Chapter 391: The Ninth Prince

"This one is definitely enough!"

Ling Zhiwang said: "But… some of them have dried out because they've been stored too long—their toxicity has leaked away significantly!"

Third-rank poison pills are the internal cores of venomous beasts at the Golden Core stage; they are fresh when first extracted, but if not used promptly, their toxicity fades over time.

Moreover, these poison pills become shriveled and inert.

Even under optimal storage conditions.

But He Pingsheng wasn't worried—he had the Treasure Basin, which could reinforce them.

Even if the toxicity had leaked, reinforcement would restore it to peak potency.

"No problem—give them to me first!"

He Pingsheng collected all the hundred-odd poison pills into his storage ring, then tossed over to Ling Zhiwang the belongings and wealth he'd seized from the late Master Ruokai.

These assets could fill out the merchant guild's inventory.

Fortunately, the guild's current stock wasn't particularly complete.

In addition to these, He Pingsheng also pulled out two 【Split Yuan Thunder Fruits】.

The Split Yuan Thunder Fruit is a fourth-rank immortal fruit, one of the main ingredients for crafting the 【Break Transformation Pill】, originally obtained by him after his battle with the Giant Dragon in Mu Long Gully.

Split Yuan Thunder Fruits are valuable—usually only appearing at auctions.

After completing these tasks, He Pingsheng returned to his grand hall, reinforcing the 【Poison Pills】 while beginning cultivation of the 【Nine Poisons Golden Body】 technique.

He hadn't practiced this in a long time.

Cramming at the last minute—he didn't know how far he'd get.

Day one!

Day two!

Day three!

Before he knew it, the third day arrived.

On the third day, Xiaohe personally came to He Pingsheng's Dao hall to summon him to the Dragon Platform for the challenge.

"Master… go on, you'll win for sure!" Xiaohe raised her tiny fist.

He Pingsheng said: "Don't talk nonsense—Qinghe Princess is at Golden Core Level Twelve. What merit do I have to beat her?"

"There's no way you can win!"

In truth, He Pingsheng had already planned it clearly—he intended to throw the Dragon Platform match.

No matter how strong Qinghe Princess was, he would lose.

Because if he won, he feared endless troubles with this woman afterward.

Besides, winning brought no benefit.

Losing was better.

…

The Dragon Platform belonged to the imperial capital.

It was a vast combat arena.

Most of it served as a battleground for Foundation Establishment cultivators, but one area allowed Golden Core duels.

That was the Dragon Platform.

On the Dragon Platform alone, there were ten battlefields specially designed for Golden Core cultivators.

As soon as He Pingsheng entered the Dragon Platform, he saw countless imperial capital cultivators packed shoulder to shoulder below the stage.

Seeing this, He Pingsheng couldn't help but rub his forehead.

Damn!

So many people?

Did this woman Qinghe Princess really spread word of the challenge everywhere?

As He Pingsheng was stunned, a disciple in a pale moon-white robe bowed respectfully to him and said: "Respected elder, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince awaits you over there—please join him for a chat."

He Pingsheng followed the man's gesture and saw the Ninth Imperial Prince leaning out of a window in a luxurious VIP box at the very back of the viewing platform, waving his arm at him.

Confirmed—it was him. He Pingsheng relaxed.

"Alright…" he said: "Lead the way."

Soon, He Pingsheng arrived at the very last row of the viewing platform.

The highest row.

This row consisted entirely of VIP booths, each sealed with barriers that blocked ordinary cultivators' spiritual senses.

"All of you—out!" The Ninth Imperial Prince waved his hand, dismissing his attendants from the booth.

Inside the small, elegant room, only He Pingsheng and the Ninth Imperial Prince remained.

"Congratulations!" He Pingsheng sat calmly across from the Ninth Imperial Prince, neither humble nor arrogant: "I heard you've become Crown Prince now!"

"Hahaha…" The Ninth Imperial Prince laughed triumphantly: "Of course—if I, a true Six-Nine Tribulation cultivator, couldn't become Crown Prince, then everyone else in the imperial family must be blind!"

"Let me tell you!"

"Hehehe…"

"I'm not just Crown Prince!"

"I'm also a direct disciple personally trained by the Ancestor!"

"In the future… hehehe… in the future…"

"You get it!"

He Pingsheng said: "Thank you, Crown Prince, for that courtyard—it's excellent."

"No need to thank me," the Ninth Imperial Prince said: "Actually, I should thank you… how to put it… without you, I never would've triggered the Six-Nine Tribulation!"

???

He Pingsheng was slightly startled.

What did he mean?

He said nothing, only fixed his gaze on the Ninth Imperial Prince.

The Ninth Imperial Prince raised a finger to his lips: "Not safe to speak here—I'll use spiritual transmission."

With that, he communicated with He Pingsheng via spiritual mind-link.

"Perhaps you don't know why your initial Three-Nine Tribulation had such overwhelming power?"

"Actually… the tribulation you faced wasn't Three-Nine—it was Nine-Nine!"

"But Heaven concealed it by transferring the first six tribulations onto me."

"Otherwise, how could Liang Zhili, with his ordinary luck, have drawn down a Six-Nine Tribulation?"

As he spoke, the Ninth Imperial Prince's face showed a faint bitter smile.

He Pingsheng nodded.

He hadn't expected the Ninth Imperial Prince to know this.

"Then…" he asked Liang Zhili: "Besides you, who else knows?"

"Only me!" Liang Zhili said: "Do you think I'd dare tell anyone else?"

"If this leaked out and they found out my fortune is ordinary, my position as Crown Prince would vanish!"

"So, He Daofriend, we rise and fall together… we're…"

"Stop!" He Pingsheng waved his hand: "Don't talk nonsense. Don't worry—I won't suffer if you do. Understand the cause and effect!"

"Yes yes yes…" Liang Zhili said: "I fully understand—my status and wealth all come from your fortune's protection… so I know you'll shine brilliantly in the Nine Kingdoms Grand Competition!"

"When you break through to Nascent Soul, warn me ahead of time—we'll undergo the tribulation together!"

"Otherwise, I'll be exposed!"

The Ninth Imperial Prince looked at him with desperate hope.

He Pingsheng smiled: "Fine. But this is between you, me, Heaven, and Earth—no one else can know."

"You have my word!" the Ninth Imperial Prince said: "I'd never betray you."

"Oh, by the way—how are you planning to fight my sister?" The Ninth Imperial Prince nodded toward the outside.

He Pingsheng noticed Qinghe Princess had already taken the stage and was waiting.

He didn't answer Liang Zhili's question, but asked instead: "Do you know about the rumors?"

Qinghe had targeted him because of the rumor: "He Pingsheng rejected her."

Clearly, someone had spread it deliberately.

"No idea!" the Ninth Imperial Prince shook his head. "But besides the Thirteenth Prince, no one else would do something so pointless. And when the Ancestor said it, only you, me, and the Thirteenth Prince were present!"

"It must be him."