Three months had passed since the storm of the Great Examination. During this time, Li Tianhan had moved into a brand new palace, living a life of luxury with attendants surrounding him daily. However, he never relaxed for a single moment. Supported by that forgotten Cold Pond Spiritual Vein, the advantages of the Frost Soul Body were utilized to the fullest.
Li Tianhan's cultivation progressed at a tremendous pace, quietly climbing to the ninth level of the Spirit Origin Realm. However, the level he displayed to the outside world was only the fourth level of Spirit Origin. Even so, the speed of breaking through three levels in three months was still staggering. The Emperor finally began to pay a modicum of attention to this son who had suddenly risen to prominence.
One early morning, an imperial decree broke the tranquility of Li Tianhan's palace.
"By oral command of His Majesty, the Thirteenth Prince, Li Tianhan, is to prepare immediately to accompany the imperial carriage to the Imperial Frost Hunt in three days. There shall be no error. This is the imperial decree."
Elder Wei delivering the decree finished reading with a fake smile, his gaze lingering on Li Tianhan for a moment. This seemingly immense honor was, in reality, a test. Li Tianhan's mind was as clear as a mirror. The Emperor wanted to see with his own eyes whether he was a true dragon that had transformed by luck, or merely a vulnerable loach.
"This son accepts the command," Li Tianhan said.
He accepted the scroll calmly, his heart without a ripple. He was just lacking an opportunity, a stage where he could reasonably strike ruthlessly.
Meanwhile, inside the Seventh Prince's palace, the atmosphere was so gloomy it could practically drip water. Li Tianhan had taken all the limelight during the Great Examination and gained the Emperor's attention. This made him extremely jealous and also felt a hint of unease. If Li Tianhan truly rose up, there would likely be another rival for the throne.
"In the hunting grounds, steel does not distinguish between brothers. Every year, accidents happen to those who lack the strength to survive," a marquis's son who followed the Seventh Prince spoke sinisterly.
A flash of ruthlessness crossed the Seventh Prince's eyes.
"You are right. This is a chance provided by the heavens." He gritted his teeth. "I will make that piece of trash regret every breath he has taken since his awakening!"
A hunting trap targeting Li Tianhan was quickly planned and formed.
Three days later, the Imperial Frost Hunt.
Banners fluttered and steeds neighed. Princes and children of the nobility were all dressed in martial attire, holding bows and arrows, brimming with high spirits. Marshal Wei Yan, as the person in charge of the hunt, was clad in heavy armor and mounted on a magnificent black warhorse, his gaze sweeping across the field like a hawk.
The Seventh Prince's maternal clan possessed immense power and shared a close relationship with him. Thus, Wei Yan saw through the small maneuvers of the Seventh Prince and his group as clearly as fire, yet he chose to turn a blind eye. A prince who had risen through unknown means dared to oppose the policy he advocated in a strategy essay; it was simply seeking death. Moreover, if the Seventh Prince won the succession struggle, he would benefit greatly.
"Let the hunt begin!"
At Wei Yan's command, hundreds of royal relatives and nobles, like tigers released from a cage, charged into the vast forest with a roar. Li Tianhan unhurriedly rode a common pony, blending into the back of the crowd. Before long, he unintentionally heard two sons from marquis families talking loudly nearby.
"Did you hear? Someone spotted a cluster of Ice Jade Grass over in Black Wind Valley!" "That rare? A treasure like that would be a godsend for anyone practicing cold energy arts!"
Li Tianhan sneered inwardly. It seemed someone wanted to lead him to a grave. This bait was too blatant, precisely targeting the hint of cold energy characteristics he had revealed during the Great Examination. These people truly thought they could deceive him as if he were a mere nine year old child.
But that was fine. He needed a stage, an opportunity to truly make his mark.
Li Tianhan quietly turned his horse's head, detached himself from the main group, and headed toward Black Wind Valley alone. Black Wind Valley had treacherous terrain with a narrow entrance; the valley was filled with jagged rocks and remained hidden from the sun all year round. As soon as Li Tianhan stepped into the valley, the path behind him was completely blocked by seven or eight figures.
