Three Advantages

Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, these days seemed to have brought little peace.

Though Crown Prince Ling Tian had repeatedly dispatched the Eastern Palace's elite troops and even deployed the Governor's forces to suppress the unrest flaring up across the land, the results had been negligible.

Just as one disturbance was stamped out, another quietly sprang up, like weeds that could never be cut down or burned away.

This endless war of attrition had nearly sent the Imperial Capital's court into an uproar.

The memorials presented to Ling Cangqiong each day piled up like mountains. Many impeached the Crown Prince for mishandling the situation and wasting manpower and resources; others spoke up in his defense, blaming the chaos on petty troublemakers.

Ling Tian's forces had suffered losses in this quagmire of a conflict. Several powerful Divine Treasury Realm experts had even fallen to the ceaseless ambushes and sneak attacks.

Ling Tian was so furious he nearly ground his back teeth to dust. He had already secretly ordered his people to preserve their strength and retreat whenever possible.

But the forces behind the attacks—whether from the Nine Nether Sect, the Demon Race, or those secretly loyal to other princes—would give them no quarter. Their assaults were vicious and underhanded, impossible to guard against. They always struck in moments of apparent calm, claiming one life after another.

Under the immense pressure, Ling Tian felt his energy being drained away by the day.

Even the Scripture Repository, which he had been visiting frequently of late, had become difficult to reach. With his time stretched thin and danger lurking, he had no choice but to go less often.

And so, amid the chaos and anxiety, time slipped past. In the blink of an eye, it was the eve of the duel agreed upon by the Sect Masters of the Ming He Sect and the Yantian Sect.

For Chen Lin, that month and a few extra days had passed in the blink of an eye.

Ever since the system had descended, his cultivation speed had been like a wild horse breaking free of its reins, charging ahead at full gallop.

Now, he had firmly reached the threshold of the sixth layer of the Divine Treasury Realm!

He looked down at himself, then helplessly glanced at his empty Storage Ring. The batch of spirit stones, pills, and spirit herbs his disciple had given him had long since been spent.

He had leaped from the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment to the sixth layer of the Divine Treasury Realm in just over a month. To outsiders, that speed was beyond belief. But he knew exactly how many resources it had taken to reach this "mere" sixth layer.

"Not bad. I've crossed several major realms." He muttered, his tone tinged with self-mockery and longing for what lay ahead. "If I had enough resources, I could immediately break through to the Dharma Aspect Realm—or even glimpse the Cave Reality Realm!"

The Scripture Repository contained only a little over fifty Earth-tier cultivation techniques. He had already absorbed more than thirty of them, studying everything from cultivation techniques and martial arts to movement techniques, fist arts, and Secret Techniques for tempering the body.

By now, he was practically an "all-rounder."

Most people lived by the saying, "It's not quantity that matters, but mastery."

But Chen Lin was different. Whenever he learned something, he mastered it to Great Perfection.

It was too easy.

He was only afraid there weren't enough techniques to learn.

Just then, beneath the ink-black night sky, Ling Tian finally stepped into Chen Lin's quarters again, after more than ten days away.

The moment he arrived, Chen Lin keenly sensed that his disciple was in far worse shape than last time. Weariness hung between his brows, and the dark circles beneath his eyes were impossible to hide.

Chen Lin watched him and nearly burst out laughing.

Ling Tian had certainly been through the wringer these past ten days.

His subordinates had been falling one after another. The losses in the open were one thing, but what troubled him most was that even Divine Treasury Realm experts hidden in the shadows had been taken out!

And just then, several princes had swooped in like sharks scenting blood, launching a fresh round of attacks against him. The suspicion in his Imperial Father's eyes had grown more pronounced as well.

Being a Crown Prince is hard. Chen Lin sighed inwardly.

"Master." Ling Tian forced down the turmoil in his heart and greeted him respectfully.

Before the words had even left his mouth, an almost imperceptible Heavenly Artifact barrier appeared around him, enclosing the old eunuch Little Anzi, who had followed behind, and shielding them from any prying eyes.

Little Anzi was inside it too.

Looking at this familiar maneuver, Chen Lin finally couldn't help but chuckle. "Hahaha! The way you're carrying on, you'd think you were sneaking off for a secret rendezvous. Judging by the look of things, my dear disciple has been awfully busy lately!"

Ling Tian gave a bitter smile. "Master, please don't tease me. I really have been busy."

"The Sect Masters of the two sects are due to arrive tomorrow. Already, quite a few Demon Race spies and scouts from other sects have infiltrated the Imperial Capital." His voice was low, and the weariness in it was impossible to conceal.

Chen Lin nodded. He had already known all this.

Now that he had reached the sixth layer of the Divine Treasury Realm, and with the Breath Concealment Technique, leaving the Imperial Palace and wandering outside would be no difficult matter.

But then again, what would be the point?

His subordinates could pass information to him, and he had even used various means to connect them with other low-ranked cultivators.

By now, he had roughly dozens of lines of information stretching across the various provinces and throughout the capital, inside and out. Nothing escaped his grasp.

He knew he still preferred this leisurely, "retired" life, staying in the Scripture Repository in peace and security.

Besides, if he went out, he might run into some cliché scene of a beauty being hunted down, only to get dragged into a pile of trouble. It simply wasn't worth it.

Still, looking at his disciple, who seemed nearly drained of all his energy, Chen Lin spoke slowly. "There may be great chaos tomorrow. For now, keep your forces in check. Don't make any rash moves."

"Then just wait for your Imperial Father and several of your younger brothers to wear one another down." He paused, his voice edged with a cool detachment that saw through the ways of the world. "Giving up the Crown Prince's position might actually be a kind of release for you."

Ling Tian rubbed his sore, tired eyes and nodded wearily.

It was true. He was the target of everyone's hostility now. If he gave up that empty title, perhaps he could gain a little breathing room.

"By the way," Ling Tian said, as if suddenly remembering something, "I heard that an unparalleled Demon Emperor may have emerged in the Ten Thousand Mountains. There are faint signs that he's mobilizing the Demon Race to attack our Great Yan Imperial Dynasty."

Chen Lin's gaze sharpened.

A Cave Reality Realm cultivation base!

"Logically, the Demon Race should wait until our internal conflicts intensify and we've worn ourselves out before making a move. But the world is unpredictable. There are always people who refuse to play by the rules." Chen Lin mused, then shifted the subject.

"Your Uncle Zhou Jueshi, the former Great General of the Divine Guard Army, has deep roots in the military and connections everywhere. And your maternal clan happens to be near the territory governed by King Zhenyao. That gives us an excellent opportunity."

"Have him make the trip. First, he can use the chance to test King Zhenyao's limits and gauge his attitude. Second, if the timing is right, he can use it to regain control of part of the military."

"Third, your Uncle is a member of the imperial family. His actions will naturally enhance your reputation. Letting him emerge in the military again would not only strengthen his own position, but also indirectly reinforce your foundations."

Chen Lin laid it out calmly.

Ling Tian couldn't help but nod. It was a good plan.