In the Qingxuan Region.
In a desolate and rarely visited area.
Qin Zi hovered in the air, looking down at the landscape below with an expression of disbelief.
"Is this where the Sovereign's cave dwelling is?"
Below him was a barren plain with two low hills rising up, shaped like crescent moons, facing each other. Between them, a small stream flowed, the sound of trickling water clear and serene.
"It's underneath,"
Qin Chuan stood beside him with his hands behind his back, speaking calmly.
Qin Zi released his divine sense to explore the area beneath the hills, but he found nothing out of the ordinary—just soil.
"Many things cannot be judged by appearances. There are countless things in this world that can deceive your perception,"
Qin Chuan instructed him.
"And if a cave dwelling could be found so easily with a divine sense scan, it wouldn't have remained hidden until now—it would've been discovered long ago."
Hearing this, Qin Zi nodded in agreement.
That made perfect sense!
"Alright, let me get started."
With that, Qin Zi raised his hands, conjuring a massive pair of energy palms in the air. He placed them on the two hills and pulled them apart with great force.
"Rumble!"
"Crack, crack…"
The ground trembled, and the stream between the two hills split open, revealing a deep, pitch-black fissure.
The crack continued to expand, and as the water from the stream began pouring down into the chasm, there was a faint "gurgling" sound, as if water were being swirled inside a kettle.
Finally, the fissure transformed into a deep abyss.
"Whoosh!"
Suddenly, a transparent column of water shot up from the abyss, reaching into the sky and stirring the clouds above.
"Rumble!"
The clouds spun into a massive vortex, lightning crackling as it formed, the sight both awe-inspiring and terrifying.
"This…"
Qin Zi's face twitched, and he cautiously asked, "Will all this commotion attract others?"
"That depends on your luck,"
Qin Chuan squinted slightly, smiling with a cryptic expression.
Not good!!
The moment Qin Zi saw that look, his entire body tensed up. Every time his father gave him that expression, he would end up suffering.
He wouldn't die, but he'd certainly be put through the wringer!
Just as this thought crossed his mind, Qin Chuan's body began to rise into the air like a hot air balloon, slowly at first, but rapidly picking up speed.
"Dad, you're not… you're not going to leave me here, right? You're not that kind of person, are you? You wouldn't…"
Qin Zi panicked, reaching out to grab his father.
However, with a kind smile, Qin Chuan floated away right before his eyes. Although it seemed like he was drifting slowly, he was actually moving very quickly. Qin Zi couldn't catch him, only watching as his father grew smaller and eventually disappeared.
"Ugh, fine! I'll just charge in!"
Realizing his father wasn't coming back, Qin Zi decided to dive straight into the abyss.
If he moved fast enough, he could get what he needed and leave before anything went wrong.
But just as he was about to leap into the deep chasm, he encountered an invisible barrier.
"Buzz!"
It was a faint, translucent white barrier, as thin as a film, yet it exuded an impenetrable aura.
Qin Zi quickly sensed that the barrier's strength was fading. It must have been much thicker at first, but after countless years, it had weakened to this state.
The barrier would probably disappear completely soon, allowing free passage in and out.
"Well, at least this proves no one's been inside yet, and all the treasures are still there,"
Qin Zi sighed helplessly.
Based on his experience, this was the moment when someone would show up—this was an unavoidable law of the universe.
The more you dread something, the more likely it is to happen.
"Rumble!"
Sure enough, in the next moment, light flickered on the horizon as a radiant figure sped toward him.
Whoosh!
One moment, the figure was on the distant horizon, and the next, they were right in front of him—a young man clad in golden feathered robes.
"What's happening here?"
The golden-robed youth looked down at Qin Zi from above, speaking in a cold, indifferent tone.
Qin Zi, seeing the arrogant demeanor of this stranger, scowled and rolled his eyes. "How should I know?"
"Hm?!"
The young man's brows furrowed, and a sharp glint appeared in his eyes. The pressure of a Sixth Heaven Saint spread out as he spoke with icy coldness:
"You dare speak to me like that?"
Qin Zi felt the weight of the pressure but remained unshaken. With a smirk, he retorted, "I always talk like this. What, did I offend someone important? Care to tell me your name and see if I've ever heard of you?"
"You!!"
The golden-robed youth's face darkened.
