Once word spread that Su Chen had obtained a purple-quality Spirit Vein, no one in the clan doubted his talent any longer. The reason so many remained wary of prodigies like him traced back to the infamous Feng Chen from his previous life.

  After Feng Chen's death, the truth about his secret cultivation method—burning lifespan to force breakthroughs—came to light. Major powers branded him a madman and took his example as a grave warning.

  Within the Li faction, Su Chen's status rose dramatically. He soon received the full privileges befitting the legitimate second young master. Many elders grew especially fond of this sharp and promising youth, openly declaring themselves his supporters.

  With her son's rise, Su Chen's mother—once a lowly daughter of a minor sect leader—gained real standing in the Li Clan. No one dared bully her again.

  Five years passed in the blink of an eye.

  Su Chen's cultivation advanced to the third layer of the Spirit Sea Realm. The news stunned the clan elders. Thirty-odd years earlier, the chaos-bringer Feng Chen had burned through his lifespan at a terrifying pace—yet even that paled beside the speed of their clan's new qilin child. This was a true genius.

  Naturally, Su Chen requested permission to study the cultivation technique left behind by Ancestor Li Shenhua. After the discussion, the elders agreed to let him attempt the legendary method.

  At last, Su Chen stood before the technique he had longed to see.

  "Imperial Apex Shock-the-World Technique—what an overbearing name!"

  Shock rippled through him. The technique radiated unmatched prestige; its golden script alone exuded supreme nobility. He spent three full months immersed in it. And still understood nothing.

  "Damn it, what kind of monstrous technique did Li Shenhua leave behind? A method of this caliber doesn't even consider whether future generations have the aptitude to comprehend it!"

  Su Chen grumbled under his breath. Compared to this, even the king-grade Spirit Communion Art seemed like common trash. Unable to grasp it, he refused to give up. Instead, he informed the elders that the technique was called the Imperial Apex Shock-the-World Technique.

  The moment the name left his lips, several elders exchanged stunned glances, then burst into tears of joy. After centuries, a second person had finally spoken its name aloud.

  "Ancestor Shenhua once declared that anyone capable of perceiving the technique's name possesses the comprehension required to cultivate it. Second Young Master truly carries the destiny of our Li Clan after all these years. Our clan is fated to produce another king!"

  The elders crowded around Su Chen as though he were a priceless treasure. Inwardly, Su Chen knew the truth: comprehending this technique could take years—decades, even. He had no intention of wasting that much time.

  Without hesitation, he decided to cultivate the Spirit Communion Art while passing it off as the Imperial Apex Shock-the-World Technique. No one in the Li Clan had ever seen the real thing anyway. And the Spirit Communion Art was still a legitimate king-grade method.

  This time, however, Su Chen chose not to burn lifespan. There was simply no need.

  Three months later, news exploded across the clan: Su Chen had successfully comprehended the Imperial Apex Shock-the-World Technique.

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  The entire Li family erupted in celebration. His supporters swelled in number overnight. The position of clan heir tilted ever more decisively toward Su Chen.

  When the eldest young master, Li Yuanfa, heard the report, he flew into a rage inside his courtyard.

  "Impossible! How could a child born to a lowly concubine possibly comprehend a technique that no one in our clan has mastered for centuries? This has to be a lie. Li Chen must be deceiving the elders!"

  Li Yuanfa refused to believe his half-brother possessed such heaven-defying talent. If things continued this way, his own position would soon become untenable. The future leader of the Li Clan could only be him!

  He sought out his father, Li Jiangqun.

  "Yuanfa, rest assured—your younger brother will not contend with you for the heir position. That seat belongs to you alone."

  Li Jiangqun spoke soothingly.

  "Father, have you thought of a plan?"

  Li Yuanfa suppressed the wild joy rising in his chest and asked in a low voice.

  Li Jiangqun gave a soft chuckle before continuing.

  "The Profound Origin Sacred Sect is hosting the Hundred Kingdoms Grand Competition. The victors will earn the right to enter the sect and cultivate there. Your brother's talent surpasses anyone in the Heavenly Wind Kingdom—even in the imperial dynasty, he would be considered a genius. Entering the Profound Origin Sacred Sect should pose no difficulty for him."

  The Profound Origin Sacred Sect was a colossal power that dominated hundreds of kingdoms and several imperial dynasties. Legend claimed it had been founded by a Saint.

  A Saint—one of those mythical existences from ancient tales, capable of reshaping heaven and earth with a single thought, plucking stars and moons from the sky with a casual lift of the hand. True supreme beings who wielded heaven-piercing, earth-shattering might.

  Su Chen's talent held the promise of reaching the Profound Connection Realm. Even a king-level genius was no common cabbage in the Profound Origin Sacred Sect.

  After leaving his father's presence, Li Yuanfa could no longer contain the grin spreading across his face. A low chuckle escaped his lips, then grew into outright laughter. Once his younger brother entered the Profound Origin Sacred Sect, he would no longer compete for the position of heir.

  A true dragon would never be trapped in shallow waters. No—wait. Li Yuanfa suddenly realized the flip side: his brother would ascend to a far higher plane, leaving behind the heir position he once coveted. And now it would fall to him, like discarded trash that he eagerly snatched up with delight.

  "Heh. No matter how grand the outside world is, it's filled with countless capable people. No matter how high Li Chen's talent climbs, in that vast expanse, he'll just be one ordinary figure among many. Better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix."

  Li Yuanfa comforted himself with the old saying.

  …

  Su Chen continued his cultivation in seclusion. But one day, by chance, he caught sight of a familiar face. White-haired and aged, yet still carrying traces of that stubborn determination from long ago.

  Li Ming!

  His sworn brother from the second life—still alive in this world.

  Joy surged through Su Chen's heart. Yet he could not reveal himself or acknowledge the connection.

  Instead, he quietly summoned a trusted guard and ordered a discreet investigation into everything Li Ming had experienced over the past two hundred years. The results surprised even him.

  After Su Chen's death in that second life, Li Ming seemed to have struck gold. In less than a decade, he broke through to the Spirit Sea Realm, crushing a host of talented siblings and cousins. Under his leadership, the Li family branch in Lingyun City grew from an insignificant offshoot into a formidable power.

  What truly propelled Li Ming's rise came during the chaos Su Chen had unleashed on the Heavenly Wind Kingdom—when he nearly wiped out both the main and collateral branches of the Feng Clan.

  Seizing the opportunity, Li Ming founded the Li Merchant Guild and profited enormously from the turmoil. In short order, his once-overlooked branch transformed into one of the wealthiest merchant families within the entire Li faction.

  Unfortunately, great wealth attracts thieves. Li Ming's most beloved descendant was kidnapped by the infamous Twelve Heavenly Fiends, who demanded ten million gold coins for the ransom.

  Ten million gold coins—far beyond what Li Ming could produce. He had no choice but to beg the main branch for help.

  Li Yuanfa deliberately ignored the plea, insisting that Li Ming offer his favorite great-granddaughter in marriage as the price for assistance.

  Li Ming refused. Without Li Yuanfa's approval, no one in the Li Clan dared step forward to aid him. The Twelve Heavenly Fiends were no trifling enemies.

  Su Chen rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

  "Fine then. Let this old 'father' give his troublesome 'son' one more hand."

  A smile tugged at Su Chen's lips. In this life, by sheer coincidence, he could still help an old friend from the past. He instructed one of the elders to bring Li Ming to him.