Chapter Seventy-One: Qin Xingtong Gravely Wounded! [Five Thousand Words!]-The Age of Global Simulation(White as a celestial crane)

“The Wolf Clan… is nothing special after all!”

The Wolf Clan is nothing special after all…

Nothing special after all…

Lin Qiye’s words rang out, each syllable powerful and sonorous, resounding with unshakable authority.

If anyone else had uttered such words—even the old emperor himself—declaring the Wolf Clan nothing special, he would have been ridiculed as a fool.

For the Wolf Clan had been invincible for twenty thousand years!

The Human Clan had suffered defeat for twenty thousand years!

In those long millennia, the very confidence of the Human Clan had been trampled into dust, ground into the mud.

The Wolf Clan had become synonymous with invincibility.

Whenever the people of Great Qin thought of the Wolf Clan, the proverb would involuntarily surface in their minds: “The Wolf Clan is unbeatable if they number over ten thousand,” and they would shudder in fear…

Who dared say the Wolf Clan was nothing special?

Who had the right to utter such words?

Not even the old emperor would be believed if he said so.

Yet now—

Every citizen of Great Qin believed Lin Qiye’s words.

Because—

Before his eyes stretched an endless sea of fire, engulfing the Wolf Clan’s imperial city.

Beneath him, over ten million Wolf Clan cultivators lay battered and broken.

Against such a backdrop, every word Lin Qiye spoke resounded with irrefutable weight.

Facts spoke louder than any argument.

Even if one wished to object, there was not the slightest foothold for it.

It must be remembered—

He had penetrated deep into the Wolf Clan’s heartland and set their imperial city ablaze—an act that defied the heavens!

It was impossible that over ten million Wolf Clan cultivators were merely cooperating with Lin Qiye in some charade.

And so—

The people of Great Qin gazed up at the image of Lin Qiye on the glowing screen, their eyes filled with fervor and conviction.

A year ago, they had come to know the Seventeenth Prince as a man of his word.

He had vowed to annihilate the Six Great Sects—and had done so with lightning speed!

He declared that cultivators and commoners would stand as equals—and enforced it to the letter!

He decreed new infrastructure—and countless cultivators rushed to build new villages, cities, highways, and waterworks!

Every promise made by the Seventeenth Prince had become reality.

And now, risking his life, the Seventeenth Prince had proven with his actions that the Wolf Clan was nothing special!

And he had proven it resoundingly!

Hadn’t they seen how the millions of Wolf Clan cultivators, faces pale and contorted, glared at the blood-red screen?

Hadn’t they witnessed their impotent fury, howling at the pyramid altar?

Hadn’t they seen them mourn as if their world had ended?

At this moment, Lin Qiye’s prestige in the hearts of the six hundred million people of Great Qin soared to unprecedented heights!

He seemed to have become a god.

Their feverish gazes fell upon the screen…

They cast upon Lin Qiye their most reverent admiration.

“The Seventeenth Prince—truly a born king, invincible by nature!”

“To burn the Wolf Clan’s imperial city before the eyes of their millions of cultivators, and openly mock them—truly the greatest display of dominance in all of history!”

The imperial city symbolized the supreme dignity of a nation.

For it to be burned was always the deepest humiliation in history.

Yet today—

The Seventeenth Prince had delivered a crushing humiliation to the Wolf Clan.

And even more outrageously—

He had not only set their imperial city aflame, but launched a barrage of the fiercest taunts.

It was as if he had ridden on the Wolf Clan’s head and defecated directly into their mouths.

The people of Great Qin burst into jubilant laughter, glued to the blood-red images on the screen.

At this moment—

Outside the imperial city, more than ten million Wolf Clan cultivators and five Sky Kings raged, their faces twisted in fury, howling at the screen.

“Kill him! He must die!”

“Whoever kills him will be granted a marquisate of ten thousand households!”

“He must be torn limb from limb! His corpse will be a warning to all—Wolf Clan dignity is not to be challenged!”

The Sky Kings, incandescent with rage, shot like arrows toward the pyramid altar.

But—

Lin Qiye merely shook his head, wrapped his arm around Zhu Yuheng’s slender waist, and vanished like a ghost.

A clear, commanding voice echoed from the blood-red screen:

“With just you lot? You think you can surround me? The Wolf Clan’s heartland is nothing more than a place I come and go as I please!”

