Avoiding Disaster? No, I'm Here to... Compete for the Throne!

Thinking of this, the corners of Lin Hanzhou's mouth curled upward uncontrollably.

In the Blue Star world, his cultivation at the third level of the Meridian Opening Realm didn't even qualify him as cannon fodder.

Yet in this Great Sui world, he was actually a combatant standing at the pinnacle of the pyramid.

He never imagined that he, a mere first-tier Meridian Opening Realm cultivator, would one day be called an expert.

"System, you said that the greater the degree of change to the world, the higher the evaluation and the more generous the rewards?"

Lin Hanzhou recited silently in his heart.

[Yes, Host.]

[Methods of change include but are not limited to: altering the fate of individuals, changing the rise and fall of dynasties, altering the progress of the world's martial arts, changing the direction of civilization's development, and so on.]

Listening to the system's reply, a thoughtful look appeared on Lin Hanzhou's face.

This seemed complicated, but in reality, it was just encouraging him to stir up trouble.

Since he had to stir up trouble, what better way to do so than by becoming the emperor?

With his strength at the third level of the Xiantian Realm, he was not the fish on the chopping block in this battle for the throne, but the one holding the knife!

Avoid disaster? No, I am here to... seize the succession!

With his mind made up, Lin Hanzhou's entire temperament changed abruptly.

At this moment, he was like a sharp sword about to be unsheathed, his edge fully exposed!

He tapped lightly on the carriage wall.

"Your Highness, what are your orders?"

The coachman's respectful voice came from outside.

"Turn around and head back to the post station. I have important matters to discuss with the Seventh Brother."

Lin Hanzhou's voice was not loud, but it was resonant, carrying an unquestionable majesty.

The coachman felt a shiver in his heart, feeling that the voice of this Eleventh Highness seemed vastly different from the past.

He dared not ask more and immediately pulled on the reins.

The carriage slowly turned, its wheels grinding over the gravel on the main road with a faint sound.

As the sun set, the Wind and Cloud Post Station by the main road appeared exceptionally quiet.

In a private room on the second floor, the Seventh Prince Lin Yuan stood by the window.

He was a young man with a handsome face and an elegant temperament.

At this moment, however, his gentle eyes were filled with an inseparable sorrow.

He both hoped that his Eleventh Brother could safely stay away from the place of right and wrong, and could not help but tremble at the impending bloodbath in the capital.

Just then, an attendant hurried in to report.

"Seventh Highness, the Eleventh Highness's carriage is approaching."

Hearing this, Lin Yuan perked up and hurriedly looked down.

With this look, he indeed saw the familiar carriage slowly driving toward the post station.

He breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed the other party had not encountered any danger on the road.

However, when the carriage stopped and only Lin Hanzhou stepped out, Lin Yuan's brows could not help but furrow again.

He walked quickly downstairs, just in time to meet Lin Hanzhou as he entered the post station.

"Eleventh Brother, why are you..."

Lin Yuan's words stopped halfway, stunned by the unprecedented calmness and confidence on Lin Hanzhou's face.

Although the youth before him still had that same slender build.

His back was held straight, his eyes contained a hidden inner light, and his gait was steady as he walked.

Where was there any trace of the cowardice and inferiority of the past?

"Seventh Brother, I intend to return to the capital."

Lin Hanzhou smiled slightly, his tone peaceful, as if he had merely returned from a long journey.

"Return to the capital? You are being reckless!"

Lin Yuan came back to his senses, hurriedly pulled Lin Hanzhou upstairs, and lowered his voice to say urgently.

"Have you gone mad? I went to such lengths to send you away, what are you doing back now? Seeking death?!"

His voice was filled with anxiety and frustration.

Lin Hanzhou let himself be pulled along, feeling the concern radiating from his palm, and a warmth flowed through his heart.

This Seventh Brother, although equally helpless in the struggle for imperial power, was genuinely concerned for him.

"Seventh Brother, don't be anxious yet."

Lin Hanzhou patted the back of his hand with a gentle backhand motion, signaling him to calm down.

That composed attitude made Lin Yuan feel increasingly like he was looking at a stranger.

"You're telling me not to be anxious?"

Lin Yuan wanted to laugh out of sheer anger, then continued.

"Do you know what tonight signifies? Third Brother and Ninth Brother have already gone mad!"

"For the sake of that seat, they won't even spare a thought for the bonds of father and son or brothers!"

"You have no cultivation base at all... what can you possibly do if you go back?"

"Who said I have no cultivation base?"

Lin Hanzhou interrupted him, a sharp glint flashing through his eyes.

Hearing this, Lin Yuan was stunned.

"You... what did you say?"

Lin Hanzhou did not explain directly, instead sweeping his gaze toward a vigilant guard downstairs.

That guard was Lin Yuan's personal attendant, an expert at the ninth level of the Houtian realm.

"Seventh Brother, lend me your guard for a moment."

Before the words had even faded, Lin Hanzhou's figure suddenly moved.

He took a single step, appearing before the guard almost instantaneously.

The guard was shocked, instinctively drawing his sword to block.

However, before his blade had even left the scabbard halfway, he felt a numbness in his wrist.

A surge of deft force arrived, and the longsword flew out of his hand uncontrollably, clattering to the ground with a metallic ring.

Meanwhile, Lin Hanzhou's fingers were already resting lightly against his throat.

The entire process was fluid and seamless, without a single wasted movement.

This scene left Lin Yuan and the surrounding attendants dumbfounded, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

They could never have imagined that the unremarkable Eleventh Prince was actually a martial arts master.

The guard at the ninth level of the Houtian realm broke out in a cold sweat, his body stiff as a stone, not daring to move a muscle.

He could clearly feel that if the other party applied the slightest pressure with their fingertips, his life would end in an instant.

Seeing the reaction of the crowd, Lin Hanzhou was very satisfied.

He withdrew his fingers and stepped back as if nothing had happened, smiling at the terrified guard. "My thanks for the exchange."

Only then did he turn to look at the dazed Lin Yuan, spreading his hands as he spoke.

"Seventh Brother, do you still think I'm going back to my death now?"

Lin Yuan opened his mouth, his throat feeling as if it were blocked by something, unable to utter a single word.

He stared fixedly at Lin Hanzhou, as if meeting this younger brother for the first time.

One move! With just one move, he had effortlessly subdued the personal guard he was so proud of!

What kind of strength was this?

Xiantian! This was definitely the strength that only someone at the Xiantian realm could possess!

"You... you..."

Lin Yuan's voice trembled; he pointed at Lin Hanzhou, too agitated to speak coherently.

"When did you... how could you... aren't your meridians blocked?"

Facing Lin Yuan's confusion, Lin Hanzhou scratched his head, looking at a loss.

"I don't know how it happened either. I just woke up from a nap in the carriage and suddenly had cultivation. Perhaps the heavens have favored me."

As soon as these words were spoken, the corners of everyone present twitched in unison.

Good grief, it was the first time they had ever heard of someone gaining cultivation just by sleeping in a carriage.

This was simply absurd—absurd to the point of being ridiculous.

However, what they didn't know was that Lin Hanzhou wasn't actually lying.

He really had just woken up from a nap in the carriage to find he possessed cultivation.

It was just that, to do so, one would need to have the same system as Lin Hanzhou.