Chapter 579 - 318: Sun

Qin Yun’s expression was blank. He didn’t speak, merely standing his ground.

The Peng King turned back to the Bronze Ancient King, a hint of resignation in his voice. "Are you not going to speak either? This matter concerns the Spirit of Sun. The other Ancient Kings and the Emperor will not simply let this rest."

"We are only asking on their behalf. You must understand our difficult position."

"I do not know," the Bronze Ancient King said candidly.

"You don’t know?" It was impossible to tell if the Peng King’s astonishment was genuine or feigned.

"I don’t know, and that’s the truth. Why would I lie to you?" the Bronze Ancient King said, shaking his head.

The Peng King hesitated before turning to the impassive Qin Yun.

"He is unwilling to speak, but I can tell you."

Suddenly, a voice emerged from the purple flame before them.

Everyone present, including the Peng King, was visibly startled. They had sensed the Spirit Fragments within the flame, but a fragment was merely a fragment. It was hard to say whether it possessed consciousness.

They exchanged subtle glances, and the Peng King was the first to speak. "May I ask who you are?"

"You may call me Sun," the voice replied, vast and ethereal.

Wu Yue frowned and asked bluntly, "What do you mean? Are you implying that you’re a Spirit Fragment left behind by a Sun Tier Professional?"

"That’s right. You can assume as much," Sun admitted candidly.

"Were you brought out of the Lost Flame by Qin Yun?" the Peng King immediately asked. "And how did the Morning Star Tiers who went in with him die?"

"How else could they have died? They weren’t qualified, so they were burned to death by the Spirit of Sun," the voice stated with casual indifference.

’So it really had nothing to do with Qin Yun?’

The Peng King was somewhat surprised. At the same time, a flicker of movement seemed to cross Qin Yun’s numb expression.

"Then why did you follow Qin Yun out and possess Qin Tianlin?" the Peng King pressed.

Sun explained, "I followed Qin Yun out because he was the sole survivor. As for the possession, Qin Yun merely wanted me to serve as Qin Tianlin’s teacher and guide him with care."

"Wasn’t he just setting the stage for his grandson to become the Spirit of Sun’s Chosen One?" the Peng King demanded.

Sun didn’t try to hide anything. "You could say that. But I have already fallen, and only a Spirit Fragment of me remains. You all know what that means. I cannot interfere with the Spirit of Sun’s selection process. I can only do my best to teach him."

"Just a grandfather’s love."

The Peng King frowned, then asked, "Is a Divine Dawn Level Talent the only qualification for being chosen by the Spirit of Sun?"

"Yes..." the voice answered without hesitation.

The Peng King looked as if he wanted to say more but held his tongue. ’So, does this mean the only thing Qin Yun lied about was the existence of this Spirit Fragment? But could it really be that simple?’ he wondered.

"You claim to be a Spirit Fragment left behind by a Sun Tier Professional. What proof do you have?" Qi Heng suddenly asked.

Sun’s voice was level. "I can’t prove it, nor do I need to. I am just a Spirit Fragment. I can’t do anything. Believe my words or don’t. It makes no difference to me."

Hearing this response, they all glanced at one another, uncertain. They didn’t know whether to believe the voice or not.

"Venerable Qin Yun, is what Sun said true?" Qi Heng asked, turning back to Qin Yun.

After a moment of silence, Qin Yun finally spoke, his voice hoarse. "It does not conflict with what I know."

The two seemed to be corroborating each other’s statements, leaving everyone to their own thoughts.

Then, the voice from the flame spoke again. "If your goal is to have someone become the Spirit of Sun’s Chosen One, I can indeed offer some assistance."

"Please, continue," the Peng King said, his interest piqued.

Sun continued, "What you call the Lost Flame is what was left behind after I died. Its tides are erratic. At their peak, even a Moonlight Tier would struggle to enter. Even at their weakest, entering still carries a certain degree of risk."

"I can help you mitigate that risk."

The Peng King’s expression was inscrutable. The others looked at him questioningly, as this was information the Royal Court had only obtained after a long period of observation. He could only nod. "There are indeed tidal fluctuations."

"Furthermore," Sun continued, "a Divine Dawn Level Talent is merely the minimum requirement. If you wish to improve the chances of being chosen, it would be best to have someone with a higher Talent, such as True Radiance Level..."

’A higher Talent... True Radiance Level?’ The expressions of everyone present flickered.

Sun wasn’t finished. "And one more thing. The Spirit of Sun’s Chosen One is not limited by age or Tier."

’No age limit?’

Everyone was shocked. ’Doesn’t that mean... the Ancient Kings themselves could participate?’

