Volume One, Chapter Four: The Emperor’s Destiny and the Ever-Present Grandfather

Name: Lin Yan
Age: 18
Race: Human
Realm: Ninth Heaven of Qi Refinement
Aptitude: Emperor’s Potential
Trait: Emperor Flame Sacred Body — capable of devouring all kinds of demonic fire, spiritual fire, and immortal fire sources in the world to enhance one’s cultivation and aptitude. This sacred body requires a resolute Dao heart to control; otherwise, devouring the fire’s essence is extremely perilous, with the risk of self-immolation.
Investment Evaluation: Tremendous potential, suitable for investment.

Name: Dan Xuan
Age: 3241
Race: Human (Residual Soul)
Realm: None (Formerly a Third Tribulation Earth Immortal)
Talent: Medicine Spirit Body — possesses powerful control over all spiritual herbs, making the practice of alchemy twice as effective.
Investment Evaluation: Timely aid, suitable for investment.

Good heavens.
Fortunately, I arrived early!
This guy silently advanced to the Ninth Heaven of Qi Refinement.
And he has an old master advising him by his side.
If I had come a few days later,
he might have successfully established his foundation, escaped from Green Cloud Island, and then roamed the vast seas and skies freely.
Moreover, look at the system’s evaluation of him: Emperor’s Potential.
Impressive.
One must understand that Earth Immortals at the Tribulation stage are divided into several tiers.
Third Tribulation Earth Immortal, Sixth Tribulation Earth Immortal, Ninth Tribulation Earth Immortal—each time they pass three tribulation layers, their strength undergoes a qualitative leap.
And the Emperor!
He is the supreme being who has passed thirty-six layers of thunder tribulation, reaching the pinnacle of Earth Immortal, invincible across the land.
Even if enemies descend from the heavens, or powerful beings from the Immortal Realm cross dimensions to intervene,
ordinary Celestial Immortals or even True Immortals are suppressed with a mere flick of the finger before the Emperor—power so overwhelming it is beyond belief!
Lin Yan is truly the destined protagonist.
He actually possesses Emperor’s Potential!
If he manages to escape, it won’t take long before he becomes the final straw that crushes the Wang family.
Wang Mu took a deep breath, forcing a smile, trying his best to appear kind.
But to Lin Yan, that smile was ferocious and terrifying, like a demon grinning maliciously.
“This bastard, smiling so sinisterly and venomously, what scheme is he brewing?”
“He already took away my Yan’er!”
“Ruined my cultivation!”
“Now he won’t even spare me!” Lin Yan’s heart roared.
“Holy Son!”
At that moment, the chubby steward beside him, beaming with a forced smile, stepped forward. “Following your orders, I have been taking good care of this useless one for the past three years!”
“Do you find it satisfactory? Should I increase the intensity? I guarantee you won’t be disappointed!”

Wang Mu: ??????
Looking at the steward’s overly cheerful face, Wang Mu had a thousand curses he wanted to spit out.
Good heavens.
What a pig teammate!
He was about to explain when the steward’s words only doubled the hatred, as if mocking the stability of his villainous persona!
Although Lin Yan knelt respectfully, the hatred in his eyes was utterly exposed, nearly spilling over.
Wang Mu felt his scalp tingle and a chill run down his spine.
“You may leave.”
Wang Mu glanced coldly at the steward.
The steward froze, then shivered at Wang Mu’s icy gaze and the infamous reputation of the Holy Son. “Y-yes, as you command.”
With that, the steward curled into a ball and rolled rapidly away into the distance.
He didn’t dare to stand until his figure vanished from Wang Mu and Lin Yan’s sight, showing just how much he feared Wang Mu.
“Well,”
once the pig teammate was finally gone, Wang Mu turned to Lin Yan with a forced smile. “If I said…”
“Three years ago,”
“I took your Dao companion and crippled your cultivation—for your own good, do you believe that?”
Lin Yan: ???????
You wretched beast!!!
Do you even listen to what nonsense you’re spouting?!
Looking at Wang Mu’s earnest face, Lin Yan felt a suffocating anger in his chest, so furious he almost spat blood.
You took my Dao companion?
You crippled my cultivation?
And you say it was for my own good?
Good my foot!
Do you believe your own lies?
If the circumstances weren’t so overwhelming,
Lin Yan truly wanted to rise and fight to the death with this bastard.
But when he looked up and saw the golden little sparrow perched on Wang Mu’s arrow, the fury and murderous intent in his eyes instantly receded.
As long as the green mountains remain, there will be firewood to burn!
For now,
I must endure!
I will endure!!!
Lin Yan forced a smile: “I believe you!!”
“No, you don’t.”
Seeing Lin Yan’s eyes bloodshot and filled with veins, Wang Mu sighed, “I can see the grievances in your heart. It’s alright, I don’t blame you.”
Lin Yan: “…”
How shameless!
You don’t blame me? I should thank you!

“Brother Lin!”
Wang Mu’s eyes burned with intensity as he slammed his hand hard on Lin Yan’s shoulder. “Do you know that you are a once-in-eternity cultivation prodigy?”
Lin Yan: ???
Frankly, I only learned that from my master two months ago.
What?
Are you saying you knew three years ago?
Seeing Lin Yan’s disbelief, Wang Mu sighed, “Brother Lin, you possess the strongest fire-attribute sacred body in all creation—the Emperor Flame Sacred Body.”
“This constitution can devour all fires in the world to enhance cultivation but carries the risk of self-immolation.”
“Only those with a resolute Dao heart can master it.”
“Three years ago, you were a top prodigy in the inner sect, young and proud, with beauty by your side and full of ambition, never having faced setbacks—how could your Dao heart have been tempered?”
“The softness of love and comfort is a hero’s grave. Your Dao companion was lazy and vain, throwing herself at me the first time we met.”
“Such a woman would only hinder your awakening and slow your fire absorption!”
“You couldn’t handle it!”
“As the saying goes: when Heaven is about to bestow a great responsibility on a man, it first troubles his mind, exhausts his muscles and bones, cripples his cultivation, and takes away his lover!”
“Brother Lin, everything I did was for your own good!”
Seeing Wang Mu’s expression of ‘deep sorrow and regret,’ Lin Yan was momentarily stunned.
“Master,”
Lin Yan thought to himself, “Is what he says true or false?”
In his mind, Dan Xuan’s voice echoed: “As far as I know, the Emperor Flame Sacred Body devouring fire is indeed perilous, a matter of life and death. The stronger the fire devoured, the higher the Dao heart requirements.”
“You have endured humiliation and hardship for three years, and this has indeed tempered your Dao heart significantly.”
“But…”
“To temper your Dao heart, he crippled your cultivation and took your Dao companion…”
“Are young people these days all this ruthless?”
Lin Yan twitched at the corner of his mouth.
He looked at Wang Mu, “Your Highness, have you ever thought that if it were possible, I would rather not awaken this so-called sacred body and not lose the love of my childhood sweetheart?”
“Besides,”
Lin Yan eyed Wang Mu suspiciously, “My Emperor Flame Sacred Body only awakened successfully a few days ago. How did you know of my constitution three years ago?”
“Well…”
“Well…”
Wang Mu’s pupils contracted; his thoughts raced rapidly.
Under intense pressure, even Einstein’s mind wouldn’t spin faster than his.
After a long moment, a flash of insight lit up Wang Mu’s mind.
He smiled helplessly and said, “Very well, since we’re at this point, I will no longer hide it from you.”
“Brother Lin!”
“Do you know that our world is about to face a catastrophic disaster?”