Many leaders of holy lands and Dao palaces had already heard through various channels that a powerful figure from the Upper Realm had arrived at Xianyun Dao Palace.
The Upper Realm! A place countless cultivators in this world dreamed of reaching.
A realm where geniuses gathered like clouds and monstrous talents fell like rain. A world inhabited by beings capable of plucking stars with a single hand, ancient demons that could annihilate entire realms—such mysteries existed there.
Within the inner sanctum of Xianyun Dao Palace, beside a hot spring.
"Ding! Congratulations, Master. You've gained 300 Fortune Points."
Finally, some Fortune Points. Qin Tian rubbed his temples. Gaining Fortune Points was proving to be much harder than he had imagined. Every time his Fortune Points increased, Lin Fan's fortune would decrease correspondingly.
Creak
The door opened.
"You've arrived," Qin Tian said calmly as he looked toward the breathtaking woman in the distance. She was stunning—wearing white boots, with her dark hair cascading like silk around her slender waist. Dressed in flowing white robes, she resembled a celestial goddess from the heavens, a vision of ethereal beauty.
Qing Yao's expression was cold, a chill in her demeanor. Anyone who had been forced to act under threat to their loved ones wouldn't be in a good mood.
This man had threatened her by holding her parents' lives over her head. The threat wasn't even subtle—it was blatant and direct.
"I don't need your treatment," Qing Yao said icily. She hadn't wanted to come here at all. But when she remembered the words Qin Tian had whispered to her earlier in the day, despair filled her heart.
This man had the power to decide her fate, the fate of Xianyun Dao Palace. She had no choice in the matter.
"Don't be so quick to refuse," Qin Tian replied, standing up slowly. Spiritual energy evaporated the water droplets from his body, and he smiled faintly.
"You think I'm a bad person?" he asked, walking closer to Qing Yao. He gently lifted a strand of her hair, his voice soft and affectionate, as if he were speaking to a lover. "Stay away from that disciple from now on. You understand the consequences."
"Oh, wait... There's no need for that anymore. From the moment you stepped into this room, everyone will already believe you belong to me," Qin Tian whispered into her ear softly.
No one would think that Qin Tian had summoned a breathtaking beauty into his private chambers without doing something intimate. Healing her Dao injuries? That was secondary. Everyone, including Lin Fan, the so-called Child of Fortune, would assume something far more had happened.
And any man, especially a protagonist blessed by fortune, would never accept a woman who had become 'damaged goods.'
Qing Yao's body trembled. She bit her lip, fighting the urge to leave. She wanted to escape, but she couldn't bear the thought of Xianyun Dao Palace being destroyed because of her. This place was where she had grown up; it held all her memories and attachments.
Qing Yao felt utterly hopeless.
"Don't worry. I won't do anything to you for now," Qin Tian said nonchalantly, observing the stunning woman before him. She was beautiful—enough to make any man's heart race. But he wasn't driven by lust.
"From now on, you'll serve me. You'll handle my daily needs, pour tea, and tend to my affairs."
"I can't have a servant with poor talent."
"Take this pill; it will heal your Dao injuries." As he spoke, Qin Tian took out a white pill. It was a high-grade elixir, even within the Immortal Qin Clan, though he had added a little something extra to it.
"Whether you take it or not is up to you. The choice is yours."
"Oh, and by the way, you'll stay here tonight. Don't wander around."
Qing Yao's eyes began to well up with tears. She wanted to throw the pill away. But then she glanced at Qin Tian, and her resolve crumbled. Slowly, she placed the pill in her mouth and chewed it…
...
The next day, the news that Lin Fan, an inner disciple of Xianyun Dao Palace, had been expelled and had his leg broken spread like wildfire among the disciples.
Some were gleeful, while others pitied him.
But everyone felt that their opportunity had arrived. Their elders had secretly told them that if they could catch the attention of the powerful figure from the Upper Realm, reaching the pinnacle of the Eastern Wastelands was no longer a distant dream.
Excitement spread like a wildfire through Xianyun Dao Palace. Every disciple began to show off their best side.
...
Within the prison of Xianyun Dao Palace.
"Did you hear? Senior Sister Qing Yao spent the entire night in that young master's chamber."
"Yeah, I even heard that she couldn't walk properly the next morning," another disciple said, his tone tinged with bitterness. Qing Yao was known as one of the most beautiful and talented women in the Eastern Wastelands, ranking highly on the Celestial Beauty List, and just like that, she'd been taken. What irked the male disciples even more was that many of them had wanted to serve that mysterious young master, but all had been rejected.
"This… it's not true… Tell me it's not true," Lin Fan clutched the bars of his cell, his eyes bloodshot, howling like a wild beast. He couldn't believe it. His Qing Yao couldn't be like this.
"Why would we lie?" one of the disciples sneered at Lin Fan. "What's the big deal about winning first place in the inner sect competition? The girl you like is with someone else now."
"No... No!" Lin Fan sank to the ground, clutching his head, his eyes filled with red rage. I need to find her and ask her myself! I can't stay locked up in here.
"Master… Please help me get out of here," Lin Fan silently pleaded with his mysterious master, who, in his mind, was powerful enough to rival even the Palace Lord. He believed that even Xianyun Palace Lord was no match for his master.
"Ah, foolish boy. Do you have any idea who you offended yesterday?" A deep sigh echoed in Lin Fan's mind. Even his master wasn't entirely sure who the young man was, but he could sense that his cultivation was immensely powerful.
He appeared to be Lin Fan's age, but if the old man wasn't mistaken, the young man had already stepped onto the path of the Human Emperor. A young Human Emperor. In the ancient epochs, such a person was practically unheard of. The old man had never encountered anyone like him before.
If his guess was correct, that young man was either the crown prince of a Primeval Royal Clan or the Dao Child of an Immortal Clan. Only the most elite lineages could produce such a monstrous talent.
Even at his peak, Lin Fan's master wouldn't have been a match for someone from such a colossal force.
"Lin Fan, we need to escape. We can't stay in the Eastern Wastelands anymore. We'll head to the Northern Demonic Lands, where I know of a great opportunity." The old man's eyes turned distant, recalling the place where he had once become an emperor. He had left a Dao lineage there long ago, though he wasn't sure if it still existed.
"Master, I'm so sorry. I've dragged you into this because of my impulsiveness," Lin Fan said, feeling deep remorse for his master. It was his reckless behavior that had put them both in this situation.
"It's fine. Just be more cautious in the future. Once you become a supreme being, you won't have to worry about women anymore." Lin Fan's master, Xuan Lin, was filled with concern. To him, Lin Fan was nearly perfect—except for one flaw. He was too emotional, too attached to the woman he loved. This was both a strength and a weakness.
But what was done was done. Xuan Lin could only hope that the young master from the Upper Realm hadn't taken much notice of them. Otherwise, they were doomed.
...
"Master, we've completed the task you asked of us."
On a distant mountain peak, three figures stood. Two of them were the very disciples who had been speaking at Lin Fan's cell earlier. Qin Tian had used his Dual-Pupil Eyes to easily control them, bending their will to his commands.
"Well done," Qin Tian murmured, narrowing his eyes as he gazed in the direction of Lin Fan's prison. He didn't believe Lin Fan could endure much longer.
Turning to the two kneeling men, Qin Tian's eyes flashed with a dark red glow, and the two collapsed to the ground. He didn't want to leave any loose ends. He hadn't killed them, which was already a mercy. Erasing their memories was the least he could do.