"How could it be like this... How could it be like this..."
He didn't know how many times he had repeated these words. Su Chen's training projection was simply unimaginably strong. Clearly, I am the one with a Divine Dawn Grade Talent! Based purely on strength, Su Chen hadn't reached the point of making him despair, but the other party was only a 5th-tier Class User.
A 5th-tier! The veins on his forehead throbbed violently.
And right at this moment, a knock suddenly sounded on his room door. He abruptly opened his eyes, a cold light flashing through them as he roared in a low voice, "Get out! Didn't I already say that no one is to disturb me!?"
"It's me," a light and airy voice came from outside the door.
Qin Tianlin's expression instantly froze. Cold sweat rolled down from both sides of his temples. He hurriedly jumped up and opened the door.
The person who arrived was none other than Qin Yun, looking at him with a calm expression.
Qin Tianlin's throat bobbed, and he said cautiously, "I'm sorry, IāI didn't notice it was you."
In the past, he wouldn't have made such a mistake. But just now, his attention hadn't been on the person outside the door at all; he was only thinking about Su Chen.
"I heard from your father that ever since you returned from the Challenge Center, you locked yourself in your room. How long are you planning to stay in here?" Qin Yun walked in slowly, a hint of displeasure seemingly in his eyes.
Without seeing him make any movement, the curtains around them drew back, and light pierced in.
Qin Tianlin seemed slightly uncomfortable and took a step back. With his body, he naturally wouldn't react to changes in light; it was merely his heart subconsciously retreating.
"Grandfather, Iā" Qin Tianlin's expression became even more ashamed.
Qin Yun asked in a mild tone, "Did that Su Chen really defeat you?"
Qin Tianlin's face darkened, and he said in a low voice, "I tried another two times in the Challenge Room, but it's hard to beat his training projection. He... is very abnormal..."
"Unimaginable..." Qin Yun sighed with melancholy. "A Star-Amber Grade Talent, a 5th-tier Class User, yet actually capable of reaching such a level. And you have a Divine Dawn Grade Talent."
Qin Tianlin lowered his head, not saying a word, but the sourness in his heart grew stronger.
"However," Qin Yun continued, "the fault in this matter does not lie with you. It is simply because the secrets on Su Chen's body are too heavy. It's merely a temporary success or failure; there's no need to mind it."
Hearing these words, Qin Tianlin raised his head somewhat blankly. Did he really not need to mind it?
Last time when he brought up that Su Chen's position as a Star Seed was unshakeable, his grandfather had told him to wait. At that time, boasting his Divine Dawn Grade Talent, he figured Su Chen could not possibly catch up to him, so he let it go.
But now, he had already been defeated across tiers. Was it really just a temporary success or failure?
"Hmm?" Just as Qin Yun was about to speak, he seemed to have noticed something. Lifting his head slightly, he looked upwards through the ceiling.
"Grandfather?" Seeing this, Qin Tianlin couldn't help but call out.
"It's nothing." Qin Yun shook his head, but he was pondering inwardly. How did the Starfire suddenly grow so much stronger?
Could it be he's really purifying the Mist Embers... His heart sank slightly. Qing Cang's hasty departure had already given him some guesses.
If Su Chen could truly purify the Mist Embers, then if the Crisis of the Flames wasn't imminent, there would be no need for Master to select a successor in advance.
A surge of thoughts churned in Qin Yun's mind. Both he and Chu Lingyuan knew the situation of the Starfire. Given Master's personality, it was impossible for him to let either of them attempt Fire Merging to maintain the Starfire's remaining time.
If it truly couldn't be resolved, the most likely scenario was to first select a successor for the Ancient King, and then Master would undergo Fire Merging with his own body.
And right now, the only one acknowledged by the Ancient King Monument and capable of being the Ancient King's successor was him.
This was also the source of his confidence in keeping his mouth shut after coming back, yet being absolutely certain that there wouldn't be any problems for him. As long as the Crisis of the Flames wasn't resolved for a day, he would be the alternative successor to the Ancient King.
