Son, Put Your Father To The Test (FF)

"It's said that the Seven Martial Sect was named because it was founded by seven powerful figures. Is that true?" Qin Chuan asked.

Elder Wu hesitated for a moment, then nodded, "Indeed, our Seven Martial Sect was established by seven ancestral founders."

"Do you know their identities or where they came from?" Qin Chuan continued.

"That, I do not know," Elder Wu replied with a frown. "In truth, we know very little about the seven founders because so little information has been passed down."

"The seven founders left behind many martial arts techniques and a vast amount of wealth, but they didn't lead the sect's development themselves."

"The growth of the Seven Martial Sect truly began with the disciples of those seven founders. These ancestors were extraordinarily talented and devoted themselves to the sect, gradually creating the prosperous Seven Martial Sect we know today."

"As for the seven founders, it seems that after the sect was on the right track, they simply vanished."

"Some speculate that they may have gone into seclusion, and now, after over three thousand years, they've likely long since passed away…"

Qin Chuan pondered for a moment and said, "Perhaps they're still alive. I've heard that martial artists who reach the Saint Realm can live for thousands of years."

"Haha, perhaps," Elder Wu chuckled, shaking his head, not holding out much hope. He saw it as a comforting fantasy.

Cultivation isn't easy. Throughout history, countless peerless geniuses have emerged, but how many have truly stood the test of time? Most people reach a certain point in their cultivation, then get stuck, and eventually, time catches up with them…

Qin Chuan took a sip of wine and then said, "As a newly appointed elder of the Seven Martial Sect, I'm not fully aware of the sect's resources. Would you mind sharing some insights with me, Brother Wu?"

Elder Wu hesitated briefly, then said, "Since you're also an elder of the sect, there's no harm in discussing it."

"Our Seven Martial Sect currently has over a hundred Nirvana Realm experts, and including both those known and those hidden, there are more than twenty Tongtian Realm experts. We even have several old ancestors who are in the late stages of the Tongtian Realm."

Qin Chuan's heart raced at this revelation!

The extent of the Seven Martial Sect's power far exceeded his expectations. He took a deep breath and asked, "How could there be so many?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Elder Wu replied, rolling his eyes. "The sect has been around for over three thousand years. Wouldn't it be strange if we didn't have such a deep foundation?"

"When you look at a sect, you see the thousands of young disciples and the hundred or so elders, but have you considered what happened to the peers of those elders?"

"Even accounting for those who died or left the sect, there should still be more than just a handful remaining, right?"

"Moreover, cultivators generally have long lifespans, with many generations coexisting. This only increases the numbers."

"Take my family, for instance. You might think it's just me and my grandson, but that's not the case. My son, daughter-in-law, even my father and grandfather are still alive, and their strength is not below the Nirvana Realm."

With a deep, mysterious tone, Elder Wu continued, "So you see… The strength of any faction is only partially visible; the rest is hidden beneath the surface."

Qin Chuan took a deep breath.

Then he asked, "What about the other five major sects and those ancient families that have existed for thousands of years? Are they like this too?"

"The situations vary from sect to sect. They may not be exactly on par with the Seven Martial Sect, but they're not far behind," Elder Wu replied cautiously.

"And what about the royal family?" Qin Chuan asked.

For the first time, Elder Wu's expression turned serious. In a low voice, he said, "The royal family… is terrifying. In terms of power, they are even more formidable than the six great sects combined."

"So strong?!" Qin Chuan was taken aback.

He realized he had underestimated the Jiuyang Dynasty and the royal family, which controlled thirty-six main cities with seemingly mediocre city lords.

"The royal family is the ruling power of the entire dynasty, and they control nearly a fifth of the dynasty's resources. What do you think that means?"

Elder Wu smiled bitterly, "But the real issue isn't just resources; it's the royal family itself."

"The royal family's actual surname is Yang. Two thousand years ago, they founded the dynasty with the strength of their family. Do you know what that means?"

"It means that with the power of a single family, they managed to subdue the six great sects and all the other major families and forces that had existed before them."

"To give you an idea, when the Yang family established the dynasty, they deployed three Saint Realm experts!"

"Saint Realm… That's a realm so rare that it's almost nonexistent, and they had three! Possibly more."

"And now, after more than two thousand years, the Yang family has amassed vast resources and accumulated generations of cultivation experience. Who knows how many powerful experts they've nurtured?"

Seeing Elder Wu's heavy expression, Qin Chuan tried to lighten the mood with a smile, "They may have nurtured many, but they've also lost many along the way. It's like farming for two thousand years; in the end, you only harvest this year's crop."

Elder Wu glanced at Qin Chuan and smiled wryly, "Heh, you're right. Let's hope that's the case."

In truth, he knew it wasn't as simple as that, but he could see Qin Chuan was trying to comfort him, so he didn't argue.

Qin Chuan smiled but then grew more serious, "Do you think the royal family would ever move against the six great sects?"

"Unless something significant happens, I don't think so," Elder Wu replied, shaking his head. "If the royal family is the farmer, then the Jiuyang Dynasty is their field."

"No farmer wants their field to go barren. Our factions contribute to the overall growth of the dynasty. The more experts there are, the more resources and treasures are produced."

"And as I mentioned earlier, nearly a fifth of the dynasty's resources end up in the royal family's coffers."

"To use the language of the Wanbao Chamber of Commerce, we may look like powerful sects, but in reality, we're just working for the royal family."

Qin Chuan chuckled but didn't say anything further.

He had gathered most of the information he wanted.

So, the Jiuyang Dynasty was much deeper than he had anticipated, but that discovery actually brought him a sense of excitement.

Deep waters are good.

Deep waters run rich!

…

Time passed, and a month went by.

Qin Zi excitedly told his father that his cultivation had advanced to the seventh level of the Pure Yang Realm, making him capable of easily overpowering even those at the ninth level!

But Qin Chuan wasn't as pleased.

Because he hadn't made any progress.

He realized that his own cultivation talent was rather mediocre. Reaching the eighth level of the Nirvana Realm had already pushed him beyond his potential limits.

His cultivation had been forcibly elevated by the system, like pouring concrete to build a structure—strong and unyielding, but unable to grow on its own. It would need more concrete to continue building!

The system was his concrete.

And since the incident with Wu Xiu, Qin Zi had become more cautious and less impulsive.

As a result, he hadn't caused any trouble for an entire month!

Of course, Qin Chuan saw this as a much-needed break for himself. He wasn't worried at all that his son would stop causing trouble.

Counting on the Child of Destiny to not cause trouble?

Maybe in the next life!

Finally, an exciting piece of news arrived—an ancient relic of a powerful expert had appeared on Tianmu Mountain, drawing the attention of many of the dynasty's most prominent young talents!

The Seven Martial Sect was abuzz with excitement, as many young geniuses were eager to try their luck.

It wasn't just about the opportunities within the relic, but also a chance to compete with their peers and build their confidence and reputation!

After gathering more information, Qin Chuan decisively decided that Qin Zi should go. After all… he had already set the stage.