My Professions Have Too Much Personality

"Second on the Holy List... truly unthinkable!" Qin Yun murmured. He deeply regretted not taking matters into his own hands and getting rid of Su Chen when he had the chance.

"Alas, who could have predicted it would come to this..." he sighed.

Back then, he’d genuinely thought Su Chen was just some lucky punk. Acting personally would have meant a complete falling out with his master, and there was no guarantee his master would continue to tolerate him.

His initial plan was to frame him, just as he had done with Wei Zhenghong.

From his perspective, Su Chen was from some Desolate Planet; dealing with him should have been effortless. But who would have thought the man would be completely different from his expectations? His personality was practically that of an ascetic, and his rise was far beyond anything he could have predicted.

Then he suffered the mishap with the Lost Flame. By the time he returned, Su Chen’s position was already unassailable. Through a strange twist of fate, the opportunity to make a move was gone.

’What if... I act now?’ A thought flickered in his mind. After their several clashes, the enmity between him and Su Chen was set. ’If I could just eliminate this threat...’

’No...’ After a long moment of consideration, Qin Yun still shook his head. Even with the Spirit of Sun as his Protective Talisman, actually moving against Su Chen would mean treating his master like a complete pushover.

His master was already blaming himself for allowing the Flame Fire to be in danger of going out. To resolve the crisis with the Flame Fire, two Morning Star Tier students had already been sacrificed.

Now that a potential solution was within reach, if he were to snuff it out, Qin Yun had no doubt his master would kill him on the spot, regardless of his connection to the Spirit of Sun.

’Forget it. If the plan succeeds, he won’t be a threat anyway.’

Just as he was lost in thought, Qin Yun’s eyes shifted. He turned to see the door open quietly and a grim-faced Qin Tianlin step inside.

"Grandfather," he called out.

Qin Yun said coolly, "I heard you were preparing to advance to Tier Seven. I hadn’t planned on disturbing you."

"You may not have planned to tell me, but others did," Qin Tianlin said, pressing his lips together. He couldn’t hold it in any longer. "We can’t just let Su Chen be..."

Second on the Holy List. The news had utterly stunned him, throwing his mind into chaos. After turning it over and over, he finally decided to seek out Qin Yun.

He had hoped to advance to Tier Seven and finally escape from under Su Chen’s shadow. But who would have thought that bastard would be even faster, vaulting to second place on the Holy List.

He figured that even after advancing to Tier Seven, he could probably defeat Ding Ze, but he would be no match for Wei Zhenghong.

The man was rising too fast.

"Not let him be?" Qin Yun’s brow furrowed. "Then what do you propose?"

Qin Tianlin looked startled for a moment, then lowered his voice. "If we move fast, we might be able to take him out before the Ancient King can react. It would be worth sacrificing a Tier Eight, or even a Tier Nine, expert!"

Qin Yun didn’t seem surprised to hear this. He simply asked, "Let me ask you, then. Would it be worth your life?"

"My life?" Qin Tianlin’s face fell.

"Do you take the Ancient King for an idiot?" Qin Yun retorted. "Forget success or failure. Even if we succeeded, both of our lives—yours and mine—would be the price!"

"Would the Ancient King really go that far over a dead man...?" Qin Tianlin couldn’t help but argue.

"It’s not that simple," Qin Yun frowned. "There are things you can do, and things you can’t. You’re letting Su Chen get to you too much. Why worry about him? Focus on your own path. You have plenty of time."

’I’ve told you before,’ a sneering voice echoed in his ear, ’your grandfather is cautious, to put it nicely. To be blunt, he’s a coward. This is worth it even if it costs *him* his life.’

’That Su Chen is no ordinary person. The way things are going, it’s already a sure thing he’s the next successor to the Ancient King of your Bronze Sect!’

’Once he becomes the Ancient King, where will that leave you?’

"Grandfather..." Qin Tianlin said, his head bowed, "If Su Chen becomes the Ancient King, where will that leave us?"

Qin Yun gave Qin Tianlin a long, hard look. "If he becomes the Ancient King, then I will make you the first Sun Tier expert in the Dust Star Sea!"

"Sun Tier?" Qin Tianlin looked up, completely taken aback by this answer. His expression was one of sheer disbelief.

