Next to him, a young man dressed in white stood with his hands behind his back, radiating immense pressure even when standing beside the Second Prince.

"If you ask me, this group is nothing but overrated. Our Celestial Dao Sword Sect supports the Second Prince, which brings far more benefits than a petty Qin An."

"Jian Wuxin, sometimes you mustn’t underestimate the enemy," the Second Prince shook his head, "Even a lion hunts a rabbit with all its might. You are Celestial Dao Sword Sect’s most formidable genius in a hundred years. I really want to know who’s stronger, you or Qin An."

Jian Wuxin smiled slightly: "Rest assured, Your Highness, I have mastered all of the Celestial Dao Thirty-Six Swords and thoroughly understood them."

"Even if facing someone much stronger than me, I am confident I can kill them with one strike! But before that, Qin An has more than just me as a challenger."

The Second Prince furrowed his brows: "What do you mean by that?"

Jian Wuxin looked up in a certain direction and slowly said: "The world bustles for profit; it hustles for gain."

"There are many masters and peak experts in this world. They want to make a name for themselves in this Daqian Kingdom by using others as stepping stones, and Qin An is perfect for that."

After these words were spoken, the Second Prince had a sudden realization.

"I see, it seems Qin An will face a difficult path ahead."

Jian Wuxin nodded and said: "Just wait, Your Highness; I will find a suitable opportunity to defeat Qin An with my sword and make the Third Prince realize the person he values is truly worthless."

The Second Prince nodded slightly without saying anything further.

He merely picked up his wine glass and carefully examined the fine wine within it.

...

At this moment, in another palace.

The Third Prince looked at the document in his hand, his eyebrows tightly furrowed.

"Masters from all over are now focusing on Qin An. What is going on? Qin An is strong and gifted, but the heroes of this world are plentiful. Why would they all focus on Qin An?"

He felt puzzled, and at the same time, a sense of crisis arose in his heart.

Only people in their positions know what impact Qin An losing would have on themselves.

Not to mention, his own reputation as the Third Prince would be utterly ruined, which would severely impede his quest for the Crown Prince’s position.

A nearby man in simple clothes with a gourd at his waist clasped his hands and said, "Your Highness, do you need us to intervene?"

The Third Prince sighed and said: "How to intervene? Meeting the Emperor is the highest rule of the Daqian Kingdom. Even the General of the Evil Extermination Bureau cannot intervene."

"And every year, during the time of meeting the Emperor, it’s also when Unity Realm cultivators compete with each other. It’s more like a performance for Father, showcasing how strong the younger generation is, and allowing the Emperor to see where the future should head."

"If we intervene, wouldn’t it be slapping Father in the face?"

Upon hearing the Third Prince mention the Emperor of the Daqian Kingdom, the middle-aged man shivered as if he had heard the most terrifying thing in the world.

The Third Prince continued: "The situation this year will change, Qin An might face an attack from multiple forces, and it’s uncertain if he can overcome it."

"I also want to know, who exactly leaked Qin An’s situation?"

The middle-aged man asked: "Could it have been the Second Prince?"

The Third Prince shook his head: "Although my second brother is usually unruly and always digging for people, he probably hasn’t thought this far."

The middle-aged man, realizing this, immediately understood the reason: "Are you suggesting it was the Crown Prince?"

The Third Prince nodded slightly and said: "Only my seemingly honest yet internally ruthless big brother could conceive such a plan."

"He has my good uncle backing him, and when they come together, they’re as ruthless as possible."

"Now they’ve targeted me with their blade, clearly wanting me to first lose ground, so that when I completely lose ground, the balance of power will be disrupted."

"And after the lips are gone, how long can my second brother hold out?"

The middle-aged man pondered for a moment and said: "The Crown Prince has been stationed at the frontier for many years, amassing a lot of prestige. If you and the Second Prince lose ground, he’ll be the best candidate for Crown Prince."

The Third Prince nodded: "Exactly, so this conflict depends on how well Qin An can perform."

The middle-aged man frowned and asked: "Should we intervene to help?"

The Third Prince thought for a moment and said: "Give Qin An all the help he wants. As long as he asks for it and I’m capable of providing it, I will help."

"This time, I absolutely must not fail, or I will never recover in this lifetime."

The middle-aged man thought for a moment, agreed, and then silence fell within the palace.

...

In yet another palace, the most luxurious among the three.

A burly man, clad in fine silks, lifted the nearby wine jug and poured a mouthful into his throat.

The wine in the jug was soon finished.

However, after finishing it, the burly man was quite dissatisfied.

"This bland wine is nothing compared to the spirits at the frontier."

Nearby, a man in armor clasped his hands and said: "Your Highness, the Imperial Palace is a place for dignitaries; naturally, they don’t drink spirits. Please endure a little longer, spirits from the frontier will soon be delivered."

The Crown Prince chuckled coldly: "If you ask me, when there’s bland wine in this world, why can’t spirits be found in the palace?"

These words left everyone present stunned.

They contained two meanings that anyone keen could understand.

Yet those present pretended not to understand.

The Crown Prince put down the wineglass and continued: "Qin An has reached the nearest official station, not far from Xuanjing City. How are your preparations going?"

The man hurriedly replied: "Reporting to Your Highness, his information has already been released. Now, the Unity Realm experts who arrived early at Xuanjing City have likely focused their attention on him. Many forces are already lining up along the highway."

"They want to challenge Qin An one by one to showcase their prowess. There are not only martial world forces but also young people from various Tao-level cities who’ve reached the Unity Realm."

At this point, a hint of ruthlessness showed on the man’s face.

The Crown Prince put down his wineglass and shook his head: "This isn’t something worth heralding. For us in the military to do this actually loses the dignity of military men."

"But my royal uncle once said the most important thing in this world is the outcome, not the process. As long as our actions lead to a good outcome, everything is permissible."

The armored man’s forehead immediately sweated upon hearing this.

That Prince Zhenyuan is known for his ruthlessness and only cares about results.

When the Daqian Kingdom was founded, there were rebel forces around.

Prince Zhenyuan led a force and within less than a month, the heads of those rebels were hung on the gates of the Daqian Kingdom.

It was that battle that showed everyone how terrifying this prince, who stood shoulder to shoulder with the Emperor, truly was.

"You may leave now."

The discussion was over.

The Crown Prince seemed to have lost interest in conversing and waved for them to go.

Upon hearing this, the crowd slowly departed.

At this moment, the palace fell silent once more, except for the constant sound of the Crown Prince drinking wine.

...

The three princes harbored different intentions, each with their own plans.

The nearest station, however, was currently not at peace.

Two fast horses approached the station.

While the usually desolate station was now filled with people, both openly and secretly.