Son, Put Your Father To The Test (FF)

Boom!

Hearing those condescending and cold words, Qin Zi's temper immediately flared. His expression turned icy as his anger erupted.

In that moment, his demeanor shifted from someone trying to keep the peace to someone who feared nothing and no one!

There was a limit to how much he could endure.

And he had reached it!

Staring at the young man, Qin Zi coldly retorted, "Turn a deaf ear to you? And who do you think you are?!"

"Hmm?"

The young man was clearly surprised. In his eyes, Qin Zi was no better than an insect, so how dare this lowly creature defy him? His gaze sharpened with a chilling glare. "Are you sure... you're seeking death?"

Whoosh!

The young man stood up from the Spirit Pool. His presence exploded outward like a dragon breaking free from the sea or a lion awakening from slumber. A tremendous pressure surged toward Qin Zi.

His cultivation level was at the Nirvana Realm, Seventh Layer!

Despite his youth—only in his early twenties—this level of cultivation was truly extraordinary, at least within the Nine Suns Kingdom.

"Third Brother, this person was invited here by our ancestor. If you make a move, you'll face severe punishment," Crown Prince Yang Qitian spoke up.

"Heh, you useless waste. You lost to this insect and disgraced the royal family. You still dare lecture me?" sneered the Third Prince, Yang Shengtian, as he turned to glare at the Crown Prince.

"You!"

Yang Qitian's eyes blazed with anger.

"What? If you're unhappy, feel free to challenge me. Let's see how long you can last against me!" Yang Shengtian mocked, his voice dripping with contempt.

However, beneath that scorn, there was something else in his eyes—an emotion that was hard to define. Was it jealousy? Or perhaps resentment?

"Third Brother, why must you speak to our eldest brother with such harshness? Even if you're recognized as the royal family's number one genius, you should still understand the importance of respect for your elders," the Second Princess, Yang Wanying, interjected calmly.

"Heh, dear Second Sister, you'd do well to keep quiet. The words I spoke to our elder brother apply just as well to you!" Yang Shengtian scoffed coldly, casting her a disdainful glance.

The Second Princess merely glanced at him briefly, showing no sign of anger. She continued speaking, "Do as you wish, but let me remind you—if you damage this Spirit Pool, which has been passed down through the family for two thousand years, you won't be able to bear the consequences."

Whoosh!

Yang Shengtian's expression stiffened upon hearing this.

She was right!

The Spirit Pool had been a family treasure for two millennia, and it could only be used once every ten years. It was crucial for enhancing the strength of the family's top talents and held immense value. Destroying the pool was akin to committing an unforgivable crime.

Even the emperor wouldn't be spared for damaging it.

After weighing the consequences, Yang Shengtian turned to Qin Zi and threatened, "Leave the Spirit Pool now, and I'll forgive your earlier disrespect. Otherwise... once you leave this pool, you'll regret it."

"Heh, idiot," Qin Zi sneered in response, unwilling to pay him any more attention. He sat down cross-legged in the Spirit Pool and began cultivating.

Leave the pool?

Outside the pool, I'm supposed to fear you?

Not only you—bring your father, your grandfather, and even your great-grandfather! I'll still jump up and punch their knees!

…

Time passed swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, two days had gone by.

Qin Chuan, after sitting outside the stone forest for a day, began to feel bored and decided to explore the mountain.

Nine Suns Mountain was vast.

It housed many special areas, such as valleys filled with rare spiritual herbs and cliffs inscribed with murals and carvings left by martial artists of the past. In some places, even broken sword hilts were embedded in the rocks!

It seemed that the bald elder had given instructions beforehand, as Qin Chuan encountered no resistance during his exploration.

This mountain, considered sacred and off-limits to most, was now open for him to roam freely.

When he casually picked a few spiritual herbs without anyone stopping him, his confidence grew...

Before long, he had stripped two valleys bare of their precious herbs.

During his activities, he felt someone watching him, but no one came forward to stop him. What did this mean?

It meant these treasures were gifts!

And only a fool would refuse a gift.

Qin Chuan reasoned that the royal family had already decided to go all out to win him over. Otherwise, they wouldn't have taken the risk of bringing him here.

And he had to admit—this approach worked on him!

If people showed him kindness, he would return it manyfold.

