The Lu Clan strictly forbade marriage between immediate kin, yet even among distant relatives, taboos remained. It was precisely because Lu Yungge was distantly related that he had been chosen as a potential husband for Lu Hanyan back then.

However, in this moment, he was destined to be the one who benefited the least from the situation. That Lu Yungge seemed utterly unconcerned; far from being angered, he almost let out a choked laugh: "Does my ranking, Lu Yungge's ranking, really require the likes of you, Lu Daoyan, to worry?

Furthermore—" His speech trailed off, and Lu Yungge’s gaze slanted over, chillingly sharp. "Even if your position, Lu Daoyan, surpasses mine.

I wonder, little brother Yan, if you can keep that seat of Crown Prince firmly secured?" Lu Daoyan raised an eyebrow, feeling that icy stare pierce his very soul like a blade. It was almost tangible, twisting his insides into knots.

After a moment of intense scrutiny, Lu Yungge’s gaze finally softened. "Don't let some 'accident' happen when you go out one day, resulting in your demise!

You should be quite accustomed to such matters, Brother Daoyan. In the past few centuries of the Burning Sky Holy Court, have the direct lineage descendants who perished been few?" Lu Daoyan’s chest tightened, followed by a surge of violent rage.

"You dare speak to me like that!" These words were practically a **blatant threat. But before his furious denunciation could continue, Lu Yungge’s cold laughter cut him off again.

"The favored son of heaven in the past has now fallen to the point where maintaining a position in the top five is a struggle. I know you harbor resentment and refuse to accept my standing.

However, Lu Daoyan, if you must blame someone, blame your own lineage for having too few capable individuals and no successors. And then blame that slut, Lu Hanyan!" Lu Daoyan felt a suffocating pressure in his chest, his eyes turning blood-red, as if endless hatred had accumulated there.

Lu Yungge was unwilling to let him off so easily, stating lightly: "Cousin Daoyan, since you are already a stray dog cast out, you should know your place better and refrain from barking randomly. Know that a person’s patience is finite.

Perhaps one day in anger, I might just slaughter this masterless dog to gain some peace. Wouldn't that be logical, wouldn't it?" He continued: "Your current status is hard-won, so it’s best not to provoke this Lord with trivial matters.

To put it more bluntly, if I ordered one of my subordinates right now to kill you, Lu Daoyan, who in the Burning Sky Holy Court could possibly hold me accountable? The Burning Sky Saint Emperor who is about to abdicate?

Yes, that person is your only current reliance. But if that person cannot even protect his own sole granddaughter, how can he possibly protect you, Lu Daoyan?" Lu Daoyan trembled violently, his face ashen, nearly speechless.

Lu Yungge, meanwhile, burst into loud laughter, a wild, unrestrained glee radiating from him. If one day he could attain the seat of the Saint Emperor and grasp ultimate power, he would dedicate his entire life to ensuring that the Lu Beiwu lineage would never rise again!

He would make that slut suffer every torment before death! These thoughts remained locked within his heart, never uttered, never to be spoken aloud.

In the next instant, a thought stirred in Lu Yungge’s mind as he looked down toward the pavilion below. Countless eyes were now fixed upon the stone stele.

The light and shadow surrounding the Burning Sky Saint Stele gradually faded, and the lingering crimson mist within finally began to solidify. At the bottom of the stele, characters slowly emerged.

Lu Yungge’s heart clenched; even with his deep composure, a thread of tension surfaced. In truth, he shouldn't have spoken those words to Lu Daoyan just now, nor should he have bothered with such sarcasm.

But today’s unforeseen events had truly put everyone on edge, shattering his usual calm. For some reason, ever since he learned a few days ago that someone might advance to the purest bloodline of the Lu Clan, a restlessness had settled upon him.

He felt a profound strangeness about the matter. Despite making inquiries everywhere, he could not discover the identity of this person who had suddenly risen, possessing the pure blood of Burning Sky.

There had been no prior indication, nor any rumor of such a gifted individual within the clan. Could they have simply sprung from a rock?

Pondering endlessly yielded no answer. Lu Yungge shook his head slightly and returned his gaze to the stele.

The first name had now appeared on the stone slab. "Lu Xichen?" Lu Yungge murmured the name, then frowned again.

This name felt somewhat unfamiliar. It was not one of the original forty-nine candidates for the Crown Prince!

Then, one name after another surfaced, all belonging to people he had never encountered before. He might have faintly heard of some, but based on their Burning Sky bloodline and innate talent, they shouldn't have qualified for the Crown Prince selection.

Was this due to the Bloodline Regression this time? Beside him, Lu Daoyan had calmed down.

He smiled silently: "It seems there are many candidates for the Crown Prince this time. The number likely far exceeds forty-nine.

Such a grand scene has only occurred once in seven thousand years. I imagine the Sovereign of Xuanhua and Cousin will have their hands full in the coming days." Lu Yungge understood the implication; his expression turned incredibly cold.

When there were few candidates previously, the Sovereigns and Elders could easily suppress them. The eventual positions of the eight Sovereigns under the Burning Sky Saint Emperor were always kept within the control of those few senior figures.

However, with the sudden surge in competition now, things became tricky. As long as one was a member of the Burning Sky Lu Family, who lacked ambition?

