Boom...
A clap of thunder echoed, lightning streaked across the dark sky, flashing with brilliant light.
Northern Underworld Empire, Lingyun Inner City.
Thump...
At this moment, a figure was flung straight out from the back door of a luxurious manor.
"Heh heh, Young Master Qin Ning, who would have thought you'd have such a miserable day?"
"Sigh, what 'Star Gate awakening genius'? Without a Star Gate, you're no longer a genius. In Lingyun Inner City, how can the Qin family compare to our City Lord Ling family's manor!"
"By tomorrow, this news will surely spread everywhere. Then, we'll just wait for the jokes, ha ha..."
At this moment, the two guards discussed without any reservations, completely disregarding whether the profusely bleeding youth on the ground was alive or dead.
Crackle...
Thunder rumbled, lightning flashed terrifyingly, and a storm wind swept fallen leaves scattering them across the land.
At this moment, the youth lay sprawled on the ground, his fair, clean face drenched in fresh blood, his body trembling ceaselessly, bleeding from everywhere.
"Ling Shicheng!"
"Ling Tian!"
The youth gritted his teeth, trembling, spitting blood, yet still desperately growled out these two names.
Plink, plink...
Under the torrential rain, lightning flashed and thunder roared, a swirling storm appeared, plummeting down as if to swallow the earth.
The storm wind howled, and rainwater lashed violently against the ground.
Qin Ning lifted his head, gazing up at the high heavens.
"Oh heavens, even you find this injustice for me, Qin Ning?" Qin Ning whispered, drenched by the pouring rain.
"I refuse to accept this! How can I, Qin Ning, die here? How can I submit to Ling Shicheng and his son!"
Qin Ning gritted his teeth, struggling to drag himself, leaving a long trail of blood behind him, which the heavy rain quickly washed away.
The pattering rain made Qin Ning's entire body tremble incessantly, his face a terrifying pallor, yet his hands still struggled to pull himself forward. Even though all ten fingers were drenched in fresh blood, he paid no mind.
Suddenly, the torrential rain stopped.
An umbrella was shielding Qin Ning's body.
A beautiful figure, with silver boots and wearing a long dress embroidered with jasmine flowers, appeared before Qin Ning.
Amidst the rain, a girl appearing like this gave off an aura of fragrance and elegance.
"Chu Ningxi!"
He looked up at the delicate girl before him. That beautiful face had once captivated him, but now it only made him feel nauseous.
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm taking you home!" Chu Ningxi said indifferently.
"Taking me home? Do you still have such kindness now?"
"Qin Ning!"
Chu Ningxi opened her mouth and said, "You should know, the Ling family deserves to be the overlords of Lingyun Inner City. My Chu family and your Qin family combined are no match for them. Ling Shicheng is a Heavenly Gate Realm expert; I had no other choice!"
"No choice?"
Qin Ning sneered, "Chu Ningxi, what you call 'no choice' is tricking me, Qin Ning, into the Lingyun Mountain Range, so Ling Shicheng could capture me and personally seize my Star Gate to give to his son, Ling Tian, isn't it?"
"To make me, Qin Ning, a cripple, a man destined to die, and even after death, to be scorned by thousands of citizens in Lingyun City?"
"Qin Ning!"
Suo Ningxi took a deep breath and shouted, "Isn't your Qin family also bowing and scraping to the City Lord's Mansion? If I don't comply, my Suo family will vanish from Lingyun Inner City. The ignorant survive, while the talented perish, do you understand? If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for awakening the Star Gate!"
"Haha..."
Qin Ning laughed loudly, his expression fierce, and he roared madly, "Excellent, excellent! What a brilliant saying: 'The ignorant survive, while the talented perish'!"
"If I, Qin Ning, hadn't listened to your foolish words, why would I have been captured and brought back to the Ling Mansion, only to have my Star Gate stolen by Ling Shicheng and his son?"
"You... are too stubborn!"
"Get out!"
Qin Ning suddenly roared, "Even if I die here, I don't need your fake concern!"
"Hmph!"
Suo Ningxi snorted and said, "Ling Tian is talented. He has been noticed by the Son of Heaven Faction of the Imperial Heavenly God Academy. The Son of Heaven of that faction wants to mobilize his influence and power, so he recruited Ling Tian as a student, but there's only one condition..."
"The condition is that Ling Tian must possess a Star Gate. Now, he has your Star Gate, he can join the Heavenly God Academy, be cultivated by the Son of Heaven Faction, and his influence will rise another level. At that point, your Qin family will have even less chance of survival!"
"Get out!"
Qin Ning roared, uttering just one word, its echo filled with power!
Seeing this scene, Suo Ningxi coldly shook her head, her eyes filled with disdain. She picked up her umbrella, turned, and left.
In her eyes, Qin Ning was now merely struggling in vain, clinging to his pathetic self-respect as he awaited death!
Qin Ning's lips twisted into a bitter smile.
Now, he finally understood what kind of person his fiancée, Suo Ningxi, truly was!
The Heavenly God Academy was the top academy in the Northern Underworld Empire. Ling Tian was recruited by the Heavenly God Academy, which meant Suo Ningxi... willingly betrayed Qin Ning!
"Father, I'm sorry. Your son has failed your expectations. I'm sorry..."
A hot tear fell, and Qin Ning's consciousness gradually faded.
*Rumble...*
High above, thunder roared and lightning flashed, growing ever more intense. On the road, that body gradually grew cold.
A crackling sound rang out. Just then, a bolt of lightning struck the young man's body directly.
Suddenly, nine rays of light appeared, encircling him. They shone brilliantly before finally merging into his body and vanishing without a trace.
The next day, in a secluded courtyard of the Qin Mansion in Lingyun City.
"Huh?"
Suddenly, a sound of surprise and confusion rang out, and Qin Ning woke up in bed.
But at this moment, Qin Ning's eyes, though still hazy, could clearly see that the bloodstains on his body had been washed away.
"I... didn't die..."
Qin Ning looked at his hands, his mind filled with confusion.
"No, that's not right. I... experienced nine lives and nine worlds, was framed by villains, failed my tribulation, and died..."
"That's also not right. My body is Qin Ning, the third young master of the Qin family, whose Star Gate was stolen by Ling Tian, and I didn't die..."
At this moment, Qin Ning clutched his head, clearly in a panic. Two interwoven sets of memories caused his head to throb.
But suddenly, he felt one of his pupils slowly rotate.
"This is... the Seal God Pearl..."
Suddenly, a surge of spiritual energy erupted from within the Seal God Pearl, flowing downwards with a crackling sound, spreading throughout his entire body.