Son, Put Your Father To The Test (FF)

"Not taking me seriously?"

The red-haired elder paused for a moment, then coldly said, "Who do you think you are? Watch as I capture you!"

As soon as he finished speaking, his body transformed into a streak of rainbow light, rushing toward Qin Chuan at a speed akin to teleportation.

But in the very next moment, his body, accompanied by a pillar of light, was sent flying backward, smashing through a wall and soaring toward the sky.

Whoosh!

Not only that, but a figure followed closely behind, appearing in the elder's flight path above him. In a swift move, the figure kicked him back toward the ground.

Boom!

A terrifying shockwave spread outward, like a tsunami ravaging the land, destroying several surrounding palaces.

Dust billowed.

When the dust finally settled, a large crater was revealed on the ground. The red-haired elder knelt on one knee, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, his face contorted with rage.

"You... you!!"

He slowly lifted his head, gritting his teeth as he glared at Qin Chuan, hatred burning in his eyes.

His pride and confidence had crumbled in an instant. Just moments ago, he had been looking down from a lofty height, but now he found himself being looked down upon.

The drastic change in fortune had happened too quickly, and he struggled to accept it.

"Is that the extent of your strength?" Qin Chuan gazed down at him and said calmly, "If so, I'm not sure where your confidence comes from."

"You!!"

The red-haired elder was infuriated, but he had no words to counter. His heart burned with resentment, his desire to kill as fierce as a raging fire.

At this moment, Zhou Cang was equally astonished—Qin Chuan's power had clearly been at the fourth level of the Saint Realm before. Zhou Cang had sensed it clearly, without any doubt.

Yet now, Qin Chuan was undeniably at the sixth level of the Saint Realm, and his combat prowess was even greater than Zhou Cang's own!

This...

"He was hiding his strength before! Perhaps, even what he's showing now isn't the full extent of his power!"

In an instant, Zhou Cang arrived at the conclusion.

Coupling this with Qin Chuan's unwavering confidence, Zhou Cang was convinced that this man was no ordinary figure.

"This man is unfathomable and exudes a mysterious aura. He must be someone extraordinary. And with the favor he has done for my family, this could be the opportunity our lineage has been waiting for!"

After a brief moment of weighing the pros and cons, Zhou Cang made up his mind—he would go to any lengths to maintain a good relationship with Qin Chuan.

This was a massive investment, and if it paid off, not only their branch but potentially the entire Zhou family could benefit greatly in the future!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Not long after, three beams of powerful light shot up into the sky, as if they had erupted from deep within the earth.

Within each beam stood an elder, each one unique in appearance, but all radiating the overwhelming pressure of the Saint Realm.

"Who dares cause trouble in my Zhou family?"

The red-haired elder quickly lifted his head and shouted, "Esteemed elders, this man is wreaking havoc in our family with complete disregard for us! Please, suppress him!"

Whoosh!

Instantly, three pairs of piercing eyes focused on Qin Chuan, and he felt an immense pressure weighing down on him, making it difficult to breathe.

These three were clearly at the eighth or even ninth level of the Saint Realm.

However...

You may be strong, but like a gentle breeze brushing a mountain, you can't move me!

Qin Chuan was not someone who would bow to pressure, no matter how powerful. His head could be severed, his blood could flow, but his pride would never be broken!

With that in mind, he calmly circulated his power, resisting the overwhelming force, straightening his posture, and maintaining an expression of serene indifference.

He wasn't worried about losing.

Because... Zhou Cang was right there.

Sure enough, Zhou Cang stepped in front of Qin Chuan, bowed respectfully to the three elders, and said, "Esteemed elders, this is a guest of the Zhou family, not an enemy."

"The earlier incident was merely a dispute between my branch and the second elder's. Such trivial matters can be settled among us juniors. There's no need to trouble the revered elders."

Hearing this, the three elders exchanged glances, nodded in agreement, and vanished.

These elders were figures from the Zhou family's previous generations, and unless external threats loomed, they seldom involved themselves in family affairs.

