Son, Put Your Father To The Test (FF)

"You seek death!!"

The red-haired elder's eyes radiated terrifying killing intent as he prepared to charge again, but once more, he was stopped.

Instead, he could only roar in fury, "You little brat, don't try to weasel your way out of this! So many people entered the Phoenix Fire Nest, and none of them were harmed—only Zhou Shang was! You definitely did something underhanded!"

"And what's your reasoning?" Qin Zi sneered disdainfully.

"Isn't it obvious? Because I opposed you getting a spot in the Phoenix Fire Nest, you held a grudge and sought revenge on Zhou Shang!" The red-haired elder declared righteously.

Qin Zi scoffed, his voice thick with mockery, "The one who made a fool of himself earlier was you. You were beaten down by my father. Even if someone wanted revenge, it would be you telling Zhou Shang to retaliate against me!"

"You!!"

The red-haired elder was enraged but couldn't find a retort. The incredulous stares from those around him made him feel utterly humiliated.

The most embarrassing event of his life had just been exposed.

Finally, he took a deep breath, seemingly deciding to go all out, even if it meant sacrificing a bit of his dignity.

He turned to the surrounding Zhou family elders, saying in a deep voice, "Alright, if things have come to this, I will reveal the truth."

"It is true that this brat offended me before, and I was upset, so I instructed Zhou Shang to teach him a lesson in the Phoenix Fire Nest."

Gasp! The crowd erupted in shock.

Some were stunned, some confused, while others whispered among themselves, their tones hinting at ridicule.

But then, the red-haired elder quickly pivoted, saying, "However, all I wanted was for Zhou Shang to give him a minor punishment—I never intended for it to go this far."

"And yet, this little bastard, a guest of our Zhou family, enjoying the benefits of our resources, showed no mercy! He nearly killed Zhou Shang!"

"This situation has faults on both sides, but it's clear to everyone whose fault is greater!"

The expressions of the Zhou family members turned serious. Even the patriarchs who had appeared earlier furrowed their brows.

There was no way to handle this situation purely by logic. After all, family was family, and bias was inevitable.

As long as there was a somewhat plausible justification, they would naturally lean toward supporting their own.

And now… it seemed they were leaning toward the red-haired elder's side.

Qin Zi's face turned livid as he shouted angrily, "You old scoundrel, what do you mean 'no intent to kill'? Zhou Shang was clearly trying to kill me! If I hadn't reacted quickly, I'd be dead by now!"

"And now that Zhou Shang's own reckless behavior has backfired on him, you say it's my fault? If he had succeeded in killing me, you'd probably claim it was an accident, wouldn't you?"

"You're determined to have me killed, first through assassination, and now openly? Your Zhou family sure has some nerve!!"

He was unapologetic, saying whatever he wanted.

With his father here, why should he endure this nonsense? Why should he swallow his pride? If push came to shove, he was ready to tear down the Zhou family's facade!

"Qin Zi, calm down. He doesn't represent the entire Zhou family."

At this moment, Zhou Cang spoke in a low voice.

Earlier, when the red-haired elder had tried to kill Qin Zi, Zhou Cang had intervened and a brief battle had ensued.

Now, seeing this, the red-haired elder began stirring the pot again, turning to the Zhou family elders and urging them, "Fellow family members, the truth is right before us. Our Zhou family's top talent has been crippled by an outsider. Will we seek justice for him or shield the one who harmed him?"

He invoked the cause of family honor.

In a family as large as this, nothing was more important than family interests. Everyone was conditioned to prioritize the family above all.

"Well..."

"I think... the Second Elder has a point."

"That Qin Zi is indeed hateful."

"We must seek justice for our family's prodigy."

"Yes, I agree..."

The murmurs grew louder as more and more Zhou family members began to take sides. It was clear that many were now favoring the red-haired elder.

"Ahhh—!"

Suddenly, a heart-wrenching scream rang out.

Everyone looked down to see Zhou Shang, who had been unconscious, suddenly sit up, his face twisted in agony.

