After a long while, Qin Chuan left.
Lin Yi stood alone at the center of the lake, clutching the jade pendant in his hand, staring firmly in the direction where Qin Chuan had departed.
"Uncle Qin, your great kindness and virtue, Lin Yi will never forget. If I ever soar to greatness, I will repay your kindness tenfold!"
Suddenly!
He noticed the jade pendant in his hand beginning to glow, with runes swirling like a red glow, radiant and indescribable.
"This..."
Lin Yi's breath quickened. He glanced around warily before quickly stowing away the jade pendant and swiftly leaving the area.
However, after he left, Qin Chuan's figure reappeared in the same spot — he had never really left but had merely been hidden.
"Heh, it seems that some fortunes are truly destined, and others will have a hard time stealing them."
A playful smile appeared on his face.
He had realized that the jade pendant must contain an enormous secret, and he could have taken it back again if he wanted.
But he didn't.
Because he had come to understand something.
The fortunes of the world are not something that one person can hoard entirely. If someone desires everything, they often end up with nothing.
Besides, this kid had already been deeply convinced by his words, and when Lin Yi eventually rises, he will be a great asset to Qin Chuan.
It was all about value investment!
What he sought was a strong Lin Yi. If the boy never amounted to anything, why would he bother investing time and effort?
"I'm quite looking forward to the day when he reunites with his mother..."
Qin Chuan squinted and smiled.
Lin Yi's mother now saw him as the enemy who had stolen Lin Yi's bloodline and fortunes, and she hated him with a burning vengeance.
But when mother and son finally reunite, with just a little conversation, they'll both realize the enormous sacrifices he has made!
To save a poor, helpless orphan, he had put his own child in danger. What a great, selfless act of sacrifice and love — the brilliance of humanity that would undoubtedly leave both mother and son in awe.
...
As time passed, the interactions between Xuanhuang Heaven and the Upper Realm became more frequent, with many powerful figures traveling back and forth.
Although Xuanhuang Heaven currently lacked its former top-tier figures, there was no shortage of Divine Kings. Therefore, no one dared to act recklessly within Xuanhuang Heaven.
As for the legendary giants of the Upper Realm, none had shown their faces in Xuanhuang Heaven, likely out of respect for its "absent master." Here, the term "master" referred to the giants of Xuanhuang Heaven.
As for Qin Zi, the current "Heaven Master" of Xuanhuang, most of the major forces in the Upper Realm viewed him as nothing more than a figurehead.
In fact, some lowly individuals even saw Qin Zi as a symbol of Xuanhuang Heaven's decline. After all, how could a mere youth in the Heavenly God Realm serve as the master of Xuanhuang Heaven? Surely, this meant Xuanhuang was in decline!
It seemed that someone was deliberately stirring up trouble.
As a result, rumors mocking the Heaven Master of Xuanhuang began to spread throughout the vast territories of the Upper Realm.
"Heh, Xuanhuang Heaven? Bah! Once one of the nine great Heavens, but now it's just a lower realm."
"Yeah, even their Heaven Master is only in the Heavenly God Realm. How weak have they become to let a mere child hold that title and still dare to return to the Upper Realm?"
"Right? If they hadn't returned, at least their legend would have remained strong. But now, it's just embarrassing!"
"Well, let's not be too quick to judge. Maybe this Heaven Master Qin Zi does have some exceptional qualities."
"Hah! A mere Heavenly God Realm figure. How could he possibly defy the heavens? Look at the leaders of the great forces in the Upper Realm — ancient clans, eternal families. Is any of their leaders just a Heavenly God? Could Qin Zi really be so special?"
"Maybe Xuanhuang Heaven has produced a peerless genius, stronger than all the Heavenly God geniuses in the Upper Realm!"
"Such boastful nonsense!"
"Exactly! Don't be ridiculous. My Yin-Yang Sect's Holy Son could crush him without breaking a sweat."
"My Xiao Clan's Divine Maiden fears no one in battle!"
"My Peacock Clan's Young Master is no weaker than him!"
"My Great Li Dynasty's Crown Prince could kill him with one hand!"
Thanks to some deliberate hyping up, many major powers in the Upper Realm began to take notice. They were eager to teach Qin Zi a lesson.
Killing him wasn't an option.
But humiliating him? That would be acceptable!
After all, if the Heaven Master of Xuanhuang Heaven were defeated by his peers, even if the giants of Xuanhuang returned, they couldn't say much.
In fact, many predicted that Qin Zi's defeat would give those giants a perfect reason to replace him as Heaven Master.
How would they replace him?
Naturally, by killing him.
...
In the Phoenix Clan, within a secret chamber.
A burly man stood with his hands behind his back, facing away from a flickering oil lamp. His dark silhouette cast a chilling shadow on the wall.
"Whoosh!"
Suddenly, a gust of wind swept through.
A figure in a black robe appeared, kneeling on one knee, and respectfully reported, "Clan Leader, according to your instructions, we have discreetly mobilized some of our affiliated forces and spread the rumors far and wide!"
"Very good."
The burly man turned around, a cold smile of strategized confidence playing on his stern face. "Once these rumors spread, all the forces that hold grudges against Xuanhuang Heaven will surely seize the opportunity to act."
"When that happens, countless powerful prodigies will challenge this so-called Heaven Master. He will be utterly humiliated and disgraced."
"At that point, he'll have two choices: either he flies into a mad rage and fights desperately, only to be killed in 'self-defense.' Or, he quietly accepts his defeat and is later 'removed' by Xuanhuang Heaven's giants under the pretense of cleansing the Heaven's shame."
"In either case… he is doomed."
The black-robed figure hesitated briefly before asking, "But Clan Leader, he is still your nephew. Do you not feel even a little remorse?"
The burly man glared down at him, his expression icy. "The time for regret has long passed! Since I've decided he must die, I cannot afford to be sentimental. Letting emotions cloud your judgment leads to failure… Don't you understand that?"
The black-robed figure trembled and quickly bowed his head in submission. "I understand, Clan Leader!"
"Leave."
The burly man waved his hand dismissively.
"Clan Leader, there is one more matter I need to report."
The black-robed figure remained kneeling as he spoke.
"Speak."
The burly man remained unmoved.
"Yes!" The black-robed figure nodded and solemnly reported:
"According to our sources, there is another mysterious force doing exactly what we're doing — stirring up trouble and fanning the flames against the Heaven Master of Xuanhuang. In fact… they seem even more professional at it than we are."
The burly man was taken aback.
He frowned in deep thought for a while, unable to figure out which force could be behind this. After all, there weren't many forces in the Upper Realm bold enough to offend Xuanhuang Heaven so blatantly.
While their actions might provide the giants of Xuanhuang with a reason to remove Qin Zi, no powerful faction enjoys being used as a pawn. Once the truth was revealed, those giants would not be pleased.
Only the Phoenix Clan, with its deep roots, could afford not to care about such consequences. They didn't fear retaliation — they had the strength to back it up.
"I see... A master of divination!"
After a long moment, the burly man's eyes lit up as he began to calculate, his fingers moving rapidly in intricate patterns. A starry sky seemed to appear between his hands, with countless stars flickering and shifting in their courses.
As a powerful giant himself, he could read the heavens and calculate destiny.
But after a while, he stopped, his frown deepening. To his shock, he realized he couldn't calculate anything!
"It seems a force equal to mine is obscuring the heavenly secrets."
"No matter. If I can't find out, I can't find out. After all, the enemy of my enemy is my friend."
Yes, the enemy of an enemy is usually a friend. Most of the time, that holds true.
But sometimes, the enemy of your enemy... is still your enemy!