In Yuzhou City, at the City Lord’s Mansion.
The lofty Yuzhou City Lord, revered by the city’s people, was now bowing and scraping before the man in front of him.
The Third Prince of the Great Qian Dynasty!
This prince had an eccentric personality, disliking the confines of the palace, which he found boring.
His favorite pastime was roaming the country, chasing excitement wherever it could be found, always stirring up trouble.
This explained his rugged appearance, hardly resembling a prince.
Moreover, because of his penchant for causing chaos, his strength was considerable.
Though he paled in comparison to the prodigious Crown Prince, he was a standout among his peers.
His frequent brawls had honed his combat experience, making him formidable.
While the Yuzhou City Lord’s son was no slouch, having reached the peak of the Skin Tempering Realm and nearing Flesh Tempering, he was no match for the Third Prince, whose strength was close to the Tendon Tempering Realm!
“Third Prince, may I ask what brings you to Yuzhou City this time?”
The City Lord asked with a fawning smile.
“Nothing much… I just heard there’s some treasure map surfacing around here, so I came to check it out.”
The Third Prince said leisurely, lounging with his legs crossed.
“Treasure map?”
The City Lord was taken aback, having heard no such rumors.
“Of course. This came from a high-ranking figure in the Luo Hao Sect.
They say it’s a treasure map left by a senior from the cultivation world, split into several parts.
They got word that one part is in our Great Qian Dynasty—specifically, somewhere near Yuzhou City!”
“What?!”
The City Lord was shocked.
“A high-ranking figure from the Luo Hao Sect!”
The Luo Hao Sect was a sect located not far beyond the borders of the Great Qian Dynasty.
The City Lord didn’t know much about sects, only that the Luo Hao Sect boasted numerous experts at the Acquired and even Innate Realms, with immense strength.
The Great Qian Dynasty had always treated them with respect, sending tributes annually to maintain good relations, hoping to send disciples there to cultivate and secure a bright future.
“Since it’s a treasure map revealed by a high-ranking figure from the Luo Hao Sect, and with such fanfare… it must at least be left by a Grandmaster at the peak of the Innate Realm, right?”
The City Lord asked in astonishment.
A peak Innate Realm cultivator, known as a Grandmaster in the secular world, held a status surpassing even the emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty!
“Peak Innate Realm?”
The Third Prince sipped the tea provided by the City Lord and scoffed.
“Let me tell you… this treasure map, strictly speaking, wasn’t something the Luo Hao Sect’s high-ranking figure tasked us to find.”
“Then…”
“This treasure map was ordered to be found by the Luo Hao Sect’s superior sect!”
“What?!”
The City Lord’s expression froze.
The Luo Hao Sect reportedly had peak Innate Realm Grandmasters, so their superior sect… wouldn’t that mean true immortals?
The “immortals” he referred to were merely Spirit Condensation Realm cultivators in Lin Guiming’s terms.
Such cultivators possessed mana and could wield spells, transcending mortal limits, appearing as “immortals” in the eyes of ordinary people.
“My father suspects this treasure map contains the legacy of a Spirit Condensation Realm cultivator!”
The Third Prince frowned, his expression unusually serious.
“Then, Third Prince…”
The City Lord’s eyes flickered with unclear intent.
“You think my father and I don’t want it?”
The Third Prince gave a bitter smile.
“It’s something the Luo Hao Sect’s superior sect ordered to be found.
How could we dare keep it for ourselves?
Besides, the treasure map is split into three parts, and we only have one, which is useless on its own.
Better to hand it over to the Luo Hao Sect in exchange for some rare pills.
Maybe we can train a few more Acquired Realm experts to strengthen the dynasty.”
“Third Prince, you are wise.”
The City Lord bowed respectfully, impressed.
Though the Third Prince was unruly, he always had the dynasty’s future in mind…
“Enough about that. Where’s the punk who beat me up?
I want to see him!”
The Third Prince changed the subject, though his mind lingered on the treasure map.
The Luo Hao Sect was notoriously stingy; even handing over the map wouldn’t yield much.
It wasn’t a good deal, but as he’d said, they had no choice.
Unless…
He narrowed his eyes.
Unless he could ally with another sect—a sect stronger than the Luo Hao Sect or even its superior sect!
Even if he couldn’t claim the prize, a less stingy sect might let him sip some of the broth.
For a treasure map left by a Spirit Condensation Realm cultivator, even a sip was a big deal…
Thinking this, he couldn’t help but chuckle at himself.
Sect members rarely ventured into the secular world, let alone those from a sect surpassing the Luo Hao Sect’s superior sect.
Such people were worlds apart from mortals, with no chance of crossing paths…