Opening heaven and earth was Saint.
Ultimate dominion over heaven and earth was Emperor.
Within his brow, the Ninefold Heavenly Palace dispersed some of its mist, allowing him to vaguely glimpse it.
He had broken through.
He had advanced an entire major realm, from Peak Qi Sea Realm to Palace Opening Realm.
Even his Great Emperor father had been unable to help him break through. Yet now it had happened.
Women truly slowed the speed of drawing one’s sword.
However—
Qin Hengyu now understood that the factor obstructing his breakthrough had not been resources or techniques.
It had been fate.
His fate had been so poor that it hindered his cultivation.
Fate was mysterious and intangible. It was said that only those above the Great Emperor could control life and fate to a certain extent.
Even his biological father, as a Great Emperor, had limited means in this regard.
If he wished to continue breaking through in the future, he would inevitably need to continue targeting Liu Ruyan and Ye Xingchen, using the Heaven-Swallowing Demonic Art to absorb their fate.
To cultivate, first change one’s life, then change one’s fate.
“Congratulations to the Royal Prince on your breakthrough!”
Those on the martial arena were all from his own Holy Land. While Qin Hengyu cultivated in place, they had formed a protective circle around him.
When he opened his eyes, they offered their congratulations.
“All of you are pillars of the Great Qin Holy Land. In the future, we shall expand our dominion together.”
“I was once muddled and caused you all to laugh.”
“Now that I have severed the past and am entering a better state, I must share this joy with all of you.”
Qin Hengyu stood and saluted the cultivators present.
Immediately afterward—
He opened Liu Ruyan’s storage ring and distributed some of the spirit herbs and spirit stones within, building goodwill.
As Royal Prince, he had to learn how to win people’s hearts.
“Thank you, Royal Prince!”
“The Royal Prince’s fate reaches the heavens!”
“We are willing to serve!”
…
After receiving benefits, the cultivators expressed their gratitude.
Their gazes toward Qin Hengyu changed completely.
In the past, when they called him Royal Prince, they had felt some disdain for his behavior as a simp.
Now, not only had he acted decisively, but he had also abandoned his past and won them over. His image had greatly improved.
They were all members of the Great Qin Holy Land.
Opinions could differ, but loyalty could not. At the very least, their hearts remained aligned with the Holy Land’s prosperity.
[Ding! Host has successfully pressured the Son of Destiny and gained 1 enlightenment opportunity.]
Another enlightenment opportunity?
Upon hearing the system notification, Qin Hengyu realized he was beginning to grasp the pattern.
Did interacting with the Son of Destiny grant enlightenment opportunities?
No rush. He could test it tomorrow.
After processing the system’s message, Qin Hengyu did not engage further with the ordinary cultivators. For tomorrow’s engagement annulment, preparations were needed.
He would require people to accompany him and create momentum. The foolish actions of his former self had to be remedied.
His Great Emperor father had nine great generals.
Some had died of old age, others in battle, but each had established a powerful family that still guarded the Great Qin Holy Land.
The original Qin Hengyu had nearly offended all nine families, squandering their goodwill.
Even so, when the Holy Land later faced crisis, the nine great families stepped forward. Unfortunately, the original Qin Hengyu had been too foolish. For a single word of approval from Liu Ruyan, he sacrificed all nine families.
With such a Royal Prince, how could the Great Qin Holy Land not fall?
Clutching the Azure Primordial Profound Ice Sword, Qin Hengyu decided to visit the Jiang family, home of the first great general. The conflict itself was connected to this sword.
The Jiang family had always produced sturdy sons. Yet this generation had given birth to a precious direct daughter, Jiang Rouxue.
Despite cherishing her deeply, they had sent her to serve as the Royal Prince’s attendant.
However, the original Qin Hengyu, blinded by his obsession with Liu Ruyan, believed Jiang Rouxue’s presence ruined his image of pure love. He treated her harshly.
Later, when he saw the Azure Primordial Profound Ice Sword at an auction house, he purchased it.
Jiang Rouxue had seen the sword first and liked it.
But the original Qin Hengyu, in his simping foolishness, only wanted to please Liu Ruyan.
He claimed Jiang Rouxue was unworthy of such a sword and belittled her, making the gentle girl cry.
At that time, nearly the entire Jiang family had mobilized.
The excessively pampered Royal Prince had almost received the first beating of his life.
After that incident, the Jiang family withdrew from the Great Qin Holy Land, relinquishing their position to the Liu family, seemingly seeking distance.
Step by step, he had erred, offending the foremost general’s family of his own Holy Land.
Was that not equivalent to severing his own limbs?
Idiot.
Thinking of his former self’s actions, Qin Hengyu nearly wanted to slap himself.
Thus, he decided that having the Jiang family present at the engagement annulment would allow them to vent their anger, ease relations, and provide him with support.
Who annulled an engagement without wearing a helmet?
With that thought, Qin Hengyu rose and headed toward the Jiang family.