To be selected as a Crown Prince meant possessing influence and status within the Burning Sky Holy Court. It was likely that after today, the Holy Court would undergo a massive upheaval and reshuffling before stability was reestablished.

Yet, among the previous top nine Crown Prince candidates, Lu Daoyan’s position was the most precarious. He was the most likely to be cast out.

And yet, he still had the leisure to needle him with words? Truly laughable!

Unfathomable. As for Lu Yungge, his twenty years of maneuvering had solidified his foundation in the Holy Court; he had six or seven Venerable Elders who could be leveraged.

How could those newly ascended individuals easily shake him? Too lazy to reply, Lu Yungge continued watching.

After sixty names had appeared on the stele, a familiar name finally showed up. "The Crown Prince candidates are not seventy-seven, but one hundred and eight?" This thought flashed through his mind, but Lu Yungge immediately felt that something was still amiss.

Yet, he couldn't recall precisely what felt wrong. Meanwhile, Lu Daoyan beside him tensed up, his fists clenched tightly, as if struggling fiercely to control his emotions.

It seemed he too sensed something— Lu Yungge had no intention of asking him and remained silent. Below the pavilion, a clamor of voices erupted, all shocked by the sudden change in the Crown Prince selections.

However, apart from the newly added names, there weren't many other shifts among the established candidates. They were all descendants with relatively close direct blood to the Lu Family; the benefits reaped from the Bloodline Regression were mostly comparable.

The blood patterns on the stele swiftly reached the very top layer of the monument. Now everyone knew the crucial moment had arrived: the ranking of the top nine Crown Prince candidates.

Breaths were held across the area, and the chaotic chatter quieted down completely. Even Lu Yungge and Lu Daoyan focused their expressions, tension gleaming in their eyes.

"Lu Junyu, Lu Gaoge, Lu Mingyang—" As these names gathered, Lu Yungge started in surprise. He wondered, how could this be?

In his estimation, even if someone rose to seize the position of the first Crown Prince of the Holy Court, the top nine would simply shift downwards; perhaps one person would drop out of the top nine. But at this very moment, two individuals had been excluded, falling outside the crucial nine slots.

At this juncture, a collective 'hummm' resonated throughout the Ancestral Temple grounds. Streams of powerful auras materialized, and more than a dozen vast spiritual senses permeated the heavens.

On the surrounding pavilions, everyone qualified to occupy a seat in those chambers rose abruptly, their eyes filled with disbelief. Lu Yungge also clenched his silver teeth until they cracked audibly.

Countless thoughts, countless conjectures flashed through his mind, yet none provided a clear answer. Seventh, Sixth— Two more names manifested upon the tablet.

A flicker of surprise reappeared in Lu Yungge’s eyes. Why weren't the seventh and sixth positions Lu Daoyan’s?

Could it be that this weakling hadn't even made it onto the list of Crown Prince candidates this time? A peripheral glance caught sight of the wretch beside him wearing a face full of smiles.

What was he so smug about? Just as Lu Yungge was racking his brain in confusion, another name was etched onto the pinnacle of the stele.

"Lu Yungge—" Slightly stunned, Lu Yungge’s eyes filled with bewilderment. Why was he ranked fifth?

Even if his position had dropped, it should have been fourth, not fifth! His gaze turned razor-sharp, wishing he could pierce the stone tablet with his eyes, only to see the three crimson characters of 'Lu Daoyan' positioned directly above his own name.

His composure shattered again, and Lu Yungge couldn't help but grind his teeth. How could this idiot possess such virtue and merit to jump past three people and rank above him, Lu Yungge?

"Cousin Yungge! Have you perhaps noticed that those who have risen in rank this time are mostly descendants of the Yan Yuan Saint Venerable’s lineage?" Lu Daoyan’s voice sounded again beside him, but without the almost pathological resentment from before.

"Among these newly entered Crown Prince candidates, my Yan Yuan lineage accounts for a full thirty percent! The rest are mostly those closely related to the Burning Sky Saint Emperor?" Lu Yungge was initially perplexed, but then his pupils contracted sharply.

It was true! Looking at the rankings on the tablet confirmed exactly what Lu Daoyan had said!

No wonder he had vaguely sensed something strange and wrong. A subtle change flickered across his face, and Lu Yungge forcefully suppressed his shock, a murderous intent erupting within his heart.

So what? It would just take a little more effort.

How could he, Lu Yungge, tolerate any chance for the Lu Beiwu lineage to gain prominence? The Sovereign of Xuanhua had deeply offended him years ago and surely would not stand idly by!

Lu Daoyan chuckled again: "Do you also know what this implies? The one possessing the World-Burning Eye must either be a descendant of the Yan Yuan Saint Venerable or someone extremely close in relation—" Even as he spoke, the name for the third-ranked Crown Prince appeared: 'Lu Huanxiao'.

Seeing this name, neither of them felt surprised. This individual was already the original first-ranked Crown Prince.

But they grew increasingly curious about the two names below him. In less than one thousandth of a breath, another name solidified on the sacred stele.

Lu Hanyan— As this name materialized, Lu Yungge’s heart gave a violent jolt, and the railing before him shattered under his grip. How could the second Crown Prince be her?

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