Son, Put Your Father To The Test (FF)

"Splat!!"

The Qinglian Sword pierced through the demon's chest, exiting from his back. The demon's body froze instantly, and his face turned deathly pale.

Normally, for a Saint-level expert, having their body impaled wasn't much of a problem due to their immense vitality.

But!

The Qinglian Sword was imbued with terrifying sword energy that instantly invaded his body, causing severe internal damage.

"Arrgh!!!"

In the next moment, the demon roared in fury, and an overwhelming burst of power exploded from his body. Black flames raged around him!

"Whoosh!"

Qin Chuan withdrew the Qinglian Sword and floated back several meters, gracefully stabilizing himself in mid-air.

Meanwhile, the demon's forehead was drenched in sweat, and he panted heavily, glaring at Qin Chuan with hatred. Through gritted teeth, he spat, "Very well! I'll remember this! Once I recover to my peak, I swear I'll kill you and your son!"

With those words, a surge of dense demonic energy engulfed the sky, enveloping everything around.

When the demonic mist dispersed, the demon had vanished.

He had fled!

Qin Chuan calmly sheathed his Qinglian Sword.

He could have pursued the demon.

But he chose not to.

Didn't the demon say it himself? He wasn't at his peak yet and would come back to kill him and his son after regaining his full strength.

How exciting!

A potential enemy with great growth? Of course, he had to let this tiger return to the mountain.

Others might see this as "nurturing a future threat," but Qin Chuan saw it differently. For him, this was "nurturing a tiger for its skin"!

"Is… is it over?"

Zhou Mo stared at the retreating demon, feeling dazed and disconnected from reality.

That terrifying demon, who seemed invincible, had been defeated just like that?

How could such a powerful figure exist in the desolate land of the Seven Nations? Or more importantly, why would such a powerful figure remain in this decaying region?

Shouldn't he worry about his own decline?

After pondering for a while, Zhou Mo couldn't help but ask, "Senior, do you stay in this decaying land for some important reason?"

"No, I'm just waiting for Qin Zi to grow stronger before taking him out. After all, there are fewer powerful opponents here, and it's relatively safer."

Qin Chuan replied calmly.

Zhou Mo nodded in understanding.

Indeed, compared to the Seven Nations, the Eastern Domain was a deep and dangerous sea.

In the Seven Nations, a Nirvana-level warrior was considered powerful, but in the Eastern Domain, they were merely bottom feeders, barely scraping by.

If you were a young Nirvana-level warrior, you might catch the attention of some great powers.

But if you were middle-aged or older and stuck at Nirvana, you were often ignored or looked down upon because, barring miracles, you were unlikely to progress further in your lifetime.

At most, you might break into the Heavenly Ascension level.

But even at the Heavenly Ascension level, you couldn't feel truly secure in the Eastern Domain. One wrong move, and you might be crushed by a Saint-level powerhouse.

Suddenly!

Zhou Mo thought of something else. His eyes widened as he asked, "Senior, did you break through to the Saint-level here in the Seven Nations?"

The Seven Nations was a decaying land, a place where Saint-level experts were rarely, if ever, born. If Qin Chuan had achieved such a feat here, it would be beyond extraordinary.

"No."

Qin Chuan directly denied it, offering no further explanation. Given his current status, he didn't feel the need to explain anything.

Over-explaining would only raise suspicions.

"Oh…"

Zhou Mo felt a little disappointed but nodded in understanding. Then, scratching his head awkwardly, he asked, "Senior, may I stay here for a while?"

He quickly explained, "As you know, there's the Decay Rift between the Eastern Domain and the Seven Nations. The decaying energy spewing from it makes it impossible to cross without a Saint-level expert's protection."

"My protector is dead now, and I have no way of returning on my own. Could I stay until you head to the Eastern Domain, and then travel with you?"

Zhou Mo looked at Qin Chuan with hopeful eyes.

Qin Chuan thought for a moment before saying, "The second son of the Xue family from the Eastern Domain is currently at the Fenglei Valley in the Nine Sun Dynasty. He brought a protector with him. You could ask them to take you back."

"Xue family?!"

Zhou Mo's eyes widened in shock as he asked, "Senior, is this second son named Xue Zhong, known for his fondness for women?"

Qin Chuan replied evenly, "I don't know his name, but he does have quite a reputation for being fond of women."

"Hiss! It's him!"

Zhou Mo gasped in disbelief and then gave a bitter smile. "Senior, I'm afraid the second son of the Xue family won't help me."