“When your Wolf Lord emerges, be sure to send him to Guoyun Pass to die! I shall personally sever his head, to prove to the world one thing—that the Wolf Clan… is nothing special!”

Lin Qiye sneered with utter disdain.

His rolling words formed layer upon layer of echoes, reverberating through the skies.

Ten million Wolf Clan cultivators encircled the pyramid altar.

They searched for half an hour—

But not a trace could be found.

The five Sky Kings were beside themselves.

“Are you all useless? Why can’t you find him? Is he really that fast?!”

“All the princes and concubines are dead—this is a disgrace beyond measure! The deepest humiliation!”

“In twenty thousand years, has our Wolf Clan ever suffered such shame?!”

“When the Wolf Lord emerges, how will we explain this? How?!”

Each Sky King’s face was ashen, eyes blazing with fury, teeth grinding until blood seeped from their gums.

Such scenes—

Were broadcast across the entire universe of Great Qin through the blood-red screen.

The Wolf Clan's own people turned pale, silent as they watched their imperial palace burn and their Sky Kings rage helplessly, their confidence shattered.

But atop Guoyun Pass—

A million defenders threw their heads back in wild celebration.

Their morale soared to new heights, blazing like the fires consuming the Wolf Clan’s imperial city.

“I heard… all the Wolf Lord’s kin have been wiped out, right?”

“Hahahaha, now the Wolf Lord is truly an orphan!”

“Justice is done!”

“Single-handedly storming the Wolf Clan’s imperial city—such a feat makes the blood boil! Only the Seventeenth Prince could dare do this! He is a god among men!”

The defenders had long fought the Wolf Clan and knew their terrifying strength.

No one dared venture into the Wolf Clan’s lair.

For it was a den of dragons and tigers—certain death awaited.

Yet—

The Seventeenth Prince had not only ventured deep into enemy territory, he had burned their palace and left millions of powerful cultivators raging helplessly.

Such a feat would become an epic template!

It would blaze as the brightest legend in the annals of history!

The warriors cheered, their voices more exuberant than ever before.

In the cities behind Guoyun Pass, the cheers resounded as well.

Not only the common people rejoiced, but millions of veterans, retired from the front lines, raised their heads and stared unblinking at the blood-red screen.

When they saw the Seventeenth Prince burning the imperial city…

When they saw millions of Wolf Clan cultivators howling in helpless rage…

When they saw those same millions fruitlessly trying to surround and slay the Seventeenth Prince…

All the pent-up emotions of a lifetime erupted within the old soldiers. Tears streamed uncontrollably down their faces.

“Good! Good! Burn it! Burn it even harder!”

Some veterans, raising their single arms, rubbed their weathered faces, wiping away tears as fast as they fell.

“Seventeenth Prince! Our Great Qin’s Seventeenth Prince! Truly a god descended to earth!”

Some gripped their wheelchair arms so tightly the wood cracked.

“If only my legs weren’t crippled, I’d follow the Seventeenth Prince into the Wolf Clan’s heart! Years of clinging to life, and now I’ve lived to see this day! At last!”

Some, with only a single lifeless eye left, wept blood from a socket blind for years.

“Child, help Grandpa sharpen his blade. I’m ready to join the fight at any moment… I just hope the Seventeenth Prince will lead us to gallop through the Wolf Clan’s land, slaughtering enemies at will!”

“I want to avenge my fallen comrades! To wash away our disgrace!”

In this moment—

The hearts of millions of old soldiers beat wildly with the desire for battle.

In this moment—

They dreamed of a great army.

They seemed to see the brilliant and heroic Seventeenth Prince leading them as the Wolf Clan fled in terror.

This was the moment they had waited for all their lives.

...

Elsewhere—

Six hundred million citizens of the Great Qin Empire stood at village gates, gathered in open squares, stood on city streets or academy fields…

All eyes were fixed on the blood-red screen.

The raging sea of fire was reflected in their eyes.

The impotent rage of the Wolf Clan’s strongest made them laugh aloud.

At this moment, a thought took root and blossomed in their hearts.

“The Wolf Clan is nothing special!”

“Yes, the Seventeenth Prince is right—the Wolf Clan is nothing special!”

“They are not invincible!”