When the moment of absolute last resort truly arrived, no matter how reluctant Master was, he could only choose him.
But now... As numerous thoughts flashed through his mind, he turned around, his gaze falling upon Qin Tianlin, whose face showed unwillingness and struggle.
Qin Yun's gaze was profound, his voice low: "Tianlin, I have a method that can allow you to reach new heights and make further progress. However, it carries some risks..."
"I'm willing!" Before he could even finish speaking, Qin Tianlin suddenly raised his head, a hopeful light emerging in his eyes.
Just as he expected, he knew his grandfather had a way.
"Have you truly decided?" Qin Yun seemed to be asking himself, yet also seemingly asking the other party.
Qin Tianlin didn't hesitate in the slightest, nodding heavily: "I believe in you!"
Qin Yun let out a soft sigh. Streaks of streaking light quietly seeped out from the void. At first, they were silver awns as fine as spider silk, silently traveling through the air. The more they gathered, the denser they became, weaving into a translucent net of light around the two of them.
Afterward, he slowly reached out his hand, and a wispy Purple Flame burst forth in his palm.
"Right now, I am more interested in that Su Chen." A voice transmitted from within it, old and hoarse.
"You won't get the chance. He's already being targeted by my Master." Qin Yun shook his head. "Making a move on him is seeking your own end."
"This isā" Qin Tianlin looked over somewhat blankly, not knowing who his grandfather was talking to.
But before he could react, he saw his grandfather abruptly raise his hand, the palm already pressed against his forehead.
Qin Tianlin's pupils dilated, and that Purple Flame abruptly shot inside. There was even a voice mixed with excitement: "What a good vessel!"
"HaaāAah!"
In an instant, a look of agony appeared on Qin Tianlin's face. His body staggered, and low roars tore from his mouth.
Meanwhile, Qin Yun merely watched on profoundly.
Until a certain moment, a sharp gleam flashed in his eyes. He suddenly took a step forward, his fingertips stretching out. The streaking light around them intertwined, the threads of light biting and reorganizing with each other, condensing into streams of silver-gray runes that gathered over in a whirlpool shape.
As his fingertips tapped between Qin Tianlin's eyebrows, those silver-gray symbols followed suit and sank inside.
Qin Tianlin's body shuddered, letting out a fierce roar. Silver light mixed with Purple Flame seeped out from his eyes.
A voice that didn't belong to Qin Tianlin transmitted out, carrying monstrous anger: "Qin Yun, what are you trying to do!?"
"I told you long ago, this is the grandson I value most. How could he become your vessel? You'd better turn into his nourishment instead!" Qin Yun's gaze was piercingly cold. The surrounding streams of light grew increasingly blazing hot, and a massive amount of runes flowed, surging into him in an endless stream.
"We agreed on a transaction, yet you dare to scheme against me! Arrogant!" The purple light in Qin Tianlin's eyes blazed. "You're thinking too simply as well!"
Qin Yun remained silent, his body merely trembling slightly, his fingertips turning white. Meanwhile, the Purple Flame in Qin Tianlin's eyes gradually receded.
However, Purple Flame overflowed from his body, wrapping him up as if tempering his flesh and blood. Wisps of patterns surfaced on his skin.
"I can only do this much for now. The Mental Source Core hasn't been erased yet; I can only deal with that later..." Qin Yun withdrew his palm, squeezing it inside his sleeve robe as it trembled faintly. His expression was dark. "What a cunning old ghost!"
"But it's enough. Waiting until Tianlin reaches the 7th-tier might not be enough, but when he reaches the 8th-tier, that Lost Starfireā"
Looking at Qin Tianlin who had fallen into dormancy, the radiance in Qin Yun's eyes also grew a bit more intense.
"There still aren't many people..."
On the Bronze Core, Su Chen responded to the greetings of others. 'Could it be that things over at Old Wei's haven't ended yet? It's been six or seven hours, hasn't it? They sure can drink.'
He clicked his tongue inwardly and soon arrived in front of the Spirit Hall. There usually weren't many people here during ordinary times anyway.