If the royal family ever faced difficulties in the future, as long as it didn't harm his own interests, he would be willing to lend them a hand.

Nine Suns Mountain truly lived up to its reputation as the royal family's treasure trove, cultivated for over two thousand years. It was a gold mine!

In just a single day, Qin Chuan had acquired enough treasures to significantly boost his wealth.

While his status as a member of the Alchemist Association meant he was never short of money, many of the items he found here were priceless.

Money simply couldn't buy them.

After some time, he stumbled upon a sword grave.

This was a cold stone cliff, with countless swords embedded in the ground as far as the eye could see—most of them broken, though a few remained intact.

Buzz, buzz, buzz!

Innumerable sword auras whirled through the valley like a school of silver fish swimming in the air.

The entire valley was chillingly cold.

As Qin Chuan stepped into the valley, the sword auras seemed to lock onto him as a target, swarming toward him like piranhas!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Qin Chuan smirked in disdain. The power of his divine soul surged outward, manifesting as a golden bell that enveloped him.

Clang, clang, clang!

The sword auras struck the golden bell like raindrops on a roof, but they were effortlessly deflected.

"Heh."

He chuckled lightly. Such petty sword auras dared to challenge him? Did they not know they were facing an invincible master? (He's too deep into his role)

However, suddenly—

A sharp sword cry echoed from deep within the sword grave.

Buzz—

The moment that sound rang out, all the sword auras in the valley converged, rushing toward the source of the cry like birds returning to their nests.

Whoosh!

A vague outline of a sword materialized from the depths of the grave, shooting upward like a pillar of light piercing the sky.

The countless silver sword auras merged into this outline, gradually solidifying it.

Its sharpness intensified with each passing moment.

And when the sword finally took form, it appeared as a massive silver pillar, crashing down toward Qin Chuan!

Boom!

This sword strike tore through the clouds and seemed poised to cleave Nine Suns Mountain in two.

"So powerful!"

Qin Chuan's expression changed dramatically. The terrifying pressure told him this sword was undoubtedly at the Saint-level!

Without hesitation, he summoned the Saint-level treasure, the Prison Suppressing Cauldron, which had been hidden in his dantian.

But even with the cauldron shielding him, the sense of impending doom did not fade. Every hair on his body stood on end!

"This sword has developed partial sentience and can command the sword auras in this grave. It's effectively half a Saint-level expert. This attack... carries the might of a Saint!"

Qin Chuan took a deep breath and roared, "Three Flowers Gather at the Peak!"

Buzz, buzz, buzz!

Three radiant lotus flowers appeared above his head like suns rising from the ocean, instantly tripling his power!

"Go!"

He poured all his strength into the Prison Suppressing Cauldron above him. The cauldron emitted a dark shadow that shot toward the descending silver sword.

Boom!!

A deafening explosion rocked Nine Suns Mountain, sending out a wave of destruction that threatened to level the mountain.

Thankfully, a protective barrier appeared in the sky, absorbing the impact and restoring peace to the mountain.

Spurt!

Qin Chuan coughed up blood, his face turning pale as he staggered backward several steps from the backlash.

This was the first time he had been injured in a long while. Fortunately, his son wasn't around to witness it—otherwise, his embarrassment would've been unbearable.

Still, his counterattack had shattered the terrifying sword light. Countless sword auras disintegrated into scattered white sparks, flying aimlessly in all directions.

It would take some time for the sword grave's Saint-level sword to muster another attack.

Now was the time to act.

"Those who rise to greatness must seize their own opportunities. I can't miss out on this treasure."

With the Prison Suppressing Cauldron hovering protectively above his head, Qin Chuan wiped the blood from his lips and strode toward the depths of the sword grave.

Wherever he went, the broken swords trembled in fear, cowed by the cauldron's overwhelming aura.

Soon, he reached the innermost part of the sword grave.

It was a cave.

At the center of the cave was a small pool, about five or six meters in diameter. From the surrounding rock walls, droplets of water slowly dripped into the pool, each drop ringing out with a crisp sound.

Drip, drip…

And at the center of the pool stood a pristine, snow-white longsword!

It was quietly embedded there, and every time a droplet touched its blade, it would emit a faint silver glow.

Like a firefly, the sword's light flickered gently in the dark cave, the only source of illumination.