Also a Child of Destiny

The moment Qin Anlan saw Xuanyuan Xiong Ba, a slight smile appeared on his face.

He cupped his hands towards Xuanyuan Xiong Ba and said, "Qin Anlan greets His Highness, the First Prince."

Xuanyuan Xiong Ba had not expected to see Qin Anlan here.

A look of ecstatic joy immediately flashed across his face, and he felt an even greater sense of closeness.

He strode forward, gently supporting Qin Anlan, and smiled faintly.

"Anlan, we are brothers, there's no need to be so formal."

"When there are no outsiders around, just call me 'Big Brother'."

"I'm dozens of years older than you. Although my talent isn't as good as yours, I've seen many things in my life."

"If you have any doubts, feel free to come to me, Big Brother. I will definitely help you with all my might."

Call him Big Brother?

Qin Anlan remained outwardly calm, with no change in his expression.

But inwardly, he sneered repeatedly.

If he really called Xuanyuan Xiong Ba "Big Brother."

Even if they were alone, and no one noticed, using such an intimate address for Xuanyuan Xiong Ba.

It would likely not be long before the entire Heavenly Flame Empire knew about it.

If someone were to stir up trouble behind the scenes, this matter would escalate into a declaration that the Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate had implicitly expressed its full support for the First Prince's faction.

As a top-tier faction, the Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate held a pivotal position in the imperial court.

Once it declared its stance, the court would fall into turmoil.

The struggle for succession among the nine princes would intensify.

And the Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate, as the first to declare its support, would be placed in a precarious position.

Although the foundation of the Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate was unshakeable, it couldn't withstand overt and covert attacks.

Open attacks were easy to dodge, but hidden arrows were hard to guard against.

It would leave the Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate in a state of turmoil.

This First Prince was indeed remarkable.

Whether in terms of talent, temperament, or strategy, he was among the top contenders among the many princes.

If not for the lack of any support from his maternal clan, Xuanyuan Xiong Ba was in no way inferior to the Second Prince, Fourth Prince, or Eighth Prince.

Unfortunately.

The Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate had never intended to support the First Prince.

In fact, none of the other princes were on the Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate's list of supported candidates.

Facing Xuanyuan Xiong Ba's overly polite demeanor, Qin Anlan simply smiled calmly.

"Propriety must be upheld. As the Young Lord of the Divine Marquis, I, Qin Anlan, naturally cannot disregard etiquette."

"The First Prince, as a blood descendant of the Xuanyuan Imperial Clan and the Emperor's eldest son, how could I possibly cast aside propriety?"

Seeing the reluctance, and even a hint of displeasure, on Qin Anlan's face.

A flicker of disappointment flashed in Xuanyuan Xiong Ba's eyes.

He also knew.

That Qin Anlan's stance essentially represented the stance of the Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate.

But outwardly.

Xuanyuan Xiong Ba's expression remained unchanged, and a slight smile still played on his lips.

"You, my brother, must be so serious between us. What can I say about you?"

The two, each with their own agenda, engaged in polite exchanges and idle chatter.

After a brief conversation, Xuanyuan Xiong Ba found an excuse and left with his entourage.

Qin Anlan stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze deep, quietly watching Xuanyuan Xiong Ba's retreating figure.

"Ding! Detected Child of Destiny, Xuanyuan Xiong Ba."

Just then, a system notification sounded in Qin Anlan's mind.

Child of Destiny?

Xuanyuan Xiong Ba was also a Child of Destiny?

He immediately activated the Son of Heaven's Qi Observation Technique to check Xuanyuan Xiong Ba's personal attributes.

Above Xuanyuan Xiong Ba's head, a surge of extremely powerful heaven and earth destiny swirled.

And before Qin Anlan, a light screen appeared, visible only to him.

[Name]: Xuanyuan Xiong Ba

[Identity]: First Prince of the Heavenly Flame Empire

[Realm]: Peak Divine Emperor

[Physique]: None

[Cultivation Method]: Xuanyuan Emperor Scripture (Fourth Layer), Heavenly Flame Secret Art

[Charm Value]: 92 (Peak 100)

[Destiny Points]: 5500

[Golden Finger]: None

He actually possessed five thousand five hundred Destiny Points. Truly a fat sheep, ripe for the plucking.

