Xianyang Palace stood silent and imposing upon the earth, like a colossal, slumbering beast. The vast drill ground stretched out before it, wide as an endless ocean. Hundreds of young prodigies, draped in the uniform black-and-white robes embroidered with the mystical black bird of the Immortal Qin Empire, sparkled like scattered stars. Their gazes were sharp as torches, fixed intently upon the high platform.
"Remember! Today is the grand occasion of the Scripture Pavilion opening, an event that occurs only once every decade!"
"Within the Scripture Pavilion lie all the rare treasures you can imagine, even the legendary Emperor-grade techniques!"
"If you can retrieve a technique from the pavilion and earn its recognition, you will receive the greatest cultivation and favor of the Immortal Qin Empire!"
"So! For the sake of your future glory, and for the future of the Human Race, give it your all!"
Crown Prince Qin Zhantian looked down at the gathering of heroic prodigies, his voice booming like a thunderclap. Qin Zhantian was the Crown Prince, born to the Human Sovereign, Qin Shi Huang. Though he was only a thousand years old, his cultivation was formidable, having already reached the level of a Quasi-Emperor.
"We are ready to fight to the end for the Human Race!"
The youths in their black-bird robes shouted in unison, their voices shaking the heavens and echoing across the firmament.
"Good!"
"The Scripture Pavilion is now open!"
Qin Zhantian waved his right hand, and a series of brilliant arrays instantly ignited. A massive library materialized, wreathed in immortal mist and radiating a myriad of colorful light, as sacred and majestic as the holy land of immortals. This was one of the sacred grounds of the Human Race—the very foundation of its legacy. It housed countless peerless techniques and ultimate combat skills, the true bedrock of the entire Immortal Qin Empire. Within the pavilion, countless supreme techniques were sealed by restrictions; only those who could earn the recognition of a technique could inherit its power.
"Everyone, begin!" Qin Zhantian signaled with a wave of his hand.
Instantly, the hundred-plus youths below began to surge forward, unable to restrain their impatience to enter the pavilion. But just then, a lazy voice cut through the air, stopping everyone in their tracks.
"Big brother, I’m here."
Everyone froze. This was the Scripture Pavilion—who would dare to intrude? But when they turned to look, they were struck dumb. The young man speaking was none other than the Immortal Qin Empire’s greatest deadweight: Qin Feng.
He was a good-for-nothing who hadn't even reached the threshold of cultivation after eighteen years. A waste of space upon whom countless rare treasures had been squandered, yet he remained unable to cleanse his meridians.
"Why is he at the Scripture Pavilion? Is he looking for death?"
"Does Qin Feng actually think that the techniques in the Scripture Pavilion can turn a man who can’t cultivate into a genius?"
The prodigies of the Immortal Qin Empire stared at Qin Feng with unconcealed bewilderment. They could not fathom why a failure would show up in a place reserved for the elite.
As the crowd buzzed with discussion, Su Yuan spotted Qin Feng's arrival. His eyes lit up with a look of disdainful triumph.
*I knew it. I knew Qin Feng would show up.*
He had sent someone to pass a message to Qin Feng: if he didn't come, Su Qingwan would ignore him for the rest of his life. Seeing that Qin Feng had come obediently, Su Yuan’s shifty eyes were filled with smug satisfaction. As for how he managed to attend this gathering of elites—where the lowest strength was at the Purple Palace Realm, while Su Yuan was a mere Spirit Transformation Realm—it was entirely thanks to the token Qin Feng had gifted to Su Qingwan. Su Qingwan was, for all intents and purposes, a devoted sister who would do anything for her brother.
"Qin Feng, what are you doing here?" Qin Zhantian asked, nodding with a small smile. He felt no impatience toward his youngest brother. He was genuinely curious. Shouldn't Qin Feng be by Su Qingwan’s side, fawning over her right now? Or had he finally had a change of heart?
Qin Zhantian was well aware of Qin Feng’s status as a sycophant. He had tried to advise him in the past, but it had been in vain and only earned him Qin Feng’s resentment, leading to a bitter argument. Since then, Qin Zhantian had chosen to respect his brother’s choices. After all, he was just an ordinary man incapable of cultivation who had to bear the title of the Human Sovereign's son, enduring the mockery and ridicule of the world. A flicker of love and pity passed through Qin Zhantian’s eyes as he looked at him.
"Big brother, I am here to participate in the Scripture Pavilion opening," Qin Feng said, feeling slightly self-conscious under Qin Zhantian’s intense gaze. It was a warm feeling. Was this what a brother's love felt like?
When Qin Feng finished his sentence, "What? Xiao Feng, say that again?"
Qin Zhantian’s face was etched with confusion, his mouth agape. His tone was as sharp as a sudden storm, his eyes flashing with disbelief. In that instant, he wondered if his hearing had failed him or if the entire world had descended into absurdity.
"Big brother, I am here to participate in the Scripture Pavilion opening," Qin Feng repeated, watching the shock on Qin Zhantian’s face.
The moment the words left his lips, the entire assembly was stunned. Everyone’s jaws hit the floor.
"Sixth Prince, have you lost your mind? This is the Scripture Pavilion!" one of the youths in the black-bird robes shouted, his voice laced with shock.
"Sixth Prince, stop causing trouble, will you? You can’t cultivate—are you trying to ruin our chance at destiny?"
"Sixth Prince, I suggest you leave at once," another youth said, glaring at Qin Feng with annoyance. Though they were prodigies of the empire, they held Qin Feng in absolute contempt. They hadn't even deigned to look him in the eye before. In their view, he was nothing but a useless wretch; why should he share the same space as them?
"Shut your mouths!"
Just as the crowd continued to mock Qin Feng, a roar erupted from Qin Zhantian. Everyone froze, terrified to utter another word of offense. Though they were elites of the empire, Qin Zhantian was the Crown Prince, a Quasi-Emperor. In the eyes of the Prince, these prodigies were worth nothing. A terrifying pressure radiated from Qin Zhantian, pinning them in place, making it difficult for them to breathe.
"You! What did you call him just now?" Qin Zhantian stared fixedly at the first youth who had mocked him, his voice icy.
Under that freezing gaze, the youth shivered. He felt as though he were being hunted by a prehistoric beast. "Crown Prince, what is wrong? He is just a useless failure—why are you so angry?" the youth ventured, trying to summon his courage.
"Insolent!"
Qin Zhantian bellowed. The youth was so terrified by the roar that he collapsed onto his knees, great beads of sweat dripping from his forehead.
"Qin Feng is my own brother! He is the sixth son of the Human Sovereign! Who do you think you are, daring to insult and slander my brother to my face!"
Qin Zhantian looked at the youth, his rage simmering. He never expected that anyone would dare humiliate Qin Feng in front of him—and touch upon the very thing Qin Feng cared about most: his talent. For someone unable to cultivate, talent was their very life! It infuriated him.
When a Great Emperor rages, corpses float for ten thousand miles and the heavens weep blood. When a Quasi-Emperor rages, the very world changes color!