Son, Put Your Father To The Test (FF)

A few days later, the events that took place on Shenxia Mountain spread across the Eastern Domain.

The entire domain was shaken.

The ruthless Qin Chuan had successfully overcome the terrifying Ninth Heaven Sovereign Tribulation, defying the heavens to become a Sovereign, and was rumored to be the reincarnation of an ancient titan!

The news was so shocking that it stirred people's blood, while others trembled in fear.

It felt as though an ancient beast had suddenly emerged amidst towering mountains, making those once-majestic peaks seem like mere mounds of earth.

This presence had a dual effect.

On the one hand, it could bring a sense of security, as when the sky falls, such a giant would bear the brunt.

On the other hand, if such a colossus were to go mad, it would undoubtedly result in rivers of blood and unimaginable catastrophe...

For those who had never seen Qin Chuan, they imagined him as a towering giant, or perhaps a monstrous creature with a fierce visage—such terrifying forms fitting their image of an "ancient titan."

Qin Chuan, however, merely laughed at these speculations.

"System, open the character panel."

"Ding, as you wish."

The system's voice rang out, and soon, a virtual window appeared before Qin Chuan.

Name: Qin Chuan

Cultivation: Sovereign Realm

Identity: A father

Equipment: Black Whale Sovereign Sword

Skills: Three Flowers Crown, Martial Emperor's Sword, Sovereign Without Boundaries!

Father's Merit: 8.6

Qin Chuan raised an eyebrow and asked, "System, did you pocket something of mine? Why do I have fewer skills and equipment now?"

"Ding! Now that the host has reached the Sovereign Realm, certain items have become obsolete and have been automatically recycled in exchange for 0.4 Father's Merit," the system promptly replied.

"Fine."

Qin Chuan sighed.

In fact, he had noticed the additional 0.4 Father's Merit and had already guessed that it was from recycling those items and skills.

But he deliberately didn't mention it!

What if the system had a bug? Then not only would he gain the extra merit, but he might also squeeze some compensation out of it.

However, it seemed the system was quite sharp, leaving little room for error.

"System, if I personally sent people to hunt down my son, would that increase my cultivation?"

Qin Chuan asked, testing the waters.

"Ding! Host's thoughts are dangerous. Please immediately cease such dangerous thoughts! This is strictly forbidden, absolutely forbidden!!"

The system responded sternly.

"Really?"

Qin Chuan was a bit skeptical.

"Ding! Please remember that this system's guiding principle is fatherly love as steadfast as a mountain, with everything done for the sake of the child!!"

The system declared righteously.

"I see…"

Qin Chuan nodded thoughtfully, a faint understanding forming in his mind.

The more adamant the system's denial, the more suspicious it seemed!

After all, he had schemed against his son numerous times, and the system hadn't stopped him even once, not a peep.

He didn't believe for a second that the system was unaware of what he had been doing.

It was likely constrained by some core programming, so while it spoke with righteous conviction, it might be turning a blind eye to his actions behind the scenes!

Like a child saying they didn't want the New Year's red envelopes, while their hands were already reaching out to pocket them...

In truth, he wouldn't have dared ask such a rebellious question before. But over time, he felt more familiar with the system, so he finally asked this "outrageous" question.

When newcomers make mistakes, they're dismissed.

When veterans make mistakes, they're reprimanded and educated.

This was quite common.

"Now, I'm at the height of my power in the Eastern Domain. Looking around, there's hardly anyone stronger than me. Even if there are a couple of old monsters who might surpass me slightly, they wouldn't dare provoke me. Qin Zi's status has also risen accordingly."

"That being the case… it's not conducive to further development."

Qin Chuan stroked his chin with his right hand, frowning.

As the saying goes, development is the ultimate principle!

Now, in the Eastern Domain, no senior experts dared to attack Qin Zi, and no young talents dared to act arrogant in front of him. This meant Qin Chuan couldn't advance his own cultivation, nor could he accumulate any Father's Merit.

"I need to find a new path…"

He took a deep breath, his body flickering as he appeared atop the towering, pitch-black mountain peak, gazing toward the north, south, and west.

This continent was divided into four great domains.

So far, he had only traversed the Eastern Domain. The other three domains remained untouched.

"The four domains are isolated from one another, with information barely flowing between them. Once I go to the other domains, my reputation in the Eastern Domain will reset to zero."

"In that case, Qin Zi will once again be seen as a wild, unknown youth. Then… hehehe…"

He chuckled inwardly, his lips curling upward.

A jade must be polished to become a gem.

Everything was for the sake of his child...

…

Qin Chuan decided to leave the Eastern Domain.

Before that, however, he made a trip to the Eastern Victory Divine Sect to check in on Lin Yi.

Lin Yi was overwhelmed with excitement when he saw Qin Chuan, his eyes filled with both gratitude and deep admiration.

The gratitude stemmed from being accepted as a direct disciple by the Sword Sovereign, skyrocketing his status—a clear result of Qin Chuan's assistance.

The admiration came from witnessing Qin Chuan's incredible strength. The Ninth Heaven Sovereign Tribulation had shaken the Eastern Domain!

Qin Chuan's immense power had solidified Lin Yi's belief that everything Qin Chuan had told him before was the truth—a powerhouse of such magnitude had no reason to deceive him!