He hadn't even officially clashed with Ye Qingyun, that Child of Destiny.

He hadn't expected that Qin Anlan would encounter a new Child of Destiny.

And this Child of Destiny before him was clearly more difficult to deal with than Ye Qingyun.

Dealing with him was becoming increasingly troublesome.

Although Xuanyuan Xiong Ba was merely a son of a concubine, his maternal clan offered him no assistance.

However, he had taken the Left Prime Minister as his master and possessed the full support of the Left Prime Minister and Heavenly Firmament Academy.

He also had numerous factions under his command, willing to die for him.

The current Xuanyuan Xiong Ba already had an extremely deep foundation and had achieved a certain level of influence.

He even had many supporters in the imperial court.

To deal with Xuanyuan Xiong Ba, this Child of Destiny.

For the moment, Qin Anlan had no way to act.

Qin Anlan was not in a hurry to make a move against Xuanyuan Xiong Ba.

At least for Qin Anlan currently, the most important thing was to first find a way to eliminate Ye Qingyun, this Child of Destiny.

Then he could turn his attention to dealing with Xuanyuan Xiong Ba.

A surge of excitement, which he could hardly conceal, rose within him.

After all, this Child of Destiny was no ordinary person.

The First Prince of the Heavenly Flame Empire.

To personally crush such a major figure under his heel.

It would surely be very satisfying.

On the other side.

Xuanyuan Xiong Ba had no idea that Qin Anlan had intentions of dealing with him from the moment they met.

After parting ways with Qin Anlan, Xuanyuan Xiong Ba flew towards the direction of his palace.

Xuanyuan Xiong Ba had long since come of age and had already established his own residence.

Although the First Prince's mansion was far inferior to the Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate, it occupied a vast area and was rich in spiritual energy.

It was not something that ordinary noble family residences could compare to.

Inside the palace.

A man in black beside Xuanyuan Xiong Ba leaned in and whispered, "It seems the Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate has no intention of supporting Your Highness."

Upon hearing this, Xuanyuan Xiong Ba remained calm, his face showing no emotion.

"The Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate possesses an extremely formidable foundation; even my Xuanyuan Imperial Clan dares not underestimate it."

"If I could obtain the support of the Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate, combined with the support of the Left Prime Minister and Heavenly Firmament Academy, the position of Crown Prince would be mine and mine alone."

"However, the Empress has always been close to the Grand Princess, and coupled with my background, the Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate does not favor me."

"Especially with what has happened recently!"

At this point, Xuanyuan Xiong Ba's face gradually turned ashen.

A hint of undisguised resentment flickered in his eyes.

The reason was none other than...

It was the matter of Elder Chou Yin of Heavenly Firmament Academy preventing Qin Anlan from slaughtering the Liu Family.

Not only did that person openly block Qin Anlan from harming the Liu Family, but he even invoked his name, Xuanyuan Xiong Ba, and the Left Prime Minister.

It seemed intended to inform the Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate and everyone in the world.

That it was Xuanyuan Xiong Ba and the Left Prime Minister who were obstructing Qin Anlan, and even deliberately making an enemy of him.

Wasn't this putting him, Xuanyuan Xiong Ba, on the spot?

Xuanyuan Xiong Ba had been trying to win over the Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate during this time.

So why would he stir up trouble for no reason and provoke Qin Anlan, or even the Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate?

"Have you investigated clearly? Which factions is Chou Yin connected to? Is he the Second Prince's man, or the Fourth Prince's or the Eighth Prince's?"

Xuanyuan Xiong Ba turned his gaze to the man in black and asked.

Although there was no conclusive evidence, he had basically concluded by now.

Chou Yin was a pawn placed beside him by those "good brothers" of his.

It was all to provoke a rift between him, Xuanyuan Xiong Ba, and the Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate.

"This... your subordinate has done his best to investigate, but Chou Yin left no clues. Furthermore, he is already dead, so the trail has gone cold. I'm afraid..."

The man in black replied, trembling.

"Damn it!"

"Those despicable scoundrels are plotting against me with their schemes and tricks. I will not let them get away with it."

Xuanyuan Xiong Ba clenched his fists, a barely concealed hatred evident in his eyes.

With Chou Yin's appearance, the battle for the throne had entered its most intense phase. For that position, they had long since resorted to any means necessary, sparing no expense.