"Your Excellency Su Chen." The Deacon on duty had already come out to welcome him.
"Deacon Zhong." Su Chen looked at Zhong Chengyu, who had come out to greet him, somewhat surprised.
It was actually an acquaintance. The first time he came to this Spirit Hall to retrieve his 5th-tier Primary Class and Holy Class, the person in charge had been him.
Zhong Chengyu didn't seem to have any particular expression; he could even be described as indifferent. "Please come with me."
Su Chen raised his eyebrows slightly. The Spirit Hall was publicly recognized as a faction belonging to Qin Yun's lineage. He hadn't been targeted the few times he came before, but this time seemed a bit different.
'As long as it doesn't delay me retrieving my profession...' Su Chen narrowed his eyes. He didn't care whether the people who saw him greeted him with a smiling face, but they absolutely shouldn't cause him any trouble.
Facing the subtle spying gazes of the crowd on the first floor, Zhong Chengyu led him to the second floor. Only after closing the office door did his expression relax, and he couldn't help but reveal a bitter smile: "Star Seed Su, please do not mind it. The situation at the Spirit Hall is special."
"I understand... I understand."
Seeing the other party "change faces" like this, Su Chen found it amusing inwardly. His impression of this Deacon was fairly decent; the first time he came, the other party hadn't deliberately made things difficult for him either.
"Sigh," Zhong Chengyu let out a helpless sigh. Although the Spirit Hall belonged to the sphere of influence of Qin Yun's faction, the Deacons inside were not all people of Qin Yun's lineage.
It was fine before; there hadn't been any orders issued to deliberately make things difficult for Su Chen.
But a little earlier, after Su Chen seized the title of Top Ranker, that Qin Guang flew into a rage, going in and out of several of the Qin Yun faction's spheres of influence consecutively.
He specifically emphasized that all matters related to Su Chen must be handled completely acting impartially.
The so-called acting impartially meant dragging things out if possible, and pushing them away if possible.
Deacons like them didn't want to get mixed up in it. After all, who dared to truly offend this Star Seed with boundless prospects right now?
What happened outside just now was just putting on an act. As his thoughts drifted, a smile carrying a hint of flattery couldn't help but surface on Zhong Chengyu's face. "For this visit, what profession are you preparing to retrieve?"
"I'm here to retrieve a Primary Class. Just like the first time I came, just recommend two lightning and fire-related professions to me," Su Chen said familiarly.
"A Primary Class?" Zhong Chengyu understood clearly. Having had the experience once, he naturally wouldn't ask anything more. Pondering briefly, he quickly gave his recommendations: "The [Blazing Thunder Lord] and the [Flame-Thunder Spirit Reflector]. Both of these professions focus on the lightning and fire aspects. Since you are the Chosen One of the Crimson Flame Responding Thunder Great Exalted, you don't need any additional elemental support..."
Su Chen nodded upon hearing this: "Then pull them up for me."
Zhong Chengyu operated on the terminal and quickly pulled up these two professions.
With a glance, Su Chen's panel reactedā[Discovered Tier-6 High-Grade ProfessionāBlazing Thunder Lord. Can advance after completing profession requirements.]
[Profession Requirement 1: Elevate three different Body Tempering Techniques to at least the Master Level.]
[Profession Requirement 2: Independently hunt and defeat three powerful lightning-fire Elemental Creatures whose tiers are no lower than your own. At the moment their elemental cores collapse, guide their purest wisp of primal source lightning or fire power, absorbing it into your body.]
[Profession Requirement 3: Find thousand-year lightning-struck wood that has bathed in lightning and fire without being destroyed, along with Star-Fall Meteoric Iron, and integrate them into your body.]
'Hunting and Ritual...' Su Chen swept a glance over it. It was said that Top-Tier Professions at the 6th-tier already had four profession requirements, while High-Grade professions still had three.
Only upon reaching the 7th-tier would High-Grade professions change to having four requirements.
'I took another small advantage. Using Heituo Divine Power to stimulate its Metamorphosis only requires completing the needs without increasing the requirements...'
