Crown Prince Ling Tian

As autumn deepened, the old tree above Chen Lin's Rocking Chair casually shook loose several withered yellow leaves, which spiraled down through the air.

Amid this ordinary scene, half a month slipped quietly by.

At this moment, Chen Lin was reclining leisurely in the Rocking Chair when his gaze casually drifted toward the entrance.

A figure was slowly approaching. His bearing and presence both radiated an inborn nobility, as though he carried an invisible pressure with him.

It was Crown Prince Ling Tian!

At Ling Tian's side followed an Old Man with white hair and beard.

Alarm bells rang in Chen Lin's heart. He discreetly extended his Spiritual Sense—Divine Treasury Realm!

As expected of the Crown Prince, to have a great Cultivator of the Divine Treasury Realm accompanying him.

This half month of leisure had allowed Chen Lin to pick up fragments of information about the outside world, whether through Little Anzi's occasional remarks or other scattered channels.

He had learned that Crown Prince Ling Tian's foundations were now extremely solid. Not only did he have the elite Divine Guard Army directly under his command, but behind him stood the Empress's maternal family, which had operated in Zezhou for many years. Their Forces were so great that they nearly rivaled Lingzhou's Heavenly Origin Sword Sect!

Moreover, Great General Jiang Jueshi, the Commander of the Divine Guard Army, was Ling Tian's uncle.

Judging from this hard power alone, Ling Tian undoubtedly possessed the greatest Forces among the Princes.

Unfortunately, his uncle, the Great General who held immense power, seemed to have been transferred away from his key post some time ago, and the Forces under his control were being weakened step by step.

However, there were also rumors among the common folk that the Crown Prince seemed to have some degree of cooperation with the Four Directions Merchant Association, whose Forces spread across the Ten Provinces.

The Four Directions Merchant Association was in business.

Within the Great Yan Imperial Dynasty, there were at least four such colossal entities as the Four Directions Merchant Association.

They were the Yantian Sect, the Blood Wolf Mercenary Group, Xinghui Academy, and the terrifying Nine Nether Sect.

Each of these Forces possessed heaven-reaching strength. Even the imperial family had to fear them to some extent.

These rumors might well have been the fuse that caused a rift between the Crown Prince and the current Imperial Lord.

Watching the Imperial Lord's recent actions, Chen Lin secretly speculated: Could this turmoil targeting the Crown Prince be more than a simple power struggle? Could it be a trap laid by the Imperial Lord, meant to lure the great Forces into completely taking sides before sweeping them all away in one net?

Of course, these were merely Chen Lin's own wishful guesses.

"Crown Prince." Only after noticing that the other party had drawn near did Chen Lin slowly rise, bow in salute, and speak with the same respectful tone.

This half month of quiet cultivation had yielded considerable gains for Chen Lin.

With the aid of the Daily Automatic Cultivation Technique Great Perfection System, his cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds. He had now reached the Fifth Level of Core Formation.

Even more remarkably, all the cultivation techniques he practiced were Earth-tier cultivation techniques. This made the depth of his strength unfathomable, to the point that even he himself found it difficult to assess.

But he knew at least that, with his Earth-tier cultivation techniques and Martial Skills at Great Perfection, crossing one minor level was surely effortless.

However, in order not to shock the world with such an outrageous display of strength,

He kept the swelling Primordial Pill aura within him tightly concealed, continuing to present himself to the outside world as merely at the Foundation Establishment Ninth Layer.

"I have come this time to enter the Scripture Repository and comprehend the cultivation techniques on the Ninth Floor." Ling Tian spoke calmly, yet his voice carried an unquestionable authority.

Yet as he spoke, an Ancient Bracelet seemed to have appeared casually at his hand.

The instant Chen Lin's eyes fell upon that bracelet, his pupils contracted sharply, and his heart nearly leaped out of his chest!

This was...

Memories surged forth like a tide—years ago, the father of this body had once been saved by someone. That person asked for nothing in return, leaving behind only a bracelet and instructing him that if he ever encountered someone wearing it, he was to do three things for them.

Before his father died, he had sternly warned him that this matter was of great importance and must never be forgotten.

