Just as Prince Senlei returned to his room, a servant outside his door announced, "Your Highness, Prince, the medical sage, Sun Hongru, has arrived."
Senlei had anticipated this visit, and with a calm demeanor, instructed the servant to direct the guest to the East Palace Hall.
Upon entering the hall, Senlei was momentarily taken aback to find Grandmaster Wei An conversing cheerfully with Sun Hongru, while Wei Xiaoxiao and Wen Wan chatted animatedly, causing Wen Wan to blush.
Seeing Senlei standing in the doorway, Wei Xiaoxiao quickly ran over, grabbed his arm, and started pulling him inside while chiding, "Prince Brother, you're so busy all day. You promised to play with me today, but you stood me up. Hmph!"
Grandmaster Wei An frowned and scolded, "Xiaoxiao, don't be rude. You mustn't throw tantrums with the Prince."
"I won't!" Wei Xiaoxiao pouted, clutching Senlei's arm defiantly.
"You..." Grandmaster Wei An's beard almost flew off in exasperation.
Senlei patted Xiaoxiao's dark hair reassuringly, "It's okay, let her be."
Grandmaster Wei An, sighing, resigned himself, "You've all spoiled her. Now she doesn't listen to a word I say."
Giving up, Grandmaster Wei An continued, "Your Highness, the border between Feng Kingdom and Sen Kingdom has been restless with frequent skirmishes. I'm overwhelmed with state affairs and came today to check on you. Sun Hongru's medical skills are unparalleled on the Rad Continent, and his medical ethics are highly esteemed. You can speak freely about your condition."
Senlei nodded and glanced at Wen Wan. With her veil on, she looked like a different person, which indeed surprised Senlei. He waved at her, and Wen Wan smiled and nodded back. Senlei commented, "This sister is so beautiful," and winked at Wen Wan.
Wen Wan, blushing, murmured, "Ignoring you!" and then pulled Wei Xiaoxiao away, knowing her master was about to diagnose Senlei.
Senlei sat beside Sun Hongru, bowing slightly, "Greetings, Master Sun."
Sun Hongru, aware of his own revered status and advanced age, chuckled, "No need for such formalities, Your Highness. I'm here at someone's behest to examine your unusual condition."
To avoid worrying his family, Senlei had decided to present his left arm as the problem, intending to explain it gradually later.
Sun Hongru took out a few fine silver needles, which caused Grandmaster Wei An to gasp, "Xuan Yu Silver Needles!"
Seeing Wei An's reaction, Senlei asked, "What's the matter?"
Grandmaster Wei An, calming himself, explained, "Xuan Yu Silver Needles are crafted from Xuan Ling Jade, a rare and precious material. The crafting process is intricate and prone to failure. Given the rarity of Xuan Ling Jade, these are probably the only set on the Rad Continent!"
Hearing this, Senlei grew uneasy. He worried that his left arm's abnormality might damage such priceless needles, something he couldn't afford.
Sun Hongru, seeing the concern, reassured him, "No need to worry, Your Highness. These needles have been well-preserved and rarely used, so there's no risk of them breaking."
This reassurance allowed Senlei to relax somewhat and extend his arm.
Despite knowing the origin of his arm, Senlei's experience in games had taught him that this arm could be unpredictable, especially with the blood demon legacy involved. Unsure if it would behave like it did in the game, he agreed to the diagnosis to get some answers.
As Senlei gathered his blood energy, his left hand turned blood red and swollen, startling Wei An. Initially, Wei An had assumed it was a simple rash, but this was a hand resembling that of a demonic entity.
Seeing Senlei's swollen, blood-red hand, Sun Hongru frowned. "Does it appear whenever your blood energy surges? Can you control it?" he asked after probing with his spiritual power.
"More or less. I just want to know if it will become uncontrollable. I can control it for now," Senlei answered truthfully, having no idea where the voice in his head had gone.
Sun Hongru, examining the arm without using needles, pondered for a moment. "I've never seen anything like this in all my years of practice, but if you can control it, that's a good sign. However, my spiritual probe revealed something," he said, hesitating.
Wei An, on the verge of exploding with curiosity, urged him to continue.
"A seal!" Sun Hongru finally revealed.
"A seal?" Senlei and Wei An frowned simultaneously.
Using his spiritual energy, Sun Hongru tapped several points on Senlei's blood-red arm, revealing black-green chains, as if meant to lock away a demon. Senlei, though feeling no physical change, was mentally shaken. This was unlike anything in his game memories, even during intense battles.
He could only wait for "Emperor Blood Slayer" to speak to him again, likely when he reached level twenty and matched the spiritual sea realm's power.
Wei An, turning to Sun Hongru, asked, "Is there no solution?"
Sun Hongru shook his head, "There is one way."
Senlei was surprised. Sun Hongru's medical prowess was unmatched on the Rad Continent. Who else could diagnose this? Unless...
"Go to the Upper Realm!" Wei An said solemnly.
"Exactly," Sun Hongru confirmed.
...
The next day, outside the palace gates
Today, news had spread across all the kingdoms that the Crown Prince of Sen Kingdom would hold a competition to determine who would earn the right to study at Rad Academy. Typically, such events wouldn't draw much attention.
But today was different. Everyone knew the Crown Prince had been crippled, and many from other kingdoms came specifically to witness the spectacle. The sole qualification to study at Rad Academy was usually reserved for the Crown Prince, as future rulers needed to be exceptionally powerful. Previously, a kingdom had nominated a general's son instead of the prince. When that child returned, he led a rebellion, causing great tragedy.
With the potential for history to repeat itself, the event drew a significant crowd.
On the dais, King Senyan sat, wearing a golden dragon crown and a black dragon robe, exuding regal majesty. His piercing gaze swept over the crowd, embodying the authority of a sovereign who held life and death power over his subjects. Those who had never seen the Sen Kingdom's emperor trembled under his imposing presence.
At that moment, a group of people arrived, emanating a powerful aura. Leading them were a young man and a middle-aged figure.
The middle-aged man wore a tiger-patterned court robe, gleaming brightly, while the young man exuded an extraordinary presence, his sharp eyes and determined demeanor suggesting invincibility.
"Greetings, Your Majesty," the two men said, bowing respectfully.
The gathered dignitaries felt a chill, recognizing the young man's extraordinary aura. Now, hearing their greeting, they confirmed their suspicions. The young man standing before them was none other than the contender for the academy entry, the son of the mighty general.
Su Qianyi!