“The Seventeenth Prince will surely lead us to defeat the Wolf Clan and reclaim our lost lands!”

“Yes! The Seventeenth Prince is as good as his word—what he promises, he will accomplish.”

“The Seventeenth Prince is a god!”

Their faith was steadfast.

Lin Qiye had already set foot upon the path to godhood.

And in the imperial palace of Great Qin—

The old emperor finally let out a sigh of relief.

“Though I know little Seventeen is not reckless, this was too great a risk!”

“Fortunately, his speed is such that even an Eighth Heaven Gate expert could not catch him!”

The old emperor beamed.

“No wonder he dared to storm into the Wolf Clan’s heartland and set their palace ablaze! His skills are as great as his courage!”

Joy suffused his features.

“I have truly begotten a remarkable son!”

He could not contain his laughter.

Beside him, the chief eunuch Cao repeatedly offered congratulations.

“Congratulations, Your Majesty! Both you and the Seventeenth Prince are rulers of rare greatness!”

The old emperor put on a stern face.

“Only a ruler of greatness? Old Cao, you think too small.”

“My son is the mightiest emperor in a hundred thousand years! At eight years old, he already possesses the strength to slay the Wolf Lord. One day, he may even conquer other universes!”

He laughed heartily.

Cao hastened to agree.

“Your Majesty is correct. It’s my lack of learning—I know not how to praise the Seventeenth Prince adequately.”

The old emperor nodded.

“Enough, I won’t quibble with you. Keep watch over the palace—make sure it doesn’t get burned down like theirs.”

Cao could only smile wryly.

“Your Majesty, only the Seventeenth Prince’s wisdom and courage could achieve such a feat—no one else, not even the Wolf Lord, could manage it!”

At his words—

The old emperor’s face glowed with pride.

“In any case, remain vigilant. If the Wolf Lord breaks through the Eighth Heaven Gate, he may cross Guoyun Pass… We must be prepared.”

With that, the old emperor strode toward Consort Ning’s chambers...

...

In the Wolf Clan’s heartland—

Lin Qiye and Zhu Yuheng, having set the imperial palace ablaze, had already fled a thousand miles from the city.

Zhu Yuheng, long accustomed to resting in Lin Qiye’s embrace, was flushed with excitement.

“Where to next? Which city shall we burn?”

“No more burning. We’re going back.”

“Why? Burning cities is so exhilarating!”

Lin Qiye: “…”

“Setting the imperial palace ablaze has already crushed the Wolf Clan’s morale. It’s a humiliation they’ll never forget.”

“Burning other cities wouldn’t have the same effect.”

Lin Qiye shook his head slightly.

“I suspect the Wolf Lord will soon emerge. We can’t risk a confrontation in their own territory.”

“If he burns his life to delay me, and sends twenty million cultivators to launch a suicide assault on you—not only would your life be in danger, I might be severely injured as well.”

“I promised to bring you back safely, remember?”

He explained gently, his words both domineering and full of reassurance.

At that, Zhu Yuheng blushed fiercely, momentarily dazed.

But she quickly snorted, feigning defiance. “You think I’m a burden, don’t you? How could I possibly hold you back?”

“It’s not that. There’s simply no need to take risks in the enemy’s lair. Once we return and train up twenty million cultivators, we can wipe out the Wolf Clan completely. Isn’t that better?”

Zhu Yuheng pouted.

“And how long will that take?”

Lin Qiye’s eyes gleamed with confidence. “Not long at all.”

“Fine, I trust you!”

After so much time together, Zhu Yuheng understood his character well.

If he wasn’t sure, he would never speak; once he did, it was as good as done.

“But… I am curious—how will you train tens of millions of cultivators in such a short time?”

“You’ll see when the time comes. It’s complicated—hard to explain.”

Scientific research was not Zhu Yuheng’s strong suit; even three days of explanation might not suffice.

So—

Lin Qiye offered no further explanation.

Instead, he doubled his speed, racing for Guoyun Pass.

Five days later.

Lin Qiye and Zhu Yuheng landed atop the city walls of Guoyun Pass.

“Soldiers! The Seventeenth Prince and the Martial God Zhu have returned unharmed!”

The city’s defenders shouted the news.

Cries of welcome rang along the Great Wall.