The leader was none other than the Seventh Prince. Mounted on a tall horse, he looked down at Li Tianhan with the playful mockery of a predator cornering prey.
"Thirteenth Brother, did you really think you could just walk into a valley alone and leave with your life?" "Maybe he thinks the Ice Jade Grass will just jump into his lap," another young marquis mocked. "Do not waste your breath on a dead man," the Seventh Prince said viciously. "Break his legs and toss him over the ridge. We will just tell Father he was clumsy."
He was already impatient to see Li Tianhan's miserable appearance as he knelt and begged for mercy. Facing the encirclement and mockery, Li Tianhan did not say a word, not even lifting an eyelid. In his view, there was nothing to say to a group of people who were already marked for destruction.
"Move! Cripple him now!"
The Seventh Prince drew the longsword from his waist and was the first to spur his horse forward, the sword's edge whipping up a fierce wind as it pierced toward Li Tianhan's throat. His strength at the fifth level of the Spirit Origin Realm was fully revealed.
At the moment he moved, Li Tianhan moved as well. He did not draw a sword, nor did he even dodge. He simply fully released the Frost Soul Body he had suppressed for a long time.
Buzz.
An invisible wave of extreme cold, centered on him, instantly swept through the entire valley. The temperature in the air dropped abruptly, and the fallen leaves and damp soil on the ground condensed into a layer of eerie white frost at a visible speed. Everyone's breath hitched, as if they were inhaling ice shards instead of air.
The tip of the Seventh Prince's sword could no longer advance an inch when it was still three inches from Li Tianhan's skin. Li Tianhan looked up, and in those pitch black pupils, there was no childhood innocence, only the coldness and indifference belonging to a powerhouse.
He reached out his hand; the movement seemed slow, yet it struck second but arrived first. That fair and tender palm bypassed the sword's edge at a strange angle and landed lightly on the Seventh Prince's chest.
Bang.
A muffled sound echoed. That was not the sound of bones breaking, but the sound of the Seventh Prince's protective energy being instantly frozen and then completely shattered. The terrifying cold energy, like maggots on a bone, surged frantically into his meridians.
The cruel grin on the Seventh Prince's face instantly froze, and he flew backward like a broken kite. While still in mid air, he spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with ice shards. He slammed heavily onto the ground, his body twitching, his meridians shattered, and his cultivation completely destroyed.
"One move is all it takes for a fly like you," Li Tianhan whispered.
The remaining people were all scared witless, the arrogance on their faces turning into endless terror.
"Run! Get out of here!"
Someone shouted, and everyone turned around, wanting to flee this terrifying place. But would Li Tianhan give them the chance? His figure blurred, and he charged into the crowd like a phantom. A marquis's son lunged from the side; without turning his head, Li Tianhan struck back with an elbow.
Crack.
A crisp sound of a bone breaking exploded, and the man's arm bent backward at an impossible angle, his screams heart wrenching. Another person tried to run in fear but was caught by Li Tianhan and kicked hard in the back of the knee. The person screamed as they collapsed to their knees, the kneecap already pulverized.
Li Tianhan's movements were concise, efficient, and lethal, every move aimed at the opponent's limbs and dantian. He did not deliver a killing blow, but every strike was more painful than death. The entire process took less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.
Inside the valley, the seven or eight royal relatives and nobles who had been so arrogant just a moment ago were now all rolling on the ground, wailing in pain, completely losing their fighting capacity. Li Tianhan stood in the center of the mess, his clothes spotless. His cold gaze slowly swept over every companion groaning in pain on the ground, announcing his return.
Just then, a soft thud came from behind a large rock above the valley. It seemed as if something had been dropped on the ground.
Li Tianhan suddenly looked up. His gaze, like two solid ice needles, instantly shot toward the source of the sound. There, a young girl dressed in sleek martial attire and holding a longbow stood stiffly. Her heroic face was now filled with unconcealable horror and shock, having clearly witnessed the entire bloody and shocking process by accident.
The Sixth Princess of the Azure Empire, Li Chaoyang, who was famous for her martial talent and known for her aloof personality.
Their gazes met in mid air.