After pulling a few more tricks on Lin Yi, Qin Chuan visited the Zhou family to see his nominal disciple, Zhou Xiang.

The big, burly pig butcher.

This man had found enlightenment through the art of slaughter, a truly promising talent. Barring any accidents, he would likely achieve great things in the future.

As for the Zhou family's other genius, Zhou Mo, he had fully embraced the path of thievery. His skills in stealth and formations were almost supernatural. It was said that many factions in the region often found their treasures mysteriously stolen, no matter how strong their protective formations were…

...

In the desolate lands of the Jiuyang Dynasty.

The sky was bright and sunny, with clouds piled high like mountains, slowly drifting in the wind.

"Whoosh!"

Suddenly, a golden light streaked across the sky, and wherever it passed, flowers, plants, and trees bowed down under the pressure.

This was Qin Chuan and Qin Zi.

Qin Chuan wasn't deliberately releasing his aura, but neither did he suppress it. His gentle pressure rippled out, causing every bird and beast along the way to cower and tremble.

"What terrifying pressure!"

"This must be a Saint-level being!"

"Could it be that another enemy of the royal family has come? What sort of enemies has the royal family provoked this time? This is terrifying."

"It seems the royal family is truly finished."

In the forest below, a group of adventurers, pinned to the ground by the overwhelming pressure, whispered in awe, shaking their heads.

"You say the royal family is finished?"

Suddenly, a calm voice rang out, carrying an inexplicable authority despite its tranquility.

"Who's there?!"

The adventurers looked in the direction of the voice and saw a handsome young man in white standing atop a giant boulder.

The youth stood there casually, without emitting any aura, yet his mere presence made them tremble uncontrollably.

At that moment, they realized the meaning of "commanding without anger"—the aura of a supreme being, the dignity of an unparalleled powerhouse!

"Sir… what can we do for you?"

The leader of the group mustered up his courage and stammered out.

"What has happened with the royal family?"

Qin Chuan asked calmly.

"Reporting to Sir, the royal family is in deep trouble. They are on the verge of extinction."

The man answered respectfully:

"A few days ago, a terrifying group of experts descended upon the Jiuyang Dynasty. They came from the east, flying across the skies in a grand display, and attacked the capital directly."

"Then word spread of a devastating battle in the capital. The imperial city was breached, and the entire capital turned into ruins."

"It's said that the battle was incredibly fierce."

"These mysterious experts were undoubtedly like gods descended from the heavens, but the truly shocking part was the royal family. They had hidden many powerful experts of their own and fought evenly against the invaders!"

"I've heard that some of these experts reached the Saint realm, though I can't be sure. After all, it's said that no one can reach sainthood in the Jiuyang Dynasty…"

"The battle supposedly lasted three days and three nights. No one knows how it ended. Perhaps the royal family has already been wiped out."

"But this has little to do with us. No matter who rules, it's all the same. The imperial court only ever collects taxes from us—they've never done anything useful for the people…"

The man muttered, slipping into a complaint without realizing it.

But suddenly, he became aware that his casual tone might offend this powerful figure, and cold sweat started to form.

Qin Chuan didn't take offense.

Instead, he pondered deeply.

"A group of mysterious experts from the Eastern Domain, waging war against the royal family… It must be the fallen imperial clan, the Yang family."

"The timing lines up exactly with the days when the various forces of the Eastern Domain attacked Shenxia Mountain. No wonder they didn't show up to join the fun—they were busy attacking the Jiuyang royal family."

"The Jiuyang royal family has shown me kindness before. They even gifted me the Azure Lotus Sword, though the system later recycled it. I should go take a look."

With that thought, he soared into the sky, bringing Qin Zi with him toward the imperial capital.

Whoosh!

A flash of light tore through the sky, as if splitting the heavens.

At Qin Chuan's current speed, it took only a dozen breaths to cross half the Jiuyang Dynasty and arrive at the imperial capital.

Whoosh!

Due to the sheer velocity, the inertia created a massive air current that transformed into a raging storm as he halted above the capital.

Standing amidst the clouds, Qin Chuan gazed down and saw that the once-prosperous imperial capital had been reduced to ruins.

The central imperial city was completely destroyed, corpses littering the ground, blood flowing like rivers, and dismembered limbs strewn about.

At the summit of Jiuyang Mountain.

A blood-soaked figure knelt on one knee, propping himself up with a dazzling sword. The sword's glow surged like blood-red flames, shooting up a thousand meters, enveloping the figure entirely.

From a distance, it appeared as though he knelt within a blood-red pillar of light, with the pillar piercing the heavens, stirring a massive vortex of clouds.

Whoosh!

Qin Chuan flickered and appeared beside him, frowning as he asked, "Bai Yichen, why are you here?"

This man was the son of the Lord of Minghao City, Bai Chen. Qin Chuan had met him long ago and had always sensed something unusual about him.

Bai Yichen slowly raised his head, his empty eyes looking at Qin Chuan as he spoke in a hollow voice, "I am the Crown Prince."

Qin Chuan was slightly taken aback and then asked, "Where are the others?"

Bai Yichen glanced at the sword in his hand, pressing his lips together as two streams of tears fell from his vacant eyes. In a hoarse voice, he replied, "They… are all inside this sword."

The sword's flames were as red as blood!