While the rest of the continent panicked, the Han Empire—the Lu family's best ally—was throwing a party.

  Emperor Han Ruizong sat with his eldest daughter, Han Yuxin, looking over a shipment of Spirit Pills destined for Luòtiān. "Excellent. If the Lu Empire has a new powerhouse, our borders are safer than ever. I was worried Lu Tian would never find a successor as 'brave' as him."

  Han Yuxin, the Soul and Mind Arts expert, blushed a deep crimson, her fan fluttering at a speed that could kill a fly. She wasn't thinking about Lu Xian. She was thinking about Lu Xian’s eldest brother, Lu Tianhao.

  If Tianhao-Gege is happy about his little brother taking the throne, she thought, her heart racing, maybe he’ll have more time to... to look at my new calligraphy? No, that’s too bold! I should just send him a very polite poem about the weather.

  Far deeper in the Han Palace, in a "Safe House" protected by ancient formations and Lu Empire guardians, a four-year-old girl sat in a garden that shouldn't exist.

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  This was Han Tianyin.

  She possessed the Heaven-Silent Dao Resonance. Around her, butterflies didn't just fly; they danced in perfect patterns. The Qi in the air didn't just flow; it sang.

  Her older brothers had just told her the story of the "Sneeze Prince."

  "So, he’s like me?" Tianyin whispered, her voice carrying a frequency that made the nearby Spirit Trees bloom instantly. "Tied to a cage because the world is too loud?"

  She looked toward the direction of the Lu Empire. Her soul, naturally aligned with the laws of the universe, felt a strange, tugging sensation. Most people felt like "waves" in the Dao. But the boy they described... he felt like the Ocean itself.

  "Lu Xian," she murmured, a small, otherworldly smile touching her lips. "I hope you like ducks. My brothers say you talk about them a lot."

  Back in the Lu Palace, Lu Xian suddenly felt a cold shiver down his spine. It wasn't the "assassination" kind of shiver. It was the "my life just got 10x more complicated" kind of shiver.

  "Mother," Lu Xian said, tugging on Hu Wan’s robes. "I have a bad feeling. Can we move to a different continent? I hear the Abyssal Continent is lovely this time of year."

  "Don't be silly, Xian-er," his mother laughed, hugging him. "You have a big future ahead of you! In fact, your father is already planning your first diplomatic meeting with the Han princess!"

  Lu Xian face-planted into the floor. The Shark is dead. Long live the Bait.