Son, Put Your Father To The Test (FF)

"So, you're saying… you want to help me regain my peak strength? Aren't you afraid that once I recover, I'll kill you both?" the old man asked, his voice filled with suspicion.

"Heh, you don't pose a threat to me," Qin Chuan responded dismissively. Then, with a calculating smile, he suggested, "Why don't we make a bet?"

"A bet?" The old man frowned.

"I'll help you recover your cultivation. If you can defeat me once you've returned to your peak, I'll accept my fate without complaint. But if you're still no match for me, then you will become my servant," Qin Chuan stated calmly.

"Hah! What a bold appetite you have!" The old man sneered, then coldly said, "Since you're so eager to throw your life away, I'll take the bet. What do I have to lose?"

"Good!" Qin Chuan smiled, satisfied.

To be honest, he didn't take this bet seriously at all, nor did he believe the old man would honor his word. The real reason for this was to give himself a reason to go along with this, to prevent his son from thinking he was simply toying with danger for the fun of it.

"What do you need? Just say it," Qin Chuan asked, his tone implying that he was willing to provide whatever was necessary.

The old man pondered for a moment before snorting, "I've been trapped here for years, and these strange chains have been slowly draining my essence, almost to the point where I'm running on empty. If you could break these chains, that would be ideal."

"But I know you won't, whether you can or not."

He paused before continuing, "How about this—get me some elixirs to replenish my essence, and some spirit stones, as many as you can."

Qin Chuan chuckled. "Sorry, but I'm quite poor at the moment. I don't have many possessions to my name."

"You!!" The old man felt he was being mocked.

But Qin Chuan continued, "However, if I set my mind to it, gathering those things shouldn't be too difficult… Just be patient."

With a knowing look, Qin Chuan flashed a meaningful smile at the old man before taking Qin Zi and flying out of the pit.

As soon as they emerged, Qin Zi couldn't hold back his curiosity any longer and asked, "Dad, do you really trust him? What if he breaks his promise?"

Qin Chuan looked down at his son and smiled. "Then I'll just kill him."

Uh…

Qin Zi was momentarily speechless before he managed to ask, "If you don't trust him, why help him recover his strength?"

Qin Chuan shrugged. "Ah, life is too boring… Finding some entertainment isn't such a bad idea, right?"

Qin Zi fell silent.

He pursed his lips as he realized he had been overlooking something important—his father was lonely.

They say the strongest are often the loneliest.

True power comes with vast knowledge and experiences, which often makes life seem devoid of surprises or joy.

"After seeing the seas, it's hard to be impressed by mere rivers."

What others might consider monumental events meant little to his father, and what others might find breathtakingly beautiful, his father saw as nothing special.

This world, to his father, was too dull, too ordinary, with nothing left to look forward to.

And because he stood so high above others, it was nearly impossible for him to find equals—real friends—because so few could even come close to his level.

"Turns out, I haven't been caring for my father enough," Qin Zi thought, guilt and self-reproach flooding his heart. He realized he hadn't been a good son.

"What are you thinking? Let's go."

Qin Chuan reached out and pulled Qin Zi close, the two walking side by side as they talked.

"Ask your master if he has any spare pill recipes. If so, I'll register a few more and exchange them for resources… If not, then it's fine."

"He will!"

…

Later that day, Qin Chuan made another trip to the imperial capital.

His destination was the Alchemist Association, where he planned to purchase a batch of essence-replenishing elixirs and check on the earnings from his three pill recipes.

As soon as he arrived at the Alchemist Association, he was surrounded by a group of alchemists, their eyes burning with excitement. Some of the younger alchemists even approached him with flattering words, addressing him as "Master Qin" with a level of respect that bordered on obsequiousness.

When he finally met with Grandmaster Pang Qi, Qin Chuan learned just how much money his three pill recipes had made in the past few months—it was staggering!

The Breakthrough Pill alone sold for a million spirit stones per pill, yet people were scrambling to buy it. In a short time, over four hundred pills had been sold.

The Rising Sun Pill, well, any man would understand its value. The more powerful a person was, the less they could tolerate any deficiencies.

This was a pill that could restore a man's vigor permanently, with no side effects. In any world, men would sell everything they had to buy it!

And the Longevity Pill? The price could go as high as they wanted.

Some families, on the brink of collapse and relying on an aging elder to hold things together, would spare no expense to keep that elder alive just a few more years, giving the next generation time to grow into their roles. In some cases, they were willing to spend half their family's wealth—centuries of accumulated resources, worth a small fortune.

According to the rules of the Alchemist Association, Qin Chuan would receive roughly half of these staggering profits, which was nothing short of terrifying.

He had now become the wealthiest "master" in the Alchemist Association, surpassing even the association's president in wealth.

As Qin Chuan's wealth grew at a breakneck pace, people were shocked to discover that a large tomb had appeared just a hundred miles outside the imperial capital!

However…

The tomb seemed to have been looted. Every item inside had been searched for and taken, leaving it cleaner than a dog's gnawed bone.

Even the corpse within the tomb had been stripped bare and tossed aside, and the coffin lid had been hauled off by the grave robber.

Thorough doesn't even begin to describe it!

Qin Chuan took all the earnings from his three pill recipes and converted them into essence-replenishing elixirs and spiritual herbs.

The sheer volume of these elixirs could not only help the old demon in the pit recover his strength—it could practically kill him from overconsumption!

Before he left, under the astonished gazes of the alchemists, he casually handed over three more pill recipes.

This time, they were sixth-grade recipes…

"Scoundrel!!!!!!"

That night, anguished screams echoed throughout the Alchemist Association, like the desperate wails of defeated dogs.

It was said that if not for the revered status and strict rules of the alchemist profession, a certain madman would never have made it out of the capital alive!

This was outright robbery.

It was as if the entire Alchemist Association—from the president down to the lowest-ranked alchemists—had been working day and night to collect herbs, refine pills, and fleece their customers, all just to line this scoundrel's pockets!

But there was nothing they could do. The rules were the rules, and to be fair, Qin Chuan had brought them considerable profits as well.

The real losers here were the ones buying the pills.

The sheep that provided the wool.

But in truth, these "fat sheep" were more than willing to be sheared. After all, if losing their wool could save their lives, they would happily give it up!

Of course, Qin Chuan didn't concern himself with any of this. He had never paid much attention to the Alchemist Association.

To him, the Alchemist Association was just an ATM. Whenever he needed something, he would make a withdrawal. When he didn't need anything, he couldn't care less about the place.

He moved quickly, returning to the Seven Martial Sect by midday.

On his way back, he made a point to stop by the collapsed mountain he had passed earlier. The cackling demon from before was nowhere to be seen.

The ruins were strewn with shattered runes and broken sealing pillars, looking ancient and mysterious. It seemed this demon wasn't simple.

"Hmm, I'll have to be more cautious with the Hellfire Lotus technique. It might be better for Qin Zi to use it instead."

The last time he had used the Hellfire Lotus to ambush the cackling demon, it had created a grudge that needed to be passed on to his dear son!