Chapter 74: Qin Zi Talks Back

"This... this!!"

The old demon's pupils suddenly shrank in fear as he exclaimed, "How are you so powerful? What kind of divine ability is this?"

"I'm not telling you."

Qin Chuan calmly raised his right hand, silver-white dragon shadows coiling around his palm, radiating an aura that made one's scalp tingle.

Looking down at the old demon, Qin Chuan asked flatly, "Tell me, how do you want to die?"

"I... I..."

The old demon was at a loss. He truly felt the overwhelming pressure of death looming over him. Faced with such absolute power, there was no room for resistance.

In the end, gritting his teeth, he said, "Don't kill me! I'm willing to be your son's personal servant!"

Qin Chuan chuckled mockingly. "Heh, I gave you the chance before, but now… it's too late!"

Swoosh!

Almost instantly, the old demon, sensing the danger, made a desperate attempt to flee, shooting skyward.

Clang!!

But the very next moment, his head throbbed in pain, as though it were about to explode. He had slammed into a golden bell!

To be precise, a giant golden bell was covering the mouth of the pit, and he had crashed right into it.

The pit was sealed.

"This!!"

The old demon's face twitched as he slowly looked down, only to see Qin Chuan standing below, smiling up at him.

"When I want you dead by the third watch, even the King of Hell won't keep you alive until the fifth!" Qin Chuan flipped his hand, and the Nine Dragon Battle Qi surged upwards.

Roar, roar, roar!

Nine white dragons intertwined, soaring into the golden bell above. The old demon had no chance to fight back—he was shredded instantly!

The gap between their powers was simply too vast.

A threefold difference in strength—how could it be bridged?

"I refuse to accept this!"

The old demon let out one final wail of despair before his soul exploded, and his Divine Soul Furnace dissipated.

As the furnace dissolved, a hazy palace appeared within it before vanishing along with the furnace.

"A Dao Palace in its embryonic form?!"

Qin Chuan was taken aback.

The Dao Palace was a symbol of a Saint Realm expert. If this old demon had a Dao Palace forming, didn't that mean he was on the verge of breaking through to the Saint Realm?

"Was I too hasty?"

"Should I have waited until he broke through before killing him?"

Qin Chuan pondered for a moment, but then shook his head. He recalled the texts he had recently read in the sect's library.

This old demon likely wouldn't have been able to break through anytime soon.

At least, within the Nine Sun Dynasty's territory, it would be nearly impossible to reach the Saint Realm. The area was deficient in feng shui and fortune.

According to historical records, an ancient war had shattered the ancestral veins of the land within the Seven Nations. Since then, the region had become a barren place, devoid of the necessary fortune.

In the Seven Nations, breaking through to the Saint Realm was nearly impossible. Even Saint Realm experts from other areas, if they stayed here too long, would see their cultivation gradually deteriorate, as though they were suffering from malnutrition.

Since the old demon couldn't break through any time soon, there was no need to wait. Waiting until he broke through would mean that Qin Chuan himself would have long surpassed him!

With that in mind, it was better to kill the demon now and rid the world of a scourge… though, in truth, his main goal was to eliminate any potential witnesses.

After all, he had been to this pit and done several strange things—none of which could come to light.

Additionally, by doing this, he was covering for Shui Qinghan. Otherwise, the young man might have been killed by the demon before he had a chance to truly grow.

Qin Chuan held some expectations for Shui Qinghan.

He was curious to see how far this youth, who came from humble beginnings, who could bend and endure, and who was both cautious and strategic, could rise...

This world was exciting because of such monstrous talents; without them, life would be too dull.

Of course, Qin Chuan's "let the world burn" mindset stemmed from the fact that the stronger the side characters, the stronger the protagonist!

Following the usual cultivation novel tropes, his son, Qin Zi, should be the protagonist, while he played the role of the protagonist's father. And because of the system, his power was tied to his son's growth.

Thus, he hoped that more extraordinary young talents would emerge in this world.

"I should clean this up."

Qin Chuan glanced at the mess left in the pit, considering how best to stage the scene to make it look like the old demon had escaped.

This would avoid unnecessary complications.

…

The next morning.

At the crack of dawn, Shui Qingrou went to see her master and reported the hidden danger of the old demon within the sect.

Grand Elder Zhao Fulong was shocked and quickly gathered a team to locate the pit and eliminate the demon.

But in the end, they arrived at a disappointing conclusion—the old demon had escaped!

The demon had left no trace behind, making it impossible to track him down.

And so, the matter was left unresolved.

At noon, Seven Martial Sect received a group of distinguished visitors that shocked everyone—elders from five great sects!

Over twenty Supreme Elders, each a powerhouse at the peak of the Heaven-Piercing Realm, descended upon the sect.

This was a frightening lineup.

Many disciples were pale with fear, wondering if the sect was about to be wiped out.

But soon, the Supreme Elders of Seven Martial Sect appeared, smiling, and invited the visitors into the sect's hidden valley.

Relieved, the disciples realized that these guests had come as allies, not enemies.

Shortly after, Qin Chuan and his son were also summoned to the hidden valley.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!

As soon as they arrived, sharp, scrutinizing gazes fell upon them, looking down with condescension.

"You're Qin Chuan?"

An elder from the Severed Sun Saber Sect, with fiery red hair, eyed Qin Chuan with clear hostility, speaking in a cold tone.

"I am."

Qin Chuan responded calmly, neither humble nor arrogant.

"Do you know why we're here?" the red-haired elder asked again.

"I assume it's to help Seven Martial Sect resist pressure from the royal family," Qin Chuan said.

"Hmph! At least you know!" the red-haired elder snorted. "This whole mess started because of you and your son. We old bones came all this way for your sake, and yet, you show no respect? Where's your gratitude?"

"What do you mean by that?" Qin Chuan asked.

"Why aren't you kneeling before your elders?!" The red-haired elder's eyes sharpened, his voice cutting like a blade.

The other elders watched silently, waiting to see what Qin Chuan would do... Why wasn't he kneeling?

Qin Chuan calmly looked at the red-haired elder and said, "My abilities were not taught by Seven Martial Sect. And when I joined, I made an agreement with the sect that neither I nor my son would be required to kneel to anyone."

Kneel?

What a joke!!

Even if you were a peak Heaven-Piercing cultivator, Qin Chuan wouldn't kneel to you. Even if a Martial Emperor arrived, he still wouldn't bow.

The persona of an undefeated powerhouse must not crumble!

"Zhao Brother, is this true?" An elder from the Southern Flower Sword Sect turned to Zhao Fulong for confirmation.

"It's true, there was such an agreement," Zhao Fulong nodded.

"Hmph! That's an internal matter of Seven Martial Sect. We aren't part of your sect," the red-haired elder wasn't giving up. "We've traveled thousands of miles to clean up your mess. Kneeling to show some respect isn't too much to ask, is it?"

"Well..."

Zhao Fulong was at a loss for words, unsure how to respond.

"Heh, how righteous you sound!"

At that moment, Qin Zi couldn't hold back any longer. With a sneer, he said, "Everyone knows that people only act for personal gain. Even a three-year-old knows that much. Don't pretend you don't know why you're really here."

"And even if my father did kneel... you wouldn't be worthy of it!"

"Impudent!"

The red-haired elder's face darkened, his anger rising. "A mere junior dares to speak without respect! The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Today, I'll teach you some manners!"