At his secluded retreat, Qin Chuan sat cross-legged at the edge of a cliff, meditating on the natural world while creating a new cultivation technique.
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
His body emitted a faint silver glow, and silver runes continuously emerged from within him, spiraling around him.
They were scriptures.
These scriptures flickered, constantly shifting, refining themselves, discarding imperfections and leaving only the essence behind.
After a long while…
The scriptures suddenly quivered, like tadpoles finding their mother, swiftly aligning themselves into the shape of a dragon in mid-air.
This dragon, formed entirely of silvery characters, exuded a powerful and awe-inspiring aura.
"My Great Qin Ancestral Dragon Scripture is finally complete."
A smile appeared on Qin Chuan's face.
This was the first cultivation technique he had created. While not particularly powerful—barely reaching the Heavenly God level—it was one of his trump cards. He had infused it with the spiritual seed of Eternal Thought.
This meant that as long as someone practiced this technique, even if Qin Chuan were to perish, he could be revived through it!
"Go now, to those fated to receive it."
With a wave of his hand, the dragon made of scriptures expanded, then split into hundreds of smaller dragons that flew in all directions.
Perhaps they would fall into a river and transform into profound dragon patterns, flowing with the current.
Perhaps they would crash into a mountain, becoming intricately carved symbols, absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, shining brilliantly.
Perhaps they would descend upon a young man deemed hopeless, allowing him to comprehend their mysteries and embark on a reversal of his fortunes…
Everything would depend on fate.
Some things, the more you try to control, the more uncontrollable they become. Sometimes, trying too hard could even backfire.
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
Suddenly, Qin Chuan felt his communication jade vibrate. When he took it out, he saw that it was from Lin Yi!
"That boy's in trouble?" Qin Chuan raised an eyebrow as he began reading the message from the jade slip.
It read:
"Uncle Qin, I've encountered two mysterious, powerful figures. They don't seem to be from the Nine Skies World."
"They asked me about the most prominent geniuses of this generation in the Nine Skies World, as if they had some secret agenda."
"… Uncle Qin, I'm sorry. I ended up mentioning Brother Qin Zi. I didn't want to, but this isn't a secret. If I had lied, the consequences would have been dire."
"Anyway, those two mysterious figures may be coming for you. Be cautious."
After reading, Qin Chuan's eyes lit up.
They've finally arrived!
He had been waiting for this moment for a long time.
These two mysterious individuals were likely from Lin Yi's mother's family, here to hunt down the "bastard child" born out of a forbidden union.
However, he couldn't help but find the situation humorous. The two had run into Lin Yi upon their arrival and somehow fallen victim to the classic "hiding in plain sight" scenario.
They'd missed their mark perfectly.
What a couple of unlucky fools!
But this also dispelled any guilt Qin Chuan had felt toward Lin Yi. Had he not intervened, Lin Yi might have already been dead.
In a way, Qin Chuan had saved Lin Yi's life!
To use his own son to save another's—what selfless love, what grand virtue!
Even Qin Chuan himself was nearly moved by his own actions.
"Qin Zi, come here."
Qin Chuan called out toward the cave residence.
"Yes, Father!"
A voice sounded from within Qin Zi's room, a bit rushed, as if he had just tumbled out from beneath his blankets.
Soon after…
Qin Zi appeared before his father, looking refreshed, his clothes and hair perfectly in place, immaculate.
"Father, what is it?" Qin Zi asked with a smile.
"Where is the jade pendant your mother left for you?" Qin Chuan asked.
"Here."
Qin Zi quickly produced the pendant, which was a verdant green jade carving with a fiery red Vermillion Bird engraved on it.
It was originally a Phoenix Jade Pendant, but Qin Chuan had altered its appearance, transforming it into a Vermillion Bird Jade Pendant.
"During your battle with Luo Chentian at Thunder Sound Mountain, your bloodline awakened again. It's time to unlock the pendant."
As he spoke, Qin Chuan raised his right hand, making a grasping motion toward the pendant. The pendant floated upward, suspended in mid-air.
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
Countless runes appeared out of nowhere, like fine chains wrapping around the pendant, but soon, these chains began to snap.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, an ancient and majestic aura surged from the pendant. A golden phoenix emerged, soaring into the sky and circling above.
It rapidly expanded, enveloping the entire mountain range in brilliant golden light, illuminating the heavens.
"Divine Phoenix Eternal, Rebirth and Immortality!"
A profound and powerful voice resounded from the phoenix's body. Then, the phoenix shattered, dissolving into countless golden characters that flooded into Qin Zi's forehead.
"Ah!"
Qin Zi let out a cry of pain, nearly collapsing on the spot. But Qin Chuan was quick to catch him.
After a long while…
Qin Zi regained his composure.
"What happened?"
Qin Chuan asked, feigning ignorance.
"Father, it seems… I received a set of scriptures—very powerful scriptures," Qin Zi said, still in a daze.
"Let me take a look."
Qin Chuan put on a serious expression, as if worried about his son's well-being, and offered to check the scripture himself.
Without hesitation, Qin Zi shared the mysterious scripture with his father.
Immediately, a golden scripture called the Divine Phoenix Eternal Scripture appeared in Qin Chuan's mind.
What a treasure!
That was his first thought. The sheer power of the scripture made his heart race a little.
But he furrowed his brows, as if in deep analysis.
After some time, he let out a sigh of relief and smiled, "There's nothing wrong with this technique. You can safely cultivate it."
Qin Zi breathed a sigh of relief as well.
Qin Chuan, after some thought, added, "Train hard. There are likely big events coming soon."
"Yes!"
Qin Zi nodded solemnly before retreating to his cave once again, resuming his cultivation with great urgency.
Meanwhile…
In the distance, within an ancient ruin, two black-robed figures who had been prying open coffins suddenly paused.
They exchanged a glance.
"You feel that?" the thin man asked, his tone serious.
The fat man blinked. "Feel what?"
"Uh… nothing. Just felt like taking a dump," the thin man said casually, brushing it off.
"Ah, no big deal. Just handle it here." The fat man waved his hand, dismissing the thought.
The two resumed prying open coffins.
But shortly after, they both turned their heads to look at each other, sharing knowing smiles.
A mission?
What mission could compare to a little side hustle?
Wasn't traveling for work basically a vacation? If they didn't indulge a bit, what was the point of coming out here?
The target wasn't going anywhere. Why rush?
Crack!
The coffin opened.
Suddenly, an overwhelming aura flooded out like a tidal wave, knocking the two men back several meters.
"Wow, didn't expect that. This place looked so run-down, yet there's a Heavenly King buried here. Quite the surprise," the fat man said with a smirk.
"I bet he was trying to hide from some enemy, or maybe he was playing the fool to catch the tiger, burying himself in such an unassuming place," the thin man analyzed calmly.
The fat man, however, sneered, "Playing the fool to catch the tiger? If he runs into us, he's just a pig."
He cracked his knuckles, grinning wickedly. "Come on, let's strip this old man bare!"
Inside the ancient stone coffin lay an old man with white hair and a bald crown, radiating a natural air of authority even in death.