"Ahhh!!!"
Yu Tianheng let out a bloodcurdling scream.
He felt as though he weren't attacking a person at all, but charging into a towering Primordial Divine Mountain.
That terrifying force of recoil shot through his arm and spread across his entire body in an instant.
Pfft!
Yu Tianheng spewed blood. Like a kite with its strings cut, he went flying backward, tracing a miserable arc through the air before slamming into a stone pillar dozens of meters away.
Rumble!
The pillar collapsed, and dust billowed everywhere.
Yu Tianheng lay in the rubble, his right arm twisted at a grotesque angle. He had already passed out.
One move.
Just one move.
And Lin Qiu hadn't even used his Martial Soul or a Soul Skill.
A level-thirty-five Soul Elder, Yu Tianheng—the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's "heaven's pride"—had been swatted away like a fly.
Silence.
A deathly silence.
The entire square outside the Pope Palace was so quiet that a pin could be heard dropping.
Everyone stared wide-eyed, mouths agape, at the snow-white-clad youth on the high platform.
Lin Qiu slowly lowered his hand. The golden light around him gradually faded, and with it, that suffocating pressure.
He lightly dusted off his sleeve, though there wasn't a speck of dust on it, and spoke in his usual calm tone:
"Too weak."
"So this is the so-called number-one Beast Martial Soul in the world? You can't even scratch an itch."
[ Ding! Congratulations, host, on completing the 'Challenge of the Emperor Clan Prodigy'! ]
[ Rewards issued: Source Heaven Book (fragment), ten jin of Divine Source. Stored in system space. ]
Hearing the system's prompt, Lin Qiu felt reasonably satisfied.
Yu Tianheng might not have been much to speak of, but the rewards were genuinely good.
With ten jin of Divine Source, he could expand his Bitter Sea quite a bit further.
Down below, however, everyone's hearts were churning like a storm-tossed sea.
"What... was that power just now?"
Sword Douluo Chen Xin stared intently at Lin Qiu. The Seven Kill Sword Martial Soul in his hand was trembling faintly.
As a Titled Douluo who pursued the utmost in attack, he could clearly sense the terrifying intent contained in Lin Qiu's palm strike.
It was a pure "Dao."
A "Dao" that relied on nothing external, drawing entirely on one's own potential!
"This child... is terrifying!"
Ning Fengzhi drew a deep breath, unable to hide his shock. "He can instantly defeat a Soul Elder without using his Martial Soul. How powerful would he be if he did use it?"
"This is beyond the limits of what a human can achieve. It's a miracle!"
The guests around them began whispering among themselves, their gazes fixed on Lin Qiu with feverish intensity.
A twelve-year-old youth whose physical body could withstand a thunder dragon.
A prodigy who defied convention and wielded an unknown power system.
As long as he survived, he was destined to become a god!
And not just any god, but one who would crush all opposition!
"Spirit Hall... has truly struck gold."
In the Star Luo Empire's section, a young man dressed in fine robes looked utterly grim.
He was Dai Weisi, the First Prince of the Star Luo Empire.
He had originally come to watch Spirit Hall make a fool of itself and, while he was at it, sound out its strength.
But he hadn't seen a joke. Instead, he'd been scared into a cold sweat.
Bibi Dong was already a formidable Pope who gave everyone headaches. Now Spirit Hall had produced this monstrous Holy Son as well.
Was there any future left for the Star Luo Empire?
"What? Why is everyone staring at me?"
Feeling the gazes from every side, Lin Qiu shrugged helplessly. "I told you, I wanted to get back early and go to sleep."
His nonchalant manner only made quite a few lovestruck young women look at him all the more.
Powerful, mysterious, handsome, and exalted in status.
He was every woman's perfect dream lover!
"Your Holiness the Pope!"
A sect master from one of the Lower Four Sects suddenly rose to his feet and called out excitedly. "I have a daughter at home, sixteen years old, dignified in appearance, and reasonably talented. I'd be glad to send her to Spirit Hall. She could even serve His Highness the Holy Son as a foot-washing maid!"
His words were like a spark dropped into a powder keg.
"My daughter too! She has Innate Soul Power of level seven. If His Highness the Holy Son doesn't mind, she could even be a concubine!"
"Your Highness, look over here! This is my daughter's portrait!"
In the blink of an eye, what had been a solemn investiture ceremony had turned into a massive matchmaking event.
Representatives of the various powers scrambled to put themselves forward, afraid that if they were a moment too late, they'd miss the chance to curry favor with this future deity.
Yu Yuanzhen had already ordered his men to carry away the unconscious Yu Tianheng and had slunk off to one side.
Watching Lin Qiu bask in the adulation of the crowd, he felt nothing but bitterness and a profound sense of helplessness.
He hadn't merely kicked an iron plate. He'd kicked a diamond drill!
Bibi Dong watched the scene, the corners of her mouth curving slightly upward.
These people might be vulgar and mercenary, but this was exactly the effect she wanted.
Her Qiu'er was destined to stand in the spotlight, admired by all.
Just then, there was movement from the Star Luo Empire's section.
Although Dai Weisi was wary, he knew this was an excellent chance to win Spirit Hall over.
If he could arrange a marriage alliance with the Holy Son, he would have the upper hand in the struggle for the throne of the Star Luo Empire!
He gritted his teeth and turned to the two young women beside him.
The woman seated to his left had an extremely voluptuous figure.
She wore a tight black leather outfit that showed off every curve. Her features were alluring, and her eyes held a seductive, soul-stealing charm.
She was Zhu Zhuyun, the eldest daughter of the Zhu Family.
Beside Zhu Zhuyun sat a younger girl.
She was Zhu Zhuqing.
Zhu Zhuyun's captivating gaze never left the white figure on the high platform.
She had seen all too well the scheming and unscrupulous betrayals that went on within the Star Luo Imperial Family in the name of power. She had also seen through Dai Weisi's outwardly refined but inwardly vicious and ruthless hypocrite act.
But Lin Qiu was different.
That pure strength, that domineering air of treating the world's talented youth like weeds— to a woman like her, who revered power, it held a fatal allure.
If she could attach herself to a strong man like him...
Even as a mere concubine, she'd probably be a thousand times better off than living in constant fear in that cold, heartless family in Star Luo.
Zhu Zhuqing, though still young in appearance and cool in expression, couldn't help lifting her face slightly.
Was this what a true strong person was like?
He didn't need to rely on his family or schemes. With only his own power, he could make the arrogant Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan bow its head.
"It seems our guests from the Star Luo Empire have something to say as well?"
Bibi Dong hadn't missed the stir in Dai Weisi's section. Though she disliked the gloomy-eyed First Prince, she did have some interest in the two young girls from the Zhu Family.
Dai Weisi drew a deep breath, suppressing his shock and apprehension. He forced a courteous smile onto his face and slowly rose to his feet.
He straightened his luxurious robes, using the gesture to conceal the flicker of panic within him.
"Your Holiness the Pope, His Highness the Holy Son is blessed with peerless talent. Dai Weisi is truly amazed."
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