Son, Put Your Father To The Test (FF)

"Master, are you really not staying a few more days?"

Outside the main gates of the Zhou family, Zhou Xiang looked at Qin Chuan with eager eyes, clearly hoping that he would stay longer.

"No, I have matters that I must attend to," Qin Chuan said as he slowly lifted his gaze toward the distant horizon.

His eyes were resolute, as if they held the sun, moon, and stars within them, as though his heart was vast enough to care for all of the people under the heavens.

"Sigh, yes, I understand…" Zhou Xiang let out a sigh. More than anyone, he knew the kind of task his master was about to undertake.

Although, even his master didn't fully know.

"Good that you understand."

Qin Chuan smiled in satisfaction, patting the large man on the shoulder. "Keep slaughtering those pigs. You have a real talent for it."

"Mm!"

Zhou Xiang nodded heavily.

"Let's go!"

Qin Chuan turned and waved his hand, not looking back as he flew away with his silent, tool-like son in tow.

Whoosh! The two transformed into a streak of light and disappeared into the distance.

In reality, the reason Qin Chuan was in such a hurry to leave was that he had just received some news—Huangquan Sect was holding a disciple recruitment event!

Huangquan Sect! A sect that had risen to prominence in the Eastern Domain a hundred years ago, it was established by an ancient hermit known as the Huangquan Saint. When this old monster decided to found a sect on a whim, it immediately became a first-rate sect.

It wasn't because of resources or heritage.

Even if this sect had no disciples, simply having the Huangquan Saint hang a plaque with its name was enough to make it a first-rate sect.

This was because the cultivation of the Huangquan Saint had reached the Fifth Heaven of the Heavenly Saint Realm—meaning he had comprehended five laws!

Of course, none of these five laws were part of the Five Elemental Laws, so becoming a Realm Emperor was entirely out of reach.

A stable waste, so to speak.

However, even without the hope of becoming an emperor, such strength was already formidable enough. As long as he didn't provoke an imperial clan, there would be no issues.

And the reason for Qin Chuan's haste in heading there was simple—he planned to bring Qin Zi along to stir up some trouble. To be precise, Qin Zi would be the one causing trouble.

His plan was this:

During the intense recruitment tournament, Qin Zi would sweep through the competition, defeating all the geniuses and becoming the top candidate.

Then, when the event organizers were about to accept him as a disciple, Qin Zi would refuse and declare, "I already have a master!"

In front of the crowd, the organizer's pride would be shattered. They would inevitably lash out, and with Qin Zi's sharp tongue, he would retaliate, further escalating the conflict.

The organizers, likely one of the sect's elders or the sect master, would probably attempt to kill Qin Zi on the spot!

Of course, the Huangquan Sect's grand elder or sect master would most likely be at the Eighth or Ninth Heaven of the Saint Realm.

Once things escalated, Qin Chuan's own strength would increase to match theirs, allowing him to fiercely defend his son and suppress the opposing party.

Naturally, they were on enemy territory, and after defeating one elder, another might step forward—perhaps even the Huangquan Saint himself.

That's when things would get truly dangerous.

At that point, those even older and more powerful figures might not care about Qin Zi at all. They would instead focus their ire on Qin Chuan, seeing him as the real mastermind, while Qin Zi would merely be considered a pawn, not worth mentioning.

However!!

Qin Chuan had accounted for all these possibilities.

The reason he dared to stir up trouble on someone else's turf was that the system had recently unlocked a new function...

…

Huangquan Sect, its gates towering and imposing.

With over a thousand peaks, deep ravines, and vast expanses, the sect's territory could easily accommodate a small kingdom!

These mountains had been relocated here by the Huangquan Saint himself, showcasing the grandeur and might of the sect.

At this moment, Huangquan Sect's recruitment tournament had reached its climax, with countless geniuses from the region battling fiercely.

On the massive combat arena, the rumbling of battle echoed ceaselessly.

Boom!

"Eight Extremities Collapse!"

"Suction Palm, Fire Driving Palm!"

"Ninefold Tidal Surge!"

The arena was enormous, constructed from the laws of a Heavenly Saint, allowing it to host dozens of fights simultaneously.

By now, most participants had been eliminated. Those still standing were the top-tier talents of the region.

Most hailed from second-tier forces like the Zhou family, while some were exceptionally gifted independent cultivators.

On the prestigious viewing platform.

A group of powerful figures watched the matches with great interest, occasionally whispering amongst themselves, critiquing the performances.

At the center sat Sima Nan, the Huangquan Sect Master, and the host of this recruitment tournament.

"Sect Master, the young talents this time are quite impressive, especially Li Mu from the Li family. At only twenty-one, he has already reached the Fifth Heaven of the Tongtian Realm, a rare genius indeed," commented an elder beside him.

Sima Nan nodded calmly and then said, "But I'm more impressed by Jin Yue. Although his cultivation is slightly lacking, his swordsmanship shows the makings of a true master. His future is promising."

"So... will the winner come from one of these two, then?" The elder asked with a smile.

