Son, Put Your Father To The Test (FF)

Xuanwu Sect was one of the subordinate forces of the Jiang family and considered a top-tier power in the Eastern Domain. The strongest cultivator in the sect had reached the Eighth Heavenly Layer Saint Realm.

On this particular day, Xuanwu Sect welcomed a mysterious guest, a man cloaked in black, with an aura so deep and impenetrable that neither the elders, sect master, nor even the ancestors could discern his cultivation. As a result, they dared not show any disrespect.

Ultimately, the sect's most powerful elder, an Eighth Heavenly Layer Saint, personally stepped forward to greet the guest. Yet, even he couldn't see through this mysterious figure's cultivation, and so his attitude became even more reverent.

Could this be a Ninth Heavenly Layer powerhouse?!

"Honored senior, we are deeply humbled by your visit to Xuanwu Sect. How may we assist you?" The old ancestor of Xuanwu Sect, Xuanwu Patriarch, personally offered Qin Chuan tea within the sect's forbidden valley, showing great courtesy as he spoke.

"I have something that may interest you," Qin Chuan said calmly, his voice deep and authoritative, filtered through the effects of the Mysterious Black Cloak.

"Oh? And what might that be?" Xuanwu Patriarch straightened, his curiosity piqued.

"See for yourself." Qin Chuan produced the Recording Stone, which floated into the air, projecting the scene of Qin Zi wielding the imperial weapon.

"An imperial weapon!" Xuanwu Patriarch leaped to his feet, his eyes glowing with fervor. But quickly, he composed himself, his excitement giving way to caution. He took a deep breath and said gravely, "Senior, while an imperial weapon is priceless, I fear that our Xuanwu Sect is not in a position to handle such a treasure. I'm unsure what it is you expect from us."

"Heh, I'm not here to tell you about this young man's imperial weapon so that you can go after it," Qin Chuan chuckled, shaking his head. "If that were the case, I might as well take it for myself. After all, whatever reward you could offer would never match the value of the weapon."

"Then what is it you're proposing?" Xuanwu Patriarch frowned, unsure of Qin Chuan's intentions.

Qin Chuan smiled and said, "This young man possesses an imperial weapon, but his identity is rather special. I don't dare take the risk of claiming it myself, and you, bound by your sect's interests, probably wouldn't risk it either."

"I've come today to sell you this stone. You can then sell it to your superiors—the Jiang family."

Xuanwu Patriarch remained silent for a moment before asking, "What's so special about this young man's identity?"

"His name is Qin Zi, son of Qin Chuan," Qin Chuan replied.

"What?!" The old man's eyes lit up. His breathing quickened as he stared at the recording stone, his gaze burning with intensity.

Now, he understood the value of this stone.

Qin Zi wielded an imperial weapon! This piece of information, backed by solid evidence, would undoubtedly delight the Jiang family.

After all, the Jiang family harbored enmity toward Qin Zi. However, due to Qin Zi's father, the notorious Qin Chuan, the Jiang family hadn't dared to take action against him. But with this evidence in hand, they could simply spread the news and let others do the dirty work, getting Qin Zi killed without lifting a finger!

Moreover, if Qin Zi were killed for his treasure, Qin Chuan wouldn't be able to accuse the Jiang family of anything. After all, it wouldn't be slander; it would be the truth. Qin Zi was simply too weak to hold onto such a valuable treasure—there would be no grounds to blame the Jiang family.

Additionally, after Qin Zi's death, Qin Chuan would undoubtedly hunt down the treasure-seekers. Through this, the Jiang family might be able to gauge the true extent of Qin Chuan's strength. And if the treasure hunters were strong enough, they might even manage to fatally injure Qin Chuan in the process!

In that case, the Jiang family could reap the rewards. They could rid themselves of the dangerous Qin Chuan, secure the imperial weapon, and avoid lifting a finger.

Killing Qin Zi.

Testing Qin Chuan.

Claiming the imperial weapon.

It was a triple victory!

The value of the recording stone to the Jiang family was beyond measure. Although Xuanwu Patriarch didn't fancy himself a master strategist, he could easily see that selling this information to the Jiang family would bring immense benefits.

Of course, there was a gamble involved. The Jiang family might receive the stone, offer some hollow praise, and leave it at that. But even if it were a gamble, the opportunity was too tempting to pass up. Such chances don't come often!

Taking a deep breath, Xuanwu Patriarch looked seriously at Qin Chuan and asked, "Senior, name your price. I'll do my best to meet it."

Qin Chuan seemed to have already prepared his response. Without hesitation, he said, "I've heard that your sect's Xuanwu Gold Crystals are sacred materials for crafting weapons. How about this? Just give me ten blocks of those—not too many."

Xuanwu Patriarch's face twitched. "Senior, the Xuanwu Gold Crystals are forged from countless rare materials using our ancestral secret techniques, and they form extremely slowly. It takes a hundred years just to produce a single block…"

"I know. I've done my research," Qin Chuan replied calmly.

"Senior, each block of Xuanwu Gold Crystal is worth a fortune. Just one could be traded for a top-tier Supreme Saint Weapon!" Xuanwu Patriarch's voice was hoarse, his expression pained.

"I know. I've looked into it." Qin Chuan nodded.

"Senior, do you know—"

Xuanwu Patriarch tried to protest further, but Qin Chuan cut him off mid-sentence, raising a hand decisively. "I don't care to know. Do you agree or not? Just one word."

With that, he stood up slowly, holding the recording stone as though he were about to leave. "If you're unwilling, I can always go elsewhere. After all, Jinyun Sect's Jinyun Lotus Roots, Zizhu Sect's Seven-Star Purple Bamboo, and Heavenfire Mountain's Heavenfire Crystals are all valuable resources too."

Qin Chuan listed off several sects, each one a powerful organization under the Jiang family's influence, all renowned for their rare materials.

"Deal!!" Xuanwu Patriarch shouted, panicking at the mention of these rival sects. He couldn't bear the thought of losing out to them in this opportunity. After all, they were all competing for favor under the Jiang family's banner, and Xuanwu Sect couldn't afford to fall behind.

They had to be the Jiang family's top ally!

"Wise choice." Qin Chuan grinned, casually handing over the recording stone to Xuanwu Patriarch.

The old man carefully stowed away the precious stone, then reluctantly produced ten blazing gold crystals, handing them to Qin Chuan with a pained expression, almost unable to look as he passed them over.

These were the Xuanwu Gold Crystals.

Each block took a hundred years to produce, and one could be exchanged for a top-tier weapon like the Azure Lotus Sword!

Looking at the ten gold crystals, Qin Chuan hesitated for a moment. Should he pull out his big black weapon and take the rest of the old man's stash too?

Surely, the old man had more left.

But then Qin Chuan quickly dismissed the idea.

He couldn't do that!

If he did, word would spread to the other sects, and how would he manage to scam them next?

Besides, judging by the old man's pained expression, even if there were more, it wouldn't be much—maybe just three or five blocks at most.

The pain on someone's face after losing their last house is very different from the pain of losing a bicycle, and Qin Chuan had studied this thoroughly.

So, for now, he wouldn't rob him!

If he didn't rob the old man, he probably wouldn't alert the other sects under the Jiang family's control, leaving Qin Chuan free to continue harvesting from the rest…

"Pleasure doing business with you." Qin Chuan smiled, taking the ten heavy blocks of Xuanwu Gold Crystal, then left Xuanwu Sect in high spirits.

Next up: Jinyun Sect!

He had already mapped out his route, ensuring he would harvest each sect one by one, leaving none behind.