The Wandao Holy Maiden, Chu Xinyue

"Young Master, there have been sightings of a Holy Spirit's cub in the Eastern Wastelands," a deep, respectful voice echoed in the palace hall.

The speaker was a middle-aged man with horns on his head, kneeling before Qin Tian. His aura was as vast and terrifying as the abyss. Any nearby demonic beasts would surely tremble in fear and prostrate themselves.

This was Ling Jiao, a pureblood flood dragon, on the verge of transforming into a true dragon—immensely powerful, but still merely Qin Tian's mount.

"I knew there would be great opportunities here," Qin Tian said, gazing into the distance. He had sent Ling Jiao to explore the Eastern Wastelands as soon as they arrived, and it had already paid off with the discovery of something valuable. How could a place where the Child of Fortune resides be without treasures?

The so-called Holy Spirits were born as natural supremes. Even in the Upper Realm, they were exceedingly powerful and rare beings. Holy Spirits were born of heaven and earth, and each one was incredibly precious.

"Should we capture it now?" Ling Jiao asked respectfully. A Holy Spirit would indeed be a fitting pet for his master.

"No rush. We'll hunt it later," Qin Tian replied, his eyes narrowing slightly. A Holy Spirit in this world would not be overly powerful due to the limitations of this lower realm. Unless the Holy Spirit was overwhelmingly strong, it couldn't bypass the world's restrictions, which was unlikely.

But for now, his main priority was to deal with the Child of Fortune and seize his fate.

"Is the young master inside?"

A sweet, seductive voice rang out. The woman who spoke wore a fiery red dress, her beauty captivating. If Qing Yao was the kind of celestial goddess who seemed unreachable, this woman was a temptress capable of making emperors neglect their duties.

Her red dress was embroidered with a phoenix in gold thread. Her enchanting phoenix eyes sparkled with amusement, and her red lips curled in a teasing smile. Her figure was graceful, and every move was filled with allure.

She was Chu Xinyue, the Holy Maiden of Wandao Sacred Land. When Qin Tian first descended to the lower realm, she had been in seclusion, but upon hearing the Wandao Holy Lord's urgent message, she rushed over immediately.

While on her way, the Wandao Holy Lord explained Qin Tian's identity and background to her.

As the Holy Maiden of a sacred land in the Eastern Wastelands, Chu Xinyue naturally knew the significance of the Upper Realm. It was a place of immortality and eternity—a realm she longed to ascend to.

Although Wandao Sacred Land was a subordinate force of the Immortal Qin Clan, it didn't garner much attention unless it produced a peerless talent. Only then would someone from Wandao Sacred Land be taken to the Upper Realm to join the ranks of the Qin Clan.

"Who are you?" Qin Tian asked indifferently, glancing at the seductive woman before him. She was indeed beautiful, but he had seen his share of beauties. He wasn't the kind of man to be swayed by mere appearance.

"I am Chu Xinyue, Holy Maiden of Wandao Sacred Land. The Holy Lord said that the young master might feel lonely here, so he sent me to keep you company," she purred, her voice soft and bewitching, enough to make a man's bones melt.

"I don't need company."

"Go back and tell your Holy Lord this: stick to your duties. Do what I've instructed properly, and don't waste time on such schemes."

"As you wish, young master," Chu Xinyue replied, her smile never faltering. She was clever—if it didn't work this time, there would always be a next time. But disobeying Qin Tian's command was not an option.

...

Meanwhile, at Xianyun Dao Palace's prison.

"Master, how much of your strength can you currently use?" Lin Fan asked, a hint of worry in his voice. He knew his master was powerful, but now, facing one of the top forces in the Eastern Wastelands—Xianyun Dao Palace—and Qin Tian, whom even his master feared, he couldn't help but feel uncertain.

