Son, Put Your Father To The Test (FF)

Swish!

Everyone was stunned.

In a short span of time, two shocking twists had occurred, leaving people struggling to process it all.

Just a second ago, everyone was still in shock from the Vermilion Bird prince's sneak attack. The next second, the prince was killed in a swift counter.

"Hong'er!"

The Vermilion Bird Emperor was the first to react. He rushed forward, grabbing his son's lifeless body. Once he confirmed that his son was dead, his face twisted in fury. His eyes turned blood-red as he glared at Qin Zi.

"I'll kill you!!"

Consumed by rage, he lost all reason. His right hand, claw-like, shot toward Qin Zi, intent on tearing him apart.

Clang!

In the next moment, a faint golden barrier appeared, blocking his advance. The crippled old ancestor of the Nine Suns Kingdom had stepped in.

The golden barrier, formed by Saintly Power, was as solid as the strongest shield in the world, stopping the Vermilion Bird Emperor cold.

"Second Brother, help me!!"

The Vermilion Bird Emperor roared, pleading for help.

The white-haired man frowned. In truth, he believed his nephew deserved his fate and saw no reason to seek revenge.

But he could understand his elder brother's desire for vengeance. Looking at the crippled old man, he said coldly, "I ask you not to intervene, or else... I will step in as well."

"If I act, there's no telling how many will survive in this royal city. You understand the power of the Saint Realm better than I do."

The crippled elder fell silent.

Conflicted, his face showed hesitation before he sighed deeply and withdrew the golden barrier.

"Die!!"

The Vermilion Bird Emperor charged at Qin Zi once more, but the Nine Suns Kingdom's strong cultivators immediately moved to shield him.

The old ancestor couldn't intervene, but they still could. Qin Zi was fighting for their royal family, so they had to protect him.

"Get out of my way!!"

The Vermilion Bird Emperor roared, unleashing a tremendous aura. A massive Vermilion Bird spirit rose from the ground, knocking the Nine Suns Kingdom's experts away.

Unlike the Nine Suns Emperor, the Vermilion Bird Emperor was a true warrior. His cultivation had reached the peak of the Heavenly Transformation Realm, and his foundation was so solid that he could easily fight those in the early Saint Realm.

Now, he wanted to kill Qin Zi!

"Kill!"

The Vermilion Bird Emperor's hand shot out, aiming for Qin Zi's heart with lightning speed. His Divine Soul Power locked onto Qin Zi, making it impossible for him to move.

"Father!!"

In despair, Qin Zi took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and screamed with all his might.

"I'm here."

A calm voice echoed, and Qin Zi opened his eyes to see a familiar figure standing in front of him.

Qin Chuan turned to glance at his son and scolded, "What are you yelling for? It's broad daylight. Don't scream like a ghost."

"Dad."

Qin Zi called out again, his nose tingling and his eyes welling with tears.

Every time he faced danger, his father was always there. Having a father like this... was a blessing.

Qin Chuan ignored his son's sentimental display, rolling his eyes before turning to face the Vermilion Bird Emperor.

This man was indeed powerful.

The system had just raised Qin Chuan's cultivation to the peak of the Heavenly Transformation Realm, meaning he wasn't strong enough to defeat him before!

This emperor was truly one of the best in his realm.

"Who are you? Are you also going to stop me from killing this brat?" the Vermilion Bird Emperor spat, filled with rage.

"I'm his father. What do you think?" Qin Chuan replied calmly.

"Then I'll kill you too!!" The Vermilion Bird Emperor roared and lunged forward.

Boom!

His companion Vermilion Bird spread out like a massive red cloud, shrouding Qin Chuan's vision.

Amid the chaos of flames and smoke, a fiery longsword appeared in the emperor's hand, thrusting toward Qin Chuan with deadly precision!

Clang!

The sound of swords clashing rang out as Qin Chuan drew his own sword. Three lotus flowers appeared above his head, boosting his power threefold, and he swung his sword in a wide arc!

