Son, Put Your Father To The Test (FF)

Buzz, buzz, buzz!

The sword seemed to sense Qin Chuan's presence, vibrating gently, emitting a warning hum.

"Stop it. Even if you scream your lungs out, no one's coming to save you," Qin Chuan smirked.

The sword fell silent.

Qin Chuan continued, "Come with me. Though you're only a Saint-level sword, you're still useful for a while."

However, the sword remained unresponsive.

The silver light it once emitted withdrew into its blade, as though it had fallen asleep.

"If you think I'm going to leave empty-handed, you're mistaken. Don't force me to take action," Qin Chuan threatened.

Buzz! Buzz!

The sword responded with a faint hum, as if laughing at him.

"If you keep acting tough, I'll have no choice but to urinate in the pool," Qin Chuan said casually. "Let's see if you can still pretend to be noble in a puddle of piss."

Buzz!!

The sword suddenly flared up with a brilliant light, releasing sharp, swirling sword energy. It was clearly threatening Qin Chuan.

"Quit the posturing. No matter how sharp a sword is, without strength, it's nothing more than a drifting weed," Qin Chuan said calmly.

Buzz, buzz, buzz!

The sword trembled violently, its aura gradually diminishing. It flickered as though hesitating.

"Stop wasting time. One more delay, and I'm going to start unzipping," Qin Chuan said, making a show of reaching for his belt.

Whoosh!

The sword shuddered violently, and then it began to rise from the pool. As it ascended, the water in the pool started to bubble violently.

Splash! Splash!

Blue light began to weave through the pool, transforming into a vision of verdant lotus leaves. To Qin Chuan's surprise, lotus flowers began to bloom.

Delicate lotuses swayed, radiating a dazzling glow as golden sparks danced around them. The scene was breathtaking.

The phenomenon didn't stop there. The spectacle expanded, somehow bypassing the confines of the cave and manifesting in the skies above Nine Suns Mountain.

Splash! Splash!

The entire capital could see the vision of blooming lotus flowers atop the mountain, exuding an aura of purity and nobility.

"Is that...?"

"That's the Azure Lotus Sword of the Azure Lotus Ancestor! Ever since the Azure Lotus Ancestor passed away, this sword has lain dormant for a thousand years!"

"It's said that this sword is incredibly pure, only recognizing those of noble character as its master. For centuries, no one in the royal family has been able to win its allegiance!"

"I wonder who this person of high moral standing could be…"

In the royal capital, the powerful figures of the royal family whispered amongst themselves, filled with admiration for the one who had awakened the sword.

A person of noble character was always held in the highest regard!

At this moment.

The sword had fully emerged and was now in Qin Chuan's hand. An indescribable sense of strength surged through him.

With this sword in hand, he felt as though the world was his to command!

He had the distinct feeling that if he swung this sword, without anyone stopping him, he could level the entire royal capital.

This was despite the fact that he couldn't even fully unleash the sword's power—his own strength was still too lacking compared to the sword's potential.

By his estimation.

A Saint-level treasure like this sword, which had developed its own consciousness, was meant for a Saint-level powerhouse at the pinnacle of the realm!

Only the boundless power of a Saint at the peak could fully activate its might, allowing it to tear the heavens apart and overturn the seas!

"Heh, congratulations, young friend."

A familiar elderly voice came from behind. Qin Chuan turned to see the bald elder standing at the entrance of the cave.

The elder approached, sighing in amazement. "This sword, ever since my dear brother passed away, has been dormant for over a thousand years. Many of the young talents of the Yang family have tried to make it their own, but this sword's integrity is unyielding. It only follows true gentlemen."

As he spoke, the elder gazed curiously at Qin Chuan and asked, "I wonder, young friend, how exactly did you get it to recognize you as its master?"

He genuinely didn't know.

Having regarded Qin Chuan as an equal, he had refrained from using his soul force to spy on the situation out of respect.

"What do you think?" Qin Chuan smiled and answered with a question of his own.

The bald elder blinked, then broke into laughter.

