Seeing this, Elder Qin could only sigh helplessly. "This old man did everything he could, but the other party has powerful backing. My trade guild never meant to offend them. For now, I can only ask you, sir, to let the matter go out of consideration for their status."
"The other party... is far stronger than I am," Elder Qin added. "And my trade guild has already paid a steep price over this. At least we managed to keep Young Master Liu safe. Without that, the consequences would have been unthinkable."
Liu Chuanyuan's heart gave a sudden jolt.
Stronger than Elder Qin?
The Dharma Aspect Realm!
That was the sort of existence that could crush his son to death with ease!
His thoughts of squeezing out a few more benefits instantly died away; even cold sweat seeped across his back.
Making an enemy of a Dharma Aspect Realm expert for the sake of one son was a terrible bargain!
Otherwise, what if the other party secretly slipped in...
"In that case..." Liu Chuanyuan gritted his teeth, his voice still hard and cold. "I'll spare his life."
With that, he turned and swept away, leaving Elder Qin standing there alone.
Dusk deepened, and in the blink of an eye, evening had fallen.
Ling Tian stepped into the Scripture Repository. His gaze fell on Chen Lin, who was lounging in a rocking chair, and his eyes held a complex, barely contained excitement.
His earlier conversation with Miss Lin Qingxuan of the trade guild echoed in his mind. He hardly needed to guess to know that his master must have arranged everything behind the scenes.
"My master really is powerful!" Ling Tian marveled inwardly. "He must be at least at the seventh level of the Dharma Aspect Realm!"
To him, the power of that realm was terrifying beyond imagination.
How fortunate that he'd had the foresight to become his master's disciple early on.
Throughout the entire Imperial Dynasty, those who could firmly suppress a seventh-level Dharma Aspect Realm expert were, apart from his Imperial Father, King Zhenbei, and King Zhenyao, probably limited to the mysterious First Guardian of the Hall of Offerings.
And that was only the lowest level of strength his master had revealed!
At the thought, Ling Tian's reverence for his master deepened further.
Even more exciting, Miss Lin Qingxuan had clearly stated that the trade guild would fully support all his plans and provide unlimited resources. She had even said outright that it would help him ascend the throne.
All of this was thanks to his master.
So Ling Tian had come now with a heart full of gratitude and a desire to repay him.
He had specially brought several Heaven Tier Martial Skills and cultivation techniques from his private collection. They were the trump cards he'd kept up his sleeve—the very Core cultivation techniques that had made several Dharma Aspect Realm experts under his command famous.
If he hadn't repeatedly stressed how important these techniques were to his master, those experts might not have been so generous.
The last time, they had mostly given him Auxiliary Earth-tier cultivation techniques and martial skills.
"Master!" Ling Tian hurried over to Chen Lin and called out respectfully in a low voice, unable to hide his excitement.
Chen Lin saw the undisguised excitement in Ling Tian's eyes and smiled warmly. "It seems you've figured out quite a bit."
Ling Tian nodded, his voice tinged with awe and excitement. "Yes, Master. I never imagined you were so powerful! As you instructed, I've arranged for all the Dharma Aspect Realm experts under my command whom I can summon to gather at the Taoist Temple outside the city three days from now."
Chen Lin nodded with satisfaction. "Good. There's one more thing. The Heavenly Origin Sword Sect will soon throw its support behind the Ninth Prince. You don't have much time, so you must hurry."
As he spoke, Chen Lin took a lustrous seed from his sleeve and handed it to Ling Tian.
"This seed contains some of my power. It's enough to hold down ordinary cultivators below the sixth level of the Dharma Aspect Realm."
"Give it to your uncle and have him use it as a foundation to continue secretly controlling the Divine Guard Army. At the same time, arrange for the current Great General to lead the troops to the border and repel the Demon Race. He must win King Zhenyao's favor. That way, at least when the crucial moment comes, King Zhenyao won't easily move against you."
Ling Tian felt even more grateful. His master had considered everything so thoroughly—not only strengthening his own power but also clearing away potential obstacles.
Without drawing attention to himself, he took out several scrolls of cultivation techniques wrapped in special material and discreetly handed them to Chen Lin. His tone was humble. "Master, these are several Heaven-tier cultivation techniques from my private collection. I noticed earlier that you seemed to need cultivation techniques, so I prepared them especially for you."
Chen Lin accepted the techniques, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Mm. You've been thoughtful."
The two spoke quietly for a little longer, going over a few details. Then Ling Tian bowed and quietly took his leave.
As soon as Ling Tian had gone, the calm look in Chen Lin's eyes subtly changed, and the corner of his mouth curled into a knowing smile.
He slowly closed his eyes, as though listening. A moment later, he opened them again and spoke calmly. "Come out."
As soon as the words left his mouth, a leisurely round of applause rang out:
"Clap, clap, clap—"
"Elder Lin, you really have hidden yourself well," a voice said with a trace of amusement. "That brat Ling Tian said he was here to see Little Anzi, but his real target was you all along, wasn't it?"
"This old servant has been lurking here for ages. I've finally figured it out."
As he spoke, a figure slowly emerged from the shadows.
His bright red clothes stood out sharply against the dusk, and the Crimson Soul Lock hung at his waist. Each step carried a distinctive air.
At last, he stopped before Chen Lin—it was Ximen Qing.
"Will this old servant escort Elder Lin personally, or will Elder Lin go to the Heavenly prison on his own?" Ximen Qing asked, his voice tinged with amusement.
The Heavenly prison was where the Imperial Dynasty held its most dangerous criminals. Among the prisoners were many cultivators who had committed heinous crimes, even Dharma Aspect Realm experts.
Chen Lin's gaze settled on Ximen Qing. He asked calmly, "Is this His Majesty's command, or are you acting on your own?"
He quickly weighed his options. If this was His Majesty's command, he might have to lie low for a while. But if this stupid bird was acting on his own...
Ximen Qing gave a cold laugh. "What difference does it make whose order it is? Do you think you can escape me?"
"The Foundation Establishment Ninth Layer cultivation you've shown is probably the result of a Breath Concealment Technique. But don't deceive yourself. Your true strength could never reach the Dharma Aspect Realm. Give up resisting."
"As an ant, you should understand that you ought to gaze up at the heavens."
Before he had even finished speaking, Ximen Qing started toward Chen Lin, unhurried. His eyes were full of scorn, as if he were looking at prey waiting to be slaughtered—and prey that had no chance of fighting back.
He stopped in front of Chen Lin and looked down at him, a disdainful sneer curling his lips. "You're just a 'Little Anzi,' yet you think you can control the Imperial Guards? What a fool's dream."
"Without His Majesty's command, what prince could so easily lay hands on the Imperial Guards? They're the very foundation of the Imperial Dynasty!"
At that, Chen Lin gave a quiet laugh. "Oh? Is that so? Then it's strange, isn't it? Why isn't someone who only pretended to submit lying on a bed today, gravely wounded and hovering between life and death?"
Before you continue