Whoosh!

A snow-white sword light, like a massive pillar, swept forward. Everything in its path was obliterated, reduced to dust.

"Aah!!"

The Vermilion Bird Emperor let out a shrill scream as his body was vaporized by the powerful sword light, like snow melting in the sun. Not only his body, but even his Divine Soul was destroyed by the unique sharpness of the Azure Lotus Sword.

"Brother!!"

The white-haired youth roared in fury, his eyes bloodshot. An overwhelming killing intent erupted from his body.

Everything had happened so fast that even he hadn't reacted in time. His elder brother was already dead.

He hadn't cared much when his nephew died earlier, as the boy's actions had crossed a line, making his death feel deserved.

But now, his brother—his flesh and blood, the one he grew up with—had been killed.

This was a hatred deeper than the heavens!

Taking a deep breath, his body began to float upward, and an illusory palace appeared behind him, radiating majesty.

The palace was grand, shining with two brilliant halos. It exuded power and grandeur.

He looked down at Qin Chuan from above, like a god looking upon a mortal, and coldly asked, "How do you want to die?"

Qin Chuan took a deep breath.

This situation was different from the past. This time, the enemy's hatred was directed at him, not his son!

But...

This was something he couldn't avoid forever. Eventually, he would have to face it. It was better to confront it now, while he was prepared.

He was already an independent father...

Calmly raising his head, Qin Chuan looked at the white-haired youth and said lightly, "You're not worthy of killing me."

"Still so arrogant on the brink of death!"

The white-haired youth sneered, "Do you really think that just because your foundation is solid, and you have a Saintly Divine Weapon and some secret technique to boost your power, you can challenge a real Saint Realm expert?"

"The Saint Realm isn't as simple as you think!"

As he finished speaking, he raised his hand and pointed toward Qin Chuan.

Whoosh!!

At his command, the heavens shifted. Countless streams of spiritual energy converged, forming a massive 300-meter-long crystal finger, which descended toward Qin Chuan, intent on crushing him like an insect.

Crack... crack...

The finger hadn't even touched down yet, but the force of it caused the ground beneath Qin Chuan to crack. His clothes flapped wildly in the wind, and his feet sank into the earth.

But Qin Chuan wasn't panicking.

Instead, a fierce glint flashed in his eyes. Gripping his sword tightly, he gathered all his strength and thrust it toward the descending crystal finger.

Whoosh!

The snow-white sword light shot upward, meeting the massive crystal finger head-on, like two unstoppable forces colliding.

Boom—

A deafening explosion followed, shaking the heavens and earth. The resulting shockwave was like a tsunami, flattening everything in its path.

Everyone nearby was sent flying, some coughing up blood, others suffering ruptured eardrums, and some bleeding from all seven orifices.

Finally, the storm subsided.

When the dust settled, the massive crystal finger had disappeared, and Qin Chuan was left kneeling on one knee, his hands gripping the Azure Lotus Sword for support.

His once-pristine white robes were now torn and blood-stained. Blood dripped from his forehead as well.

"Cough, cough..."

He coughed up a mouthful of blood, using his sword to prop himself up. His body wobbled as he tried to stand, only to stumble back down.

"Dad!!"

Qin Zi screamed in terror. The unshakable belief he'd developed over time—that his father was invincible—was suddenly shattered.

Was his father hurt?

How could his father be injured?! Wasn't his father an unbeatable powerhouse? How could he lose?

Countless questions raced through his mind.

But they were soon pushed aside. It didn't matter whether his father was invincible or not. Right now, all he cared about was his father's safety!

What did it matter if he was invincible or not?

All that mattered was that this was his father!

The man who had always watched over him, cared for him, taught him countless lessons, and always stood in front of him during times of danger.

Tears streamed down his face as he rushed forward to help his father.

But with his back to Qin Zi, Qin Chuan raised his bloodied right hand and shouted hoarsely, "Don't come over!!!"