The time was deep winter, and after heavy snowfall, the entire Yan Capital City was draped in a layer of silver. Yan Capital City was vast, able to accommodate a population of several millions, and within this city was the mansion of 'Prince Zhen Dong' Qin De, who controlled the Eastern Domain Three Prefectures.

Prince Zhen Dong Mansion occupied an extensive area, with its main gate wide open both day and night. The entrance was so broad that six or seven people could walk through side by side.

On both sides of the gate stood two mighty men about two meters tall, bare-chested, their imposing figures like sculptures hewn from rock. With cold, indifferent eyes, they scanned the passing crowd, each with a giant blood-red war saber hanging on their broad backs. These blood-red war sabers were one and a half meters long at a glance.

In the harsh winter, with snowflakes covering the ground and frighteningly low temperatures that froze the rivers, the two men remained bare-chested.

However, what was even more astonishing was that beside each of these men stood a fierce tiger.

The tigers were covered in a fiery red akin to flames, approximately two meters in length. Their tails, like iron whips, swished forcefully enough to send vibrations through the air. Their tiger eyes emitted a cold and chilling light. These tigers were known as 'Fierce Tigers'.

Suddenly, two more stout men, just as bare-chested, emerged from Prince Zhen Dong Mansion, each leading a ferocious Fierce Tiger, coming to change shifts.

Outside the mansion, the nobility and civilians of Yan Capital City, whether wealthy families or common wanderers, all consciously steered clear of Prince Zhen Dong's residence.

In a serene courtyard within Prince Zhen Dong Mansion.

A middle-aged man dressed in green sat upon a stone bench, with a cute little boy sitting on his lap. Standing in front of the man were twelve individuals, be they elders, beautiful ladies, or youths… however, they all shared one trait in common—all were clad in purple.

"Father, why did you summon so many teachers here?" Qin Yu, who was just six years old, sat on his father's lap, fiddling with a snowball in his hands, puzzled as he looked up at his father, Qin De.

Qin De affectionately stroked Qin Yu's head before looking up at the twelve and spoke indifferently, "You've been tutoring Yu'er for some time now. Alright, don't mind the formalities; speak freely with your observations."

The twelve looked at each other before an elder with flowing white beard stepped forward and said respectfully, "Reporting to Prince, from our observations in various aspects, the Third Prince has shown slight interest in unique and clever arts, however, he shows absolutely no interest in things such as the way of governance for those in power. Based on our judgment, the Third Prince is unlikely to become a perfect ruler."

To make such a declaration after only a period of interaction with the boy might seem somewhat arbitrary, yet Qin De did not doubt it.

Qin De sighed deeply, looked at the oblivious Qin Yu, and said with a wry smile, "I can see that Yu'er is like his mother, having no interest whatsoever in worldly power, but when it comes to cultivation…"

Qin De stopped abruptly and then waved his hand, "You've been troubled for this time, you may leave the mansion now."

"Prince, we shall take our leave!"

The twelve in purple bowed at the same time and then left the small serene courtyard one after another.

Now, only Qin De and his son Qin Yu remained in the courtyard. Qin De was silent, occasionally glancing at Qin Yu on his lap, his eyes filled with a meaning that the six-year-old could not yet comprehend.

"What's wrong with Father, why isn't he talking?" thought Qin Yu, but he cleverly refrained from disturbing his father. Without a mother since a young age, in the heart of Qin Yu, the most important people were his father and his two older brothers.

Time went by, and as Qin De remained seated, so did Qin Yu quietly on his father's lap.

Suddenly, the sound of a crane's call resonated through the air.

Amidst the skies, a white immortal crane flew in, upon which was seated an elegant middle-aged man with an aura of a Daoist immortal. In a moment, the crane descended into the courtyard.

"Brother Feng, about Yu'er's Dantian issue, is there any way you can think of..." As soon as Qin De saw the middle-aged man, he immediately stood up and asked anxiously.

Feng Yuzi sighed upon seeing Qin De's urgency, as he was well aware of his good friend's troubles, and said, "Prince, I've said it before, Yu'er has absolutely no hope on the path of cultivation. His Dantian is very peculiar; it cannot accumulate inner strength, hence he cannot cultivate. Such a Dantian is innate, one in a billion. Even I, Feng Yuzi, am completely without a solution."

Hearing this outcome, Qin De slowly sat down, lost in thought for a long time.

"Father, what is inner strength? And what does it matter if my Dantian cannot accumulate it? What were those teachers talking about, the superior ones, what does that mean?" Six-year-old Qin Yu, with wide eyes full of confusion, asked.

He remembered the earlier conversation very clearly.

Qin De smiled bitterly in his heart but comforted with his words, "Yu'er, stop asking so many questions. Don't you dislike studying this and that? Don't you like going to 'Cloud Mist Villa'?"

Qin Yu's eyes immediately lit up, like the bright stars of the night sky, "Ah, I don't have to study those dry books? Cloud Mist Villa, I love the hot springs there, and watching the stars and the sunrise."