Qin Yun sighed to himself. ’Su Chen is becoming Tianlin’s personal demon. If I don’t give him some hope, he’ll be fixated on Su Chen day and night.’

"You know that purple flame I merged into your body a while back? I brought it out of the Lost Flame. After the Peak Star Conference, I plan to take a group of people back into that Flame Fire."

Qin Yun stopped there, having said enough. Qin Tianlin’s heart skipped a beat, but a flicker of hope ignited in his eyes once more.

But a sinister laugh echoed in his ear, ’Hahaha!’

The laughter was laced with mockery. ’Your grandfather really knows how to spin a yarn. Sun Tier? I’m the one he brought out of the Lost Flame. If he could just appoint someone to the Sun Tier, would he still be so constrained at every turn?’

At these words, Qin Tianlin’s expression fell once more.

"Tianlin..." Qin Yun, who had been watching his grandson’s expression closely, suddenly spoke. "You’ve been acting strangely lately. Has that purple flame been showing any unusual signs?"

The struggle in Qin Tianlin’s eyes was fleeting. He shook his head. "No, not at all..."

Before he could finish speaking, his pupils shrank. His grandfather had appeared right in front of him, a finger extending toward the spot between his eyebrows.

He instinctively tried to resist, but his entire body was locked in place. A flash of shocked anger appeared in his eyes.

Qin Yun’s brow was deeply furrowed. After a moment, he withdrew his finger, looking puzzled. ’That old ghost’s Spirit Fragment is locked down tight. It shouldn’t be able to interfere with Tianlin.’

’Could he really just be this affected by Su Chen?’

"What was that for...?" Qin Tianlin’s face was grim.

Qin Yun’s tone softened. "I was just verifying something. Don’t worry about it. Everything will become clear after the Peak Star Conference."

"Understood." Qin Tianlin schooled his expression and said in a low voice, "I will be sure to achieve a good result at the Peak Star Conference."

Qin Yun didn’t actually need Tianlin to achieve anything at the Peak Star Conference, but after a moment’s thought, he decided not to explain.

’It’s good for Tianlin to have a goal, to keep him from constantly focusing on Su Chen.’

Leaving the room, Qin Tianlin’s face was a blank mask. The voice was chattering in his ear again. ’Your grandfather only knows how to make you wait. My method is better. I can guarantee you’ll stun the world. Su Chen, the Star Seeds, the Star Lords—none of them will be a match for you.’

A flicker of movement in Qin Tianlin’s eyes. ’I’ll have my people do as you say. With the Peak Star Conference so close, no one should pay any mind if a few people suddenly disappear.’

......

"Five hours. Right on the dot," Su Chen said, looking up at the fading Flame Fire. It was exactly what the Bronze Ancient King had predicted in his most optimistic forecast, not off by a single minute.

He tore his gaze away and walked into the Nether Tower, preparing to enter the Nether Realm as he always did.

A pale, ashen landscape spread out beneath his feet.

This time, however, he noticed the drain on his Spiritual Power was a staggering five to six times greater than usual.

’What’s going on?’

Su Chen was puzzled. The abnormal drain continued even after he had fully entered the Nether Realm.

’It’s several times higher than the cost of maintaining my Spirit Body in the Nether Realm before. Is it just because I’ve reached Tier Six?’

Baffled, Su Chen glanced down at himself, and his heart gave a sudden lurch.

’This is my physical body!?’

’I brought my physical body in with me!’

He was stunned. He focused his senses, pinched his arm, and confirmed that he was indeed in the Nether Realm in the flesh, not as a Spirit Body.

’This...’ Su Chen frowned and immediately tried to sense the real world.

The surrounding scenery dissolved, and Su Chen found himself back in the Nether Tower. He felt his own body and let out a sigh of relief.

’Good, I can still get back. Even though my body was pulled in, there must be some kind of anchor left in the real world.’

The Nether Realm was treacherous and unpredictable. If he had been unable to return, it would have been a disaster.

Now certain he could return, Su Chen couldn’t help but wonder, ’Is this also a result of the Unity of Spirit and Body?’

This was his first time entering the Nether Realm after reaching Tier Six, and the only difference between now and before was the so-called Unity of Spirit and Body.

He became thoughtful. ’No wonder... Those Morning Star Tier experts who entered the Nether Realm from the Royal Court... their physical bodies ended up being dragged into the Lost Flame as well.’