But at that moment, the Bronze Ancient King spoke up. "You’re not a Professional from the Dust Star Sea, are you?"

"I am not," Sun admitted without the slightest hesitation.

...

"Such a pity,"

Outside the room, Qin Tianlin’s body lay on the ground, a small crowd gathered around it.

Han Xingliu lamented, "To die just like that... A Divine Dawn Level Talent with limitless potential. A pity, truly a great pity."

Xiao Linfeng also sighed. The others, too, wore expressions of varying degrees of sorrow.

That was the reality of it. No matter your status or how powerful you might one day become, once you were dead, you were dead. Everything turned to dust.

Qing Cang stood to one side, his eyes filled with lingering confusion. ’Black Tuo actually went to such lengths to strike down Qin Tianlin... all because of that purple flame on him?’

’But what did that have to do with Black Tuo?’

He truly couldn’t figure it out. His gaze swept over Su Chen, who wore a regretful expression.

’In fact, he wouldn’t have been as surprised if Black Tuo had gone after Su Chen. At least he could have connected it to Fog Ashes. But Qin Tianlin...’

’Then again,’ he felt a slight sense of relief. ’At least Black Tuo’s target was Qin Tianlin, not Su Chen.’

"Brother Qin..." Su Chen pulled a white cloth over Qin Tianlin’s body and said through gritted teeth, "That Black Tuo is truly audacious and arrogant, to strike such a vicious blow personally. I can’t imagine how Brother Qin could have offended it."

"These Great Deceitful Gods are incredibly long-lived, their powers bizarre and unpredictable. It’s been a long time since we’ve heard of one manifesting in our world," Han Xingliu said, shaking his head. "However, the Ancient King’s reaction was swift. I’m afraid this Black Tuo will have to lay low for some time."

Han Xingliu also found it strange. ’Why would a Great Deceitful God of Black Tuo’s caliber suddenly attack Qin Tianlin?’

’Still, Qin Yun hid his secrets well. If not for Black Tuo’s sudden attack, he probably would have kept everyone in the dark indefinitely.’

’The reason Qin Tianlin was able to defeat He Muyang must have been because of that purple flame. It’s a good thing Black Tuo suddenly made a move...’

’The mystery surrounding Qin Tianlin is solved... but what about Su Chen?’ Han Xingliu’s thoughts shifted.

’He’s even more formidable than Qin Tianlin. Doesn’t that mean the secret he’s hiding is even greater than that purple flame?’

Han Xingliu looked up, only to find Su Chen looking right at him. Su Chen spoke with a hint of apology, "Brother Xingliu, there’s something I need to tell you. I’m afraid Lu Huai won’t be able to leave anytime soon."

"Oh? And why is that?" Han Xingliu glanced at him and asked impassively.

Su Chen explained, "I have another friend who hasn’t used the Profound Celestial Instrument yet. He had to go away on some business, and I’m afraid he won’t be back for a while."

"It’s no trouble. There’s no rush," Han Xingliu replied, feigning indifference.

Su Chen let out a sigh of relief. "That’s good. As long as the Royal Court isn’t in a hurry. I estimate he should be back within a year or so."

"A year or so?" The corner of Han Xingliu’s mouth twitched. He glanced at Qing Cang, who was pointedly ignoring the conversation, and his brow furrowed.

"Why don’t you just have your friend go directly to the Royal Court?"

"That won’t work. He’s quite timid by nature and unwilling to travel to other places," Su Chen said, shaking his head.

Han Xingliu’s frown deepened. ’This matter was already settled between the Profound Celestial Sect and the Royal Court. I don’t understand why Su Chen is meddling and insisting on keeping Lu Huai from leaving.’

’He has to leave sooner or later. What’s the point of delaying things for a bit?’

As he thought of this, he suddenly froze. His expression grew complex as he looked at Su Chen’s smiling face. He spoke tentatively.

"As a Tier Six, you already hold the top spot in the preliminary rankings. I’m afraid your position is unshakable. As for the Morning Star Essence... why don’t we give it to you in advance?"

"It will be yours sooner or later anyway. There’s no point in dragging this out."

"Is that alright?" Su Chen asked, feigning surprise. "Won’t the others object?"

Han Xingliu was now almost certain. ’He’s using Lu Huai to threaten me.’ He was inwardly astonished. ’Did this guy plan for this exact situation months ago?’

After a moment of silence, he could only say with resignation, "There’s nothing wrong with it. With your strength, no one else will object. In that case... can your friend perhaps hurry back?"

Only then did Su Chen reply, "If you’re in a hurry, I can try to rush him."