Qin De laughed, "Good, good, good, Yu'er, since you like it so much, I'll give you Cloud Mist Villa. And a thousand elite soldiers will be under your command from now on. If you want anything, just speak to Grandpa Lian."

"Really? That's great! Wah, Cloud Mist Villa is mine! I can soak in that hot spring every day, it's so comfortable," Qin Yu exclaimed, his excited face flushed.

The smile on Qin De's face was entirely feigned, yet Qin Yu was completely unaware of it.

"As long as you're happy, Yu'er. Go back and sleep now, and whenever you want to go to Cloud Mist Villa, just tell Grandpa Lian," Qin De said, patting Qin Yu's head.

"Goodbye, Father. Goodbye, Uncle Feng," Qin Yu waved his hand and ran straight towards his room.

Qin De watched Qin Yu enter his room and then his expression suddenly turned stern. With a swish, his form turned into a wisp of green smoke and disappeared from the courtyard, followed by Feng Yuzi, who floated after him like a drifting catkin.

...

Inside the secret chamber of the Prince Mansion, there were only three people present: Qin De, Feng Yuzi, and a black-clothed scholar holding a folding fan.

"Prince, have you really made up your mind?" the black-clothed scholar asked Qin De, puzzled.

Qin De nodded and said, "Since Yu'er can neither be a leader nor become an Innate Level expert, it's better he stays out of it. His peculiar Dantian... sigh, all I can give him might just be a decade or so of happy, peaceful days. Once we begin the final plan, Yu'er won't be able to live a peaceful life anymore."

After pondering for a moment, Feng Yuzi decided to still speak, "Prince, are you really going to implement that plan? You must know the consequences it will lead to once it's set in motion?" Feng Yuzi asked again.

Qin De's face turned chilly, and a cold light shone in his eyes, "Whether it's for the ancestors of the Qin Family or for Jingyi, this plan must be carried out. Jingyi has left me with three sons. Although Yu'er has issues with his Dantian, Feng'er and Zheng'er are capable, one in martial arts and the other in literature. They are sufficient to achieve great things. Xu Yuan, has the first 'Dark Chess' piece been played?"

The black-clothed scholar Xu Yuan flicked his fan twice, closed it with a smile, and said, "Rest assured, Prince, everything is under control."

"Good, very good," Qin De's eyes flashed with astonishing killing intent.

Prince Zhen Dong, Qin De, resided in a world known as the Hidden Dragon Continent, where no one has yet been able to fully ascertain the full extent of its area.

Mainly because to the extreme east of the Hidden Dragon Continent lies the Boundless Wilderness, which is filled with towering mountains and sprawling jungles infested with countless demon beasts. The deeper one ventures, the more powerful the demon beasts become, so much so that even the "Upper Immortals" of the Hidden Dragon Continent have been unable to explore the entirety of the Boundless Wilderness.

To the west of the Boundless Wilderness lie the three great countries.

The Chu Dynasty, Ming Dynasty, and Han Dynasty, whose populations combined approach nearly ten billion, and whose land area is terrifyingly vast. Of the three dynasties, the Chu Dynasty is the most powerful. Within the Chu Dynasty resides an extremely formidable family—the Qin Family.

The Qin Family occupies the Eastern Domain Three Prefectures of the twelve counties of the Chu Dynasty, which borders the Boundless Wilderness. This family has a heritage spanning hundreds of years and has deep roots in the Eastern Domain Three Prefectures. Even the Emperor of the Chu Dynasty finds them very difficult to deal with. Moreover, the Qin Family has a special military force called the Fierce Tiger Army.

The Fierce Tigers, with their entirely red bodies and relatively enormous size, are a branch of the tiger family. The method for breeding Fierce Tigers on a large scale is one of the Qin Family's most important secrets.

The Qin Family controls an army of six hundred thousand, among which fifty thousand are of the Fierce Tiger Army. Every warrior in the entire Fierce Tiger Army rides a "Fierce Tiger." The Fierce Tigers themselves possess formidable attack power, and when paired with the warriors, they are simply invincible.

Just the "Tiger Roar" of fifty thousand Fierce Tigers can cause the enemy's morale to plummet. Fifty thousand Fierce Tiger soldiers can easily decimate an ordinary cavalry army of over one hundred thousand.

In the Hidden Dragon Continent where martial power reigns supreme, each of the Three Great Dynasties has cultivators defending the nation, each one of them appearing godlike and extraordinary in the eyes of mortals. With the summoning of a flying sword, they can behead a person from hundreds of miles away, and with Sword Control Flight, they soar the nine heavens. Aren't all these methods akin to immortal magic?

Cloud Mist Villa is built atop Donglan Mountain, which stands over three thousand meters high and is considered a lofty peak.

Two years later.

At this moment, Qin Yu was eight years old, and had grown quite a bit taller. From time to time, a wise light twinkled in his eyes, but deep within them lay a faint trace of melancholy. Right now, Qin Yu was walking alone on a mountain path, with a black eaglet perched on his shoulder.

"Little Black, it's been two years, a full two years since Father came to see me just once," Qin Yu bit his lip and said to the young eagle on his shoulder.