He had never imagined that the bracelet representing some sort of pact would actually appear on Crown Prince Ling Tian's hand...

However, his father had also said that these three things had to be within the limits of his ability.

With his current strength at the Fifth Level of Core Formation—while appearing to be at the Foundation Establishment Ninth Layer—he could not accomplish anything.

With this bracelet, there seemed to be an additional hidden bond between himself and the Crown Prince.

This might be... an unprecedented opportunity.

An opportunity that could give him a chance to touch those Heaven-tier cultivation techniques hidden deep within the palace, beyond the reach of ordinary people, or even... the legendary higher-level King Tier cultivation techniques!

When the time came, he could simply exchange the Earth-tier cultivation techniques in his possession, all of which he had already cultivated to Great Perfection.

Although they were only Earth-tier, they possessed complete systems, extending from the beginner stage all the way to Great Perfection. With enough of them, they would be sufficient to move any Force.

In this world, pure exchanges of interest were often the most direct and effective means of communication.

Although everyone knew that the current Crown Prince's position was swaying in the wind and rain, surrounded by dangers on all sides, Chen Lin was not planning to immediately establish close ties with him...

Chen Lin swiftly weighed this thought in his heart.

He suppressed the stormy waves within him, maintaining that respectful smile as he gestured with his hand. "Crown Prince, please." He led Ling Tian toward the Scripture Repository.

The two exchanged a few casual words, and the atmosphere was rather relaxed.

Ling Tian suddenly changed the subject. His gaze fell upon Little Anzi as he slowly said, "I hope Elder Lin can..."

He did not finish, but Chen Lin instantly understood the meaning behind that unfinished gaze—it was a request that he not reveal Little Anzi's late-night outings.

Chen Lin understood and nodded without betraying any reaction.

Did that count as completing the first thing?

Seeing this, Ling Tian said no more and headed directly toward the Ninth Floor of the Scripture Repository.

The Old Man who had remained silent all this time, however, looked at Chen Lin with uncertainty and surprise.

His brows furrowed slightly. He felt that this seemingly indolent Old Man before him was somewhat unfathomable, yet no matter how he probed, he found nothing.

He was only at the Foundation Establishment Ninth Layer, but...

Chen Lin seemed not to notice the other man's oddness. Instead, he smiled and turned to the Old Man. "Senior, do you know of any interesting recent events outside?"

He knew some things, but he certainly did not understand them as thoroughly as these old foxes who had spent years moving among the upper echelons.

After hearing this, the Old Man pondered briefly before slowly speaking, a trace of barely perceptible gravity in his voice. "In one month, the Sect Master of the Yantian Sect and the Sect Master of the Ming He Sect will battle in Tianyan City. The Ming He Sect Master intends to contend for the title of the Great Yan Imperial Dynasty's foremost sect."

The Yantian Sect and the Ming He Sect were going to fight in the Imperial Capital?

To contend for the position of the foremost sect?

Chen Lin secretly mused: These sects have quite the nerve. They actually dare to openly challenge one another on the Imperial Capital's soil. Are they testing the imperial family's bottom line?...

And why did this plot feel somewhat familiar...

The Old Man seemed unconcerned by Chen Lin's surprise and continued, "Also, the Ninth Prince was recently assigned a post in Wuzhou. On the way there, he was unexpectedly besieged by the Nine Nether Sect and severely injured, which greatly enraged the Imperial Lord..."

Like reciting treasures from his own home, he leisurely recounted many major and minor events from the outside world. Some of the news even struck him as inconceivable.

Chen Lin listened quietly, nodding faintly from time to time as he silently committed the information to memory.

He knew in his heart that the world was likely far from peaceful.

Yet since the imperial family could suppress the world, it surely possessed its own methods.

This so-called unrest probably had not exceeded the imperial family's bottom line.

Once it did, thunderous measures would be unleashed directly.

Chen Lin secretly considered that the other party's such "frank" disclosure of so much information perhaps owed something to the Earth-tier Martial Skill he had obtained today—Thousand Illusions Sacred Heart!

This Martial Skill could not only subtly entice others into answering questions, but could even control them under certain circumstances.