He did have some reputation in the Qingxuan Region, but revealing his name now would diminish his status. And if Qin Zi pretended not to know him just to humiliate him, it would only be worse.
So, he couldn't afford to reveal his name at this moment.
"Do you have a death wish?"
The young man's eyes filled with killing intent as he glared down at Qin Zi.
"Dying's what I'm hoping for,"
Qin Zi sneered, extending his neck mockingly. The look in his eyes practically dared the youth to try something.
"You're courting death!!"
The golden-robed youth's eyes flashed as he attacked, swinging his right hand to send a beam of sword energy, three hundred meters long, slicing toward Qin Zi.
"Buzz!"
The sword energy wasn't particularly thick, but it was long and sharp, radiating a chilling, unstoppable force.
"Strong!"
Qin Zi knew better than to take it lightly. He immediately summoned his Fire Dragon Spear, gripping it tightly and using the shaft to block in front of him.
Boom!!
The sword light struck the Fire Dragon Spear, causing a deafening crash as violent sparks erupted. The sword energy exploded, and at the same time, Qin Zi felt a massive shockwave travel through the spear, numbing his hands and sending him flying backward.
His blood churned, and he nearly spat out blood!
The opponent's cultivation was two whole levels higher than his, and they were clearly a talented fighter, putting Qin Zi at a disadvantage in terms of raw power.
"Warrior Body Refining Scripture!"
Qin Zi growled inwardly as his body suddenly expanded, covered with intricate symbols and runes. A wild, primal energy surged from him, instantly evening out the pressure between him and the golden-robed youth!
"What kind of technique is this?"
The golden-robed youth was shocked by the sudden spike in Qin Zi's strength, and his eyes filled with greed.
He had to obtain this technique!
Meanwhile, Qin Zi twirled his Fire Dragon Spear and then delivered a powerful kick to the end of the spear.
"Roar!"
The spear transformed into a blazing dragon, roaring as it shot toward the golden-robed youth, turning the sky into a sea of fire in its wake.
"You're not the only one with a royal weapon!"
The youth sneered, summoning a golden shield that floated in front of him. The shield's surface was patterned with dragon scales, gleaming with metallic brilliance.
Ding!!
The fire dragon crashed into the shield, causing an explosion of fiery light, and the Fire Dragon Spear struck the shield with a piercing screech.
Sparks flew everywhere!
A ripple of transparent force spread out, blowing the youth's clothes into the wind.
But he held firm.
"Your strength is decent, but... Huh?!"
Just as the youth was about to mock his opponent, he saw a massive figure appear just three meters away from him. A powerful fist slammed into the end of the Fire Dragon Spear.
Boom!
The spear bent for a split second, then snapped back with tremendous force, all of it concentrated on the shield.
Pfft!
The golden-robed youth spat blood as both he and the shield were sent flying backward.
Qin Zi spun in midair, grabbing the Fire Dragon Spear and swinging it like a giant flaming pillar, sending it hurtling toward the youth with overwhelming force.
"Defend!"
The golden-robed youth yelled, urging the shield to form a golden barrier in front of him.
Boom!!
A deafening explosion followed as waves of fire rippled outward in all directions. The golden barrier shattered into countless crystalline fragments that scattered like broken glass.
"Argh!!"
The golden-robed youth flew backward, arms and legs splayed out, hips thrust forward, head thrown back as if he had expended every ounce of his strength…
Ding! Your son has humiliated the golden-robed youth, automatically adding 35 points to your Fatherhood Balance. Current balance: 195 points.
High above in the sky, hidden from sight, Qin Chuan received another system notification.
In truth, he had deliberately allowed the golden-robed youth to approach.
He was secretly monitoring everything within a ten-thousand-mile radius.
Only talented young people who could provide him with Fatherhood Points were allowed near Qin Zi. All other riff-raff had been blocked far away.
Qin Xiaozhu was like a fighter in a ring, working hard to win matches and earn him Fatherhood Points.
Qin Chuan had gone to great lengths to set up this fake cave dwelling and fill it with valuable treasures. He had to recoup his investment somehow, right?
Even though Qin Zi was his son, he couldn't just give him all these benefits for free.
It wasn't that he was stingy.
He simply didn't want his son to develop the bad habit of expecting rewards without effort. He needed to teach Qin Zi that there's no such thing as a free lunch, and that any gains must be earned through hard work.
He was shaping his son's values.
A father's efforts are always painstaking.