As he pondered, text continued to surface on the panelā[The Crimson Flame Responding Thunder Great Exalted prevented the other party from expressing their respect. The Blazing Thunder Lord stood to the side, somewhat bewildered.]
What did that mean?
Su Chen was stunned. What was the Great Exalted trying to do? Not letting people show their respect anymore?
Harboring suspicion inwardly, his gaze had already fallen on the other profession.
[Discovered Tier-6 High-Grade ProfessionāFlame-Thunder Spirit Reflector. Can advance after completing profession requirements.]
[Profession Requirement 1: Elevate three different Meditation Methods to the Master Level.]
[Profession Requirement 2: Persist for at least ten days in the Babbling Trial.]
[Profession Requirement 3: Without relying on any external objects, using only yourself, create an Elemental Creature with at least a weak consciousness, regardless of its duration of existence.]
'Create an Elemental Creature? Seriously?' Su Chen looked at the last requirement, somewhat astounded.
This kind of requirement to create something from nothing to something had an extraordinary difficulty. Let's see if the Faceless Ghost can erase it...
Before he had time to think further, the text on the panel updated againā[Because of the Mist Embers you provided recently, the Crimson Flame Responding Thunder Great Exalted decided to provide you with some extra help. With Vast Crimson Flames, he swept the bewildered Blazing Thunder Lord and the Flame-Thunder Spirit Reflector into them.
And he also swept in two portions of intermediate Heituo Divine Power, Faceless Ghost Divine Power, Crimson Divine Power, and Sly Fox Divine Power, mixing them into the Scarlet Flame.
Forcing a Metamorphosis upon it, erasing requirements, reducing difficulty, increasing rewards. Smelting...]
[Discovered Tier-6 Top-Tier Fusion ProfessionāWorld-Reflecting Thunder Ember. Can advance after completing profession requirements.]
[Profession Requirement 1: Elevate three different Body Tempering Techniques and Meditation Methods to the Master Level.]
[Profession Requirement 2: Find a place where lightning storms are at their most flourishing, flames are at their most venomous, and illusions are at their most realistic, to temper yourself for at least half a year. (An extra reward can be obtained upon completing this requirement and acquiring the profession.)]
[Profession Requirement 3: Find a 'Heaven-Forged Item' that has bathed in lightning and fire without being destroyed, and fuse it into yourself.]
What the heck?
Looking at the string of text surfacing on the panel, Su Chen couldn't help but be a bit astounded. Primary Classes can also be fused into one? Isn't that exclusive to the Morning Star Tier?
He truly hadn't expected such a variable. No wonder the Great Exalted didn't let them continue showing respect; otherwise, it would have been hard to make a move on them...
He even directly swept Divine Power into it as well, completing it in one continuous motion. And the profession requirements after this fusion really weren't too difficult.
It was just this Heaven-Forged Item that he hadn't heard of. As for that tempering thing, which sounded complicated, he could just directly enter the Fortune Bronze Core and use Mimicry.
'A two-in-one Primary Class. I wonder what's so marvelous about it...' A bit of anticipation couldn't help but rise within Su Chen.
"Do you have any other needs?" Seeing him preparing to leave but then freezing in place, Zhong Chengyu couldn't help but ask.
"None," Su Chen shook his head and took his leave. Zhong Chengyu saw him downstairs, returning to his expressionless state. He didn't see him out of the hall either, merely standing at the staircase, sensing the obscure scrutiny around him.
With a stroke of insight, Zhong Chengyu suddenly snorted coldly, raised his head high, and returned to the second floor.
Upon exiting the hall, Su Chen was suddenly stunned. 'It seems the Metamorphosis need required by the Heituo Divine Power has also been resolved for me.'
In the past, the Metamorphosis needs born from the Heituo Divine Power couldn't be influenced by other Divine Powers, which was quite troublesome.
'Tsk tsk... It wasn't fed in vain...' Su Chen sighed with even more emotion. It hadn't been a waste of effort spouting nonsense in front of the Ancient King; the Great Exalted really pulled his weight this time.