"The Xue family is one of the six fallen royal clans of the Eastern Domain. Though they no longer have an emperor in their ranks, they once did. Their foundation is unfathomable, making them a super-first-class power!"

His eyes revealed a deep sense of awe.

"Fallen royal clan? Does the Eastern Domain have any flourishing royal clans?" Qin Chuan asked in surprise.

"Huh, senior, you didn't know?"

Zhou Mo looked at Qin Chuan in astonishment. After all, Qin Chuan had mentioned he hadn't broken through to the Saint-level in the Seven Nations, which meant he must have left before.

Qin Chuan, reading his thoughts, calmly said, "I was in the Western Domain."

"Ahem, I see."

Zhou Mo laughed awkwardly before continuing, "The Eastern Domain has three flourishing royal clans: the Jiang family, the Ji family, and the Chu family. Each of these families has living emperors, and they are at the pinnacle of power in the Eastern Domain."

"Are there any other major powers?" Qin Chuan asked.

"Yes, there are two royal-level sects: the Dongsheng Divine Sect and the Donghuang Temple. These are true giants, holding a transcendent status."

Zhou Mo's eyes filled with admiration as he clenched his fists. "My biggest life goal is to join one of these two sects."

Qin Chuan chuckled and teased, "You're still young. Can't you aim a little higher?"

Zhou Mo paused, his expression turning bitter. "Senior, if I were the only person in the world, I could dream big. But I'm lost among the masses; I don't dare hope for too much."

"So many more talented people have achieved nothing beyond mediocrity. What right do I have to expect anything greater?"

Hearing this, Qin Chuan fell silent.

Indeed, for most, this world was a cold place, leaving little room for idealism.

Only a select few could declare, "I control my own destiny." The rest simply faded into mediocrity, lost in the ordinary.

If Qin Chuan hadn't had the system, he would likely still be holed up in Xunyang City, too afraid to even venture to the main city of Minghao…

But he was fortunate!

He had everything—he had the system, and he had a son destined for greatness, allowing him to rise above the common masses and pursue dreams far beyond their reach.

To grow stronger, stronger still!

He wanted to see a bigger world and witness even more distant landscapes!

After a while, Qin Chuan patted Zhou Mo's shoulder and encouraged him, "Young people should have dreams. What if they come true? Everyone has their unique potential, even if you haven't discovered yours yet."

"The crowd you speak of is only ordinary in some aspects. In other ways, you might be extraordinary—perhaps even stronger than anyone else!"

Whoosh!

Zhou Mo's eyes brightened, hope returning to his face.

But soon, the light faded, and he slumped again, mumbling, "But… in this world, strength is everything. What's the use of being good at something else if I lack power?"

"Nonsense!"

Qin Chuan's voice turned stern, and his expression became serious. "What do you think cultivation is? Do you believe it's just following a manual, taking pills, and consuming spirit fruits on a daily schedule?"

Zhou Mo was stunned.

Qin Chuan continued, "There are countless paths in cultivation, and in the end, they all converge into one thing: the Dao!"

"I know someone whose talent is average. He spent seventy or eighty years cultivating, barely reaching Nirvana-level, Tier 3."

"But just over six months ago, he discovered his unique potential—grave robbing! Through grave robbing, his cultivation soared, and he was reborn. Now, he's already reached the peak of Nirvana-level!"

"There are countless paths to greatness. If he can find his way, why can't you?"

Whoosh!

Zhou Mo stood there, utterly stunned, his breath quickening, his chest rising and falling sharply. The light in his eyes began to shine even brighter…

He was starting to feel something.

"Every person is born for a reason!"

He could feel his deep-seated feelings of inferiority and helplessness—feelings born from his perceived mediocrity—slowly dissolving. His confidence, which had been ground down by all the geniuses he had encountered, was gradually returning.

Yes.

Perhaps following the standard cultivation path made many stronger than him, leaving him too discouraged to even try to catch up.

But he, too, must have some unique talent, some innate gift that could allow him to soar higher than anyone else!

Thud!!

Suddenly, Zhou Mo knelt down heavily, filled with gratitude, and exclaimed, "Senior, please accept my humble thanks!"

Although he hadn't yet discovered his unique potential, he knew that he had already changed.

He had freed himself from the burden of being "just another face in the crowd." He no longer accepted mediocrity and now harbored far-reaching ambitions!

Meanwhile.

Several thousand miles away, Pang Qi Master was wriggling through a grave tunnel when he suddenly sneezed, his chubby belly nearly getting stuck in the opening.

He wiped his nose and muttered, "Someone must be cursing me again. What? All I did was dig up a grave! So stingy."