After all, each branch had its own elder, and any involvement would risk igniting conflict between them, potentially tearing the family apart.

"Honored elders!"

The red-haired elder shouted, unwilling to accept the outcome.

But Zhou Cang quickly said, "Second elder, I have already decided about the Phoenix Fire Nest's slot. If you continue to oppose this, others might start questioning the Zhou family's honor, thinking we don't repay our debts."

"Hmph!!"

The red-haired elder grunted angrily, but he knew the matter had already been settled.

In truth, he had only come to stir up trouble, but instead of finding tea, he ended up swallowing bitter medicine.

Continuing to argue would only make him look foolish.

However, his hatred for Qin Chuan and Qin Zi didn't lessen. Especially that brat—how dare a mere insect like him insult him? It was simply intolerable!

"The Phoenix Fire Nest, eh... I'll let you enter, but I'm afraid you won't leave it alive!"

He chuckled coldly in his heart, already planning to have the younger members of his branch deal with the brat inside the Phoenix Fire Nest.

His branch had four spots for the Phoenix Fire Nest, filled by talents who had already broken through to the Heaven-Tier Realm.

Among them was his grandson, Zhou Shang, a prodigious talent who had reached the third level of the Heaven-Tier Realm at the age of twenty-one, unmatched in his generation.

Zhou Shang was hailed as the Zhou family's number one genius!

With his grandson's strength, along with the assistance of the other three talents, killing a mere second-level Heaven-Tier brat would be effortless.

Soon, the red-haired elder left with his followers.

Qin Chuan, meanwhile, smiled courteously and said, "Brother Zhou, I must thank you for your kindness, but that slot must have cost you a considerable amount of resources, no?"

"Not at all."

Zhou Cang waved his hand and laughed, "That slot actually belonged to Zhou Mo, so I didn't need to expend any resources. After all, taking something from my own son is only natural, isn't it?"

He glanced affectionately at his son. "Besides, it was his own idea."

Qin Chuan was a bit surprised.

This kid really knows how to be considerate? He must have had quite the epiphany!

"What?!"

But Qin Zi, on the other hand, was flustered and stammered, "No, Zhou Mo, I can't take your spot! Thank you for your kindness, but I can't take what belongs to you. A gentleman doesn't steal another's treasures, I... I..."

The usually sharp-tongued Qin Zi, who could spit verbal fire with a caliber of a hundred millimeters, was now tongue-tied.

"Hehe, Brother Qin Zi, don't overthink it. Giving you the slot isn't just to thank you, I have my own reasons."

Zhou Mo smiled mysteriously and said, "Ever since my awakening, I've realized I need to master many basic skills, like formations, footwork, and illusions... So I can't wait to start my secluded cultivation."

"I don't have time for the Phoenix Fire Nest, so I'll let you go in my place. After all, we're brothers who've been through life and death together—no need to let good things go to waste."

Qin Zi gradually calmed down.

He thought for a moment and realized Zhou Mo had a point.

He understood well the urgency someone felt after finding their true path, the burning desire to improve.

He hadn't known these things before, but his master had once explained it to him.

His master said that when one steps onto their path, they are driven with such fervor that they may even forget basic needs, like bathing, for an entire month...

His master had said:

"The strength of the Dao isn't necessarily in its inherent power, but in the way it fills your heart with an unstoppable force."

"When you pursue cultivation as a stepping stone on the path to understanding the Dao, everything becomes easier, as if the heavens themselves are guiding you toward clarity."

Just like Master Pang Qi.

He had never understood formations, but once he embarked on the path of tomb raiding and encountered countless burial formations, he had a desperate need to learn them. In his pursuit, he mastered them with incredible speed...

"Then, thank you."

Finally, Qin Zi said gratefully.

Opportunities like this, when offered sincerely, were meant to be taken. He rarely found himself in a situation where he couldn't accept something.

Except, perhaps, that one time when Sister Qingrou left, and things didn't quite go as planned.