This eaglet was one Qin Yu found a year ago while exploring Donglan Mountain and decided to keep. With the eaglet's company, Qin Yu didn't feel as lonely. Before the age of six, his father often accompanied him, but in the last two years, he had seen his father only once.

The Black Hawk flapped its wings and caressed Qin Yu's tender face, and Qin Yu immediately smiled.

Walking for a while, Qin Yu suddenly saw a pregnant woman ahead, struggling to carry a bundle of broken wood. He immediately said to the Black Hawk, "Little Black, shall we go help Auntie?"

Instinctively, the Black Hawk fluttered its wings and wobbled on Qin Yu's shoulder. He immediately ran eagerly towards the pregnant woman.

"Auntie, let me carry the wood for you," Qin Yu said to the pregnant woman.

Upon hearing the voice, the woman set down her bundle of wood, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and smiled at the obviously still childlike Qin Yu. "Thank you, little one, but Auntie can carry it. It's just another mile to our village," she said, about to lift the wood again and continue on her way.

"Little one? I'm not little anymore. I'm eight years old this year. I can definitely carry this wood," Qin Yu, seeing the sweat on the pregnant woman's face, snatched the bundle of wood and hefted it onto his back all at once.

To ordinary people, a bundle of wood may not be heavy, but for an eight-year-old child, it certainly is. However, Qin Yu, who often soaked in the natural hot springs of Cloud Mist Villa, was much stronger than an average eight-year-old child and managed to carry it nevertheless.

"Auntie, see, didn't I pick it up? Hmph, you still called me a little one," Qin Yu said proudly, his youthful face now smudged with dust.

The pregnant woman was taken aback, then laughed. "You really are strong. But it's a mile away yet, and you definitely won't be able to hold out, child. Let Auntie do it."

"Who says I can't keep up?"

Qin Yu saw the pregnant woman reach out her hand, hastily ran forward, then turned back and said, "Auntie, I've run through Donglan Mountain many times, I know there's a small village about a mile from here, it must be yours, let's go, hurry. You're not even as fast as me!"

The pregnant woman's face blossomed into a smile, "This kid, I don't know whose child he is, but having such a child, his parents must be very happy."

Carrying a bundle of wood on his back started off not too difficult for Qin Yu, but after walking a while, his legs began to feel weak. After all, he was climbing a mountain and carrying wood, and even though Qin Yu was strong, he was only eight years old after all.

Moments later, Qin Yu's legs suddenly trembled.

"Child..." the pregnant woman was startled.

"It's fine, this is pretty simple." Qin Yu turned back and forced a smile, speaking as though he were a mighty strongman, but the mountain path was uneven, and his foot struck a stone, causing him to wobble.

"Thump!" Qin Yu fell down involuntarily.

The pregnant woman rushed over immediately, took the wood from him and helped Qin Yu up. His face was completely covered in dust, a little dirty face, Qin Yu looked at the pregnant woman in frustration and said, "Auntie, actually... I can still carry it, I just tripped over a stone just now."

"It's okay, auntie knows you can carry it. But we're close to the village now, thank you."

The pregnant woman carried the wood, made sure Qin Yu wasn't hurt, cleaned his face for him, and carefully instructed him with several admonitions. After Qin Yu nodded in agreement, she returned to the village.

Qin Yu looked at the village that was merely about a hundred meters away, furrowed his brows and said, "Little Black, we were so close." Then Qin Yu smiled, "But the auntie is much more relaxed now, and she'll be in the village in no time."

Qin Yu's smile was brilliant, an expression that came from deep within his heart.

In the shadows, three figures exchanged glances. They were experts secretly protecting Qin Yu.

After all, Qin Yu was the son of Prince Zhen Dong, the esteemed Third Prince. How could they possibly let him wander alone in the mountains?

"The Third Prince is still a child at heart, yet his heart is so kind. How can the Prince bear to leave the Third Prince in Cloud Mist Villa, only visiting once every two years? Every time I see Yu'er sitting all night on the mountain peak, that tiny body amidst the cold night winds, I just feel terrible," one of the shadows sighed softly.

Another shadow also nodded, "Every time the Third Prince gazes up at the night sky, the look on his face just makes me feel so sour, the Prince, he... sigh!"

"Forget it, it's not for us to know what the Prince intends to do. Our job is to protect the Third Prince."

Suddenly—

Down the mountain path came a man with the broad shoulders of a bear and eyes as large as bronze bells, riding a ferocious fiery-red tiger at breakneck speed. Seeing Qin Yu, he called out from a distance, "Third Prince, Your Highness and the Second Prince have arrived."

"Big Brother, Second Brother are here!" Qin Yu's eyes lit up with excitement and he dashed toward the man, climbed onto the tiger's back, and his cheeks flushed with exhilaration as he urged, "Uncle Wang, let's go, hurry, back to Cloud Mist Villa!"

The big man held Qin Yu securely, then spurred the Fierce Tiger to run down the mountain at high speed, leaving behind a trail of dust.