"Not necessarily. Until the final moment, nothing is certain. There's always the chance of a dark horse appearing," Sima Nan replied nonchalantly.

"Yes, yes, of course!"

The elder nodded quickly, though inwardly, he felt somewhat slighted—twice now, the sect master had dismissed his statements.

But who could he blame?

He had brought this upon himself by trying to curry favor. If he hadn't tried to cozy up, he wouldn't have gotten shut down.

Boom!

Suddenly, a loud explosion shook the arena as a young man in black unleashed a powerful attack, sending his opponent flying hundreds of meters!

"What just happened?!"

"This…"

"What incredible strength!"

The crowd erupted in astonishment.

Sima Nan, too, suddenly sat up straighter, pointing at the black-clad youth as he asked the elder beside him, "Who is that?"

"Uh… I don't know. He must be a talented independent cultivator," the elder answered awkwardly.

Sima Nan nodded thoughtfully, taking a deep breath before commenting, "This young man is no more than twenty, yet he has already reached the Fourth Heaven of the Tongtian Realm. His combat strength far surpasses his realm. Furthermore, I can see a confidence in his eyes that others lack… Very impressive."

The elder was taken aback. It was rare for the typically aloof sect master to give such high praise to a young cultivator.

"Are you planning to… take him as a disciple?" the elder asked tentatively.

Sima Nan chuckled, a hint of modesty in his voice. "If he's willing to accept me as his master, that would be ideal."

"And if he isn't?" the elder blurted out without thinking.

Sima Nan turned to glare at him coldly.

The elder's face went pale, beads of sweat forming on his forehead as he cursed himself for asking such a foolish question.

The sect master had obviously already set his sights on the black-clad youth. There was no way the boy would refuse, especially after participating in the tournament!

What the elder didn't know was that Sima Nan had already answered the question in his mind—If such a genius won't serve me, he must be destroyed.

After all, by participating in the tournament, the youth had clearly shown he had no significant backing. Such people had two options: submit or perish!

The world was full of strong individuals, and every new genius was a potential threat. The fewer variables, the better.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Meanwhile, on the arena, the black-clad youth—none other than Qin Zi, sent here by Qin Chuan for training—was rampaging through his opponents, sending them flying left and right.

It was like a scene straight out of the movie Kung Fu Hustle.

Finally, only two figures remained standing in front of Qin Zi—Li Mu and Jin Yue, the two strongest talents in this tournament.

Qin Zi's aura was overwhelming as he stared down the two.

"You both should come at me together."

He beckoned them forward with a flick of his finger.

The two exchanged wry smiles before one of them said, "You know, we'd rather not do this."

After all, they were both top talents in the region, and two against one would tarnish their reputations, even if they won.

Yet despite their reluctance, they didn't hold back. Without any hesitation, they attacked together.

"Tiger Force Divine Fist!"

"Heaven-Splitting Sword!"

Boom!

The three collided in a furious exchange of fists and sword strikes. Jin Yue's swordsmanship was especially dangerous, forcing Qin Zi to stay on his toes.

At the same cultivation level, no one could physically withstand a direct clash with a sword. Otherwise, what would be the point of wielding weapons?

Due to Jin Yue's presence, Qin Zi had to evade the sword strikes, which increased the pressure on him. The old adage "two fists can't fight four hands" proved true, as Qin Zi struggled to keep up in the two-on-one battle.

The fight raged on fiercely!

"Hellfire Red Lotus—!"

Finally, as the two opponents passed him in close quarters, Qin Zi seized the opportunity, putting distance between them before unleashing a devastating, charged-up attack.

Boom—!

The arena shook violently as a massive mushroom cloud erupted, and the two opponents were blasted away, severely injured.

Qin Zi, victorious!

"Well done. The match is over!"

At that moment, a Huangquan Sect elder rose to his feet, surveying the arena below as he authoritatively announced, "The first-place winner has been decided."

"Based on your previous performances, the sect's evaluation team has made its decisions about who will be accepted into the sect."

"Now, I will announce the names of the talents who will be joining Huangquan Sect. They are: Li Mu, Jin Yue, Fan Hong, Lu Xiao…"

Ten names in total were called.

In other words, only ten were being accepted this time. After all, when elite sects recruit, they prioritize quality over quantity—they certainly weren't short on disciples.

After reading the list, the elder glanced meaningfully at Qin Zi, thinking to himself, That kid must be feeling upset right now, having missed out on being chosen. Still, he's handling it pretty well.

After a brief pause, the elder smiled and said, "Aside from these ten disciples, the sect master has decided to personally accept a direct disciple. I'm sure… everyone knows who that is."

Whoosh!!

All eyes immediately turned to Qin Zi.

Meanwhile, the dignified sect master slowly rose from his grand seat.

With an air of grace and authority, he looked down at Qin Zi and, with a warm yet commanding tone, asked:

"You—are you willing to become my disciple?"

"Huh??"

Qin Zi froze, momentarily caught off guard.