Soon, all the cultivator warriors of Guoyun Pass floated into the air, forming orderly ranks, their eyes full of worship as they gazed at Lin Qiye and Zhu Yuheng.

“Welcome, Seventeenth Prince! Welcome, Martial God Zhu!”

The cheers were loud, heartfelt, and moving.

Zhu Yuheng felt an inexplicable current surge in her heart.

She stole a glance at Lin Qiye—

He seemed utterly at ease in this martial atmosphere.

His handsome features were cold and resolute, his presence calm and commanding.

“Guard the pass well. I will await the Wolf Lord here. So long as he dares come, I will cut him down!”

Lin Qiye’s bold declaration swept through Guoyun Pass, sending the warriors into a frenzy.

“Hiss—the Seventeenth Prince really thinks he can slay the Wolf Lord?”

“The Wolf Lord is the Wolf Clan’s greatest prodigy in millennia!”

“So what? Our Seventeenth Prince is even greater! He stormed the Wolf Clan’s heartland, set their palace ablaze, and left unharmed, while millions of their cultivators raged helplessly. That’s true invincibility!”

“And he’s only eight years old! Eight years old and already opened the Seventh Heaven Gate!”

“In front of the Seventeenth Prince, the Wolf Lord isn’t worthy of being called a prodigy. The real prodigy is our prince! The Wolf Lord can get lost!”

The warriors bantered boisterously, their arrogance unbridled.

One particular exchange reached Zhu Yuheng’s ears—

Eight… Eight years old?

Her expression suddenly turned bizarre.

Her mind became unsettled.

She followed Lin Qiye mechanically into the city.

“Xia… Ji… How old are you, exactly?”

Lin Qiye looked up. “Don’t you know? I think I’m eight now.”

Zhu Yuheng was stunned. Suddenly, her cheeks burned, her ears turned rosy.

“What’s wrong?”

“N-nothing… I just feel so ashamed. At eight, you’ve opened the Seventh Heaven Gate—while I’m over a hundred and sixty, and still inferior to you.”

She covered her racing heart.

Lin Qiye smiled. “Don’t belittle yourself. Your talent is unmatched—I'm just an anomaly.”

At his gentle words, Zhu Yuheng said nothing.

Her gaze drifted repeatedly to Lin Qiye’s face.

There was not a trace of childishness there—only cold, striking features, and the dignified bearing of an emperor.

He had once devoured the Celestial Tribulation’s thunder pool, subjugating countless bolts of lightning.

He had, in a fit of rage, exterminated the Six Great Sects.

He had toured the empire, delivering justice, building homes, roads, and waterworks for the people, winning their love as their “Blue Sky Lord.”

He had led her deep into the Wolf Clan’s heartland, burning the imperial palace…

Such a peerless prodigy—

Yet only eight years old…

Zhu Yuheng felt dazed, struggling to accept this reality.

But before she could fully absorb it—

A commotion arose outside the city gates.

“Urgent message! We’re officials in charge of the Heavenly Zen Sect’s teleportation array! We have a high-priority token—open the gates! We must deliver this person to the Seventeenth Prince!”

Outside, a team of cultivator guards, riding at full speed, escorted an ice coffin toward the city.

“They have the urgent token—let them fly in! No need for the main gate!”

The city’s defenders offered no resistance.

One cultivator even took the lead, guiding the team.

“Follow me—His Highness has returned, he should be in the palace.”

Thus, the group of cultivators ignored all protocol, rushing straight to Lin Qiye.

“Seventeenth Prince, we have urgent news!”

Lin Qiye looked on with mild curiosity.

“What is it?”

The cultivators pushed the ice coffin forward, hastily summarizing the situation as they moved.

“Seventeenth Prince, it seems the Heavenly Zen Sect’s teleportation array was used as a node by this human from another universe.”

“He suddenly fell out of the array. When we saw him, he had wings similar to yours, and like yours, he can hide them at will.”

“We thought he might be connected to you, but he was gravely wounded, shrouded in black energy, barely clinging to life. We dared not delay, and rushed here for your inspection.”

At their words, Lin Qiye’s gaze fell upon the ice coffin.

A familiar face appeared before his eyes.

His cold features flickered with wild joy and shock.

“It’s… Qin Xingtong! But why is he covered in this evil black energy? This darkness seems linked to the black mist of the main world…”