"Hahaha, I must be getting senile!"

He realized that his question was unnecessary. Since the sword only followed those of noble character, it was clear that Qin Chuan had won it over with his upright conduct.

He had judged the right person after all!

Rumble! Rumble!

Suddenly, thunderous booms echoed from the horizon. A massive pressure descended, shaking both heaven and earth!

"The Vermilion Bird Royal Family, here to visit the Nine Suns Royal Family!"

A voice, majestic as that of a deity, rang out across the land, causing the ears of countless people to ring and their hearts to tremble with pain.

At that moment, countless people in the capital looked up in awe and fear.

From the eastern skies, a massive flaming bird with wings spanning hundreds of meters soared toward the capital like the rising sun! Around the bird floated nine enormous fireballs, clearly some kind of companion phenomenon. The energy within each fireball was enough to destroy an entire city.

What kind of terrifying being was this?

A Saint-level demon!

On the bird's back stood a dozen figures, each exuding an air of nobility.

At the front was a cold-faced youth dressed in black with white hair. His imposing aura radiated both ice and strength, though his actual age was much older than his appearance suggested.

In that respect, he was quite similar to Qin Chuan.

Behind him stood several figures, both old and young, one of whom was wearing imperial robes!

It was clear this was the emperor of the Vermilion Bird Kingdom. But even the emperor could only stand humbly behind this person.

"Second Brother, the Nine Suns Royal Family has a rich and ancient history. Their foundations are deep. Are we really wise to provoke them like this?" The emperor of the Vermilion Bird Kingdom asked cautiously.

"Heh, rich and ancient history… they're nothing more than a declining family exiled to this barren land with no hope of resurgence," the white-haired youth sneered.

Having traveled extensively through the Eastern Domain and even joining a true powerhouse faction, he was privy to secrets that the Seven Nations knew nothing about.

The Nine Suns Royal Family had indeed been powerful in its prime.

But after two thousand years of erosion in this barren land, their foundation had withered away. Now, they were merely surviving, hanging by a thread.

He had no fear!

Opportunists needed to strike while the iron was hot—wait too long, and all the good spoils would be gone.

"Hahaha! Honored guests, you grace us with your presence. Please forgive our lack of welcome!"

At that moment, dozens of figures flew up from the royal capital, their powerful auras forming an invisible wall in the sky.

Leading them was the emperor of the Nine Suns Kingdom.

"No need for pleasantries," the white-haired youth sneered slightly, then gave a faint shake of his body. A surge of Saint-level power burst forth, sweeping across the sky.

Boom!

The invisible wall formed by the combined strength of the Nine Suns Royal Family's experts instantly crumbled. All of them groaned softly as they suffered internal injuries from the shockwave.

The emperor of the Nine Suns Kingdom, though furious, dared not act recklessly in the face of such overwhelming power. With a forced smile, he asked, "May I ask what business brings you here from so far away?"

"We've come to discuss a little wager," the white-haired youth said calmly, pointing toward the mountain that towered over the capital. He smiled and added, "A simple bet. We'll wager the Vermilion Bird Lake of my kingdom against your Nine Suns Mountain."

"If you lose, I take the mountain. If we lose, you're free to take the Vermilion Bird Lake."

"You—!"

The emperor of the Nine Suns Kingdom's face darkened.

He knew the white-haired youth wasn't bluffing. With the power of a Saint-level expert, it would be a simple matter to move an entire mountain. In fact, anyone at the late stages of the Tongtian Realm could accomplish it.

"Afraid, are we?" the white-haired youth taunted, his voice dripping with disdain. "If your royal family is this cowardly, then there's no need to gamble. I'll simply take the mountain now."

"You… dare?"

The emperor's voice wavered. As a mere Tongtian Realm, Seventh Layer cultivator, he was powerless in the face of a Saint-level opponent.

"Heh."

The white-haired youth didn't bother to reply.

"How do you plan to make this wager?" came an elderly voice. Everyone turned to see a limping old man slowly making his way out of the palace.