"My cultivation! My cultivation is gone!"

He screamed in pain, and when his eyes landed on Qin Zi, they filled with hatred. He reached out with trembling hands, shouting, "Qin Zi, I'll kill you! I'll kill you!!"

But he was like a tiger with no claws. Though his hands stretched out menacingly, he didn't even have the strength to stand.

It was a pathetic sight.

Seeing this, some of the Zhou family members began to feel a sense of pity.

"You all see now, right?" the red-haired elder said, his voice dripping with venom. "This brat is treacherous and ungrateful! He crippled our Zhou family's top talent! Shouldn't he pay the price for what he's done?!"

He continued fanning the flames of anger.

The crowd's mood wavered even more.

"Second Elder, enough is enough." At that moment, a lazy-sounding voice cut through the tension.

Everyone turned their heads.

A three-hundred-pound man slowly approached, with each step causing a slight tremor in the ground.

"Zhou Xiang!!"

"Why is he here?"

"Huh, his demeanor seems different all of a sudden. He used to seem kind of pathetic."

"Strange, very strange..."

The Zhou family members were taken aback, and the younger generation whispered among themselves.

The red-haired elder, however, glared at Zhou Xiang and shouted, "You useless disgrace! Are you here to betray your family now? Our family's top talent has been crippled, and you don't think we should seek justice?!"

Zhou Xiang's expression didn't change.

He stared at the red-haired elder and calmly said, "You've already admitted that you were the one trying to harm him. What justice is there to seek? You tried to kill someone and got your grandson crippled instead. Is that something to be proud of?"

"As for Zhou Shang being the family's top talent... heh, since when did that title belong to him?"

Boom! After speaking, he took a step forward, and his aura surged dramatically—from Heavenly Connection Realm second level, to third level, to fourth level, to fifth level, and finally, to the sixth level... his power seemed to have no limit.

Boom!

Golden light burst forth from his body, shooting into the sky and eventually coalescing into the image of a golden palace.

"This!!"

"Saint Realm?!"

"He advanced straight to the Saint Realm? How is this possible?!"

"He's only twenty-one years old!!"

The sight of the golden palace left everyone utterly stunned. A Saint Realm cultivator at the age of twenty-one—it was nothing short of terrifying.

For context, the so-called Zhou family genius Zhou Shang, at the same age, was only at the Heavenly Connection Realm third level.

The difference between them was like night and day, an unbridgeable gap. In comparison, Zhou Shang wasn't even fit to carry Zhou Xiang's shoes!

"You... you!!"

The red-haired elder's eyes widened in shock, and he instinctively took two steps back, clearly rattled.

At that moment, Zhou Xiang reached behind him, pulled out his butcher knife, and slashed toward the still-seated Zhou Shang.

Boom!

A terrifying blade light cut through the air, faster than lightning, sharper than anyone could fathom, causing everyone's scalp to tingle.

Shhrrk!

A screeching sound followed, like metal scraping against stone. A black fissure appeared, running just past Zhou Shang's right side and extending all the way to the horizon...

If that blade had been even slightly to the left, Zhou Shang would have been split in half, body and soul completely destroyed!

Everyone froze.

The atmosphere was suffocating.

Zhou Xiang sheathed his blade and calmly looked at the pale-faced red-haired elder, saying, "He's just a rat. Even if I had killed him, so what? This matter should end here."

"And one more thing... Qin Chuan is my master."

With that, he stepped silently behind Qin Chuan, his towering figure like an immovable mountain.

The crowd remained in shock, struggling to process what they had just witnessed. Some were still in disbelief, while others began to feel a sense of exhilaration.

The Zhou family's supreme prodigy had returned!

The Zhou family's rise was imminent!

Compared to Zhou Xiang, the red-haired elder and Zhou Shang now seemed utterly insignificant.

A Saint Realm cultivator at twenty-one—this kind of genius would be revered as a treasure by the family's most powerful ancestors!

Within the Zhou family, who would dare provoke him?