"Perhaps slightly stronger than the Palace Lord of Xianyun Dao Palace," Xuan Lin, Lin Fan's master, sighed. He had suffered severe injuries long ago, and much of his soul had dissipated. If not for a treasure he obtained in his youth that preserved part of his spirit, he would have perished already.

"That strong?" Lin Fan's eyes widened. He had always known his master was powerful, but now he realized just how formidable his master must have been at his peak.

"Enough talk. We need to leave before that man notices us," Xuan Lin urged, his tone anxious.

"But Master… Qing Yao…." Lin Fan hesitated, still unable to accept that Qing Yao could be that kind of woman.

"Hmph! Why are you still thinking about women? Once you gain enough power, you can have any woman you desire. Don't let one woman hold so much weight in your heart," Xuan Lin said, exasperated. He couldn't understand why Lin Fan was so emotional when it came to women. In this world, as long as you had power, there would always be women.

"Hurry and take out the void stones from your storage ring," Xuan Lin instructed. He wasn't paying attention to Lin Fan's conflicted expression. Once Lin Fan reached a certain level of power, he would understand.

During his rise to power, Lin Fan had collected many rare treasures, including void stones, which could be used to construct a spatial teleportation array.

"I just hope this teleportation works," Xuan Lin muttered to himself. He remained cautious of Qin Tian, which was why he wanted to flee as quickly as possible. That young man was far too dangerous.

But just as Xuan Lin prepared to activate the teleportation array, an overwhelming aura descended upon them.

"Damn it! Run!" Xuan Lin shouted in Lin Fan's mind. How had they attracted such a powerful figure's attention?

A person like Qin Tian should have treated someone like Lin Fan as beneath his notice, unworthy of even dirtying his hands. Why was this man different?

"Run? Where do you think you're going?" Qin Tian's cold voice echoed as he gazed at the faint spirit of Xuan Lin. "Ah, so your golden finger is the 'old master' type, huh?"

A Battle Through the Heavens template?

Qin Tian scanned Xuan Lin's cultivation. Ninth stage of the Grand Void Realm—not bad, considering his soul was gravely injured.

In his prime, Xuan Lin must have surpassed the Human Emperor Realm. But so what?

When it came to dealing with the Child of Fortune, Qin Tian always exercised extreme caution. His mount, Ling Jiao, was at the peak of the Human Emperor Realm, almost at the level of a half-step Heavenly Sovereign. And the Qingyun Realm could only accommodate those at the peak of the Human Emperor Realm at most.

"Master, what do we do now?" Lin Fan asked, his face pale. He was still only at the Divine Transformation Realm. If it weren't for his master's protection, he would have already been crushed by the sheer force of Qin Tian's aura.

"Lord, is there truly a need for this?" Xuan Lin's face was grim as he faced the handsome young man. Escape? That was no longer an option.

Xuan Lin could feel that the space around them had been sealed long ago. This wasn't something that had been set up just now—it had been prepared well in advance.

"From your cultivation, you must be a peerless prodigy of the Primeval Immortal Domain. Is it necessary to concern yourself with someone from a lower realm?"

Qin Tian's gaze remained fixed on Lin Fan, who was hiding behind Xuan Lin. "I'm not a petty person. Have the boy kneel and apologize to me, and this matter will be resolved."

Kill Lin Fan?

Not yet. Lin Fan's fortune was still plentiful. If Qin Tian killed him now, before his fortune was mostly depleted, he would suffer a backlash from fate itself. The consequences of such a backlash were not something Qin Tian could afford.

But letting Lin Fan go so easily?

Impossible!

Qin Tian hadn't even used his demonic seed yet.

Having Lin Fan kneel and apologize? That was just the beginning. It was all part of breaking his Dao heart, crushing his spirit, and draining his fortune.

Xuan Lin turned to Lin Fan with a heavy heart. He knew Lin Fan's character well—his disciple was proud and unyielding. To make him kneel before his enemy?

That would be nearly impossible.

"Lin Fan…"