"Get lost!"
Faced with the ferocious serpents, Qin Chuan stomped his foot fiercely, and a shockwave erupted from him as the center, spreading out.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The serpents were flung backward, and even the Jade-faced Flower Lord was sent flying.
Qin Chuan's right hand sliced through the air like a blade, and an incredibly sharp arc split the sky, enveloping the enemies within it.
Puff! Puff! Puff! Puff!
The serpents were severed instantly, black blood splattering everywhere. The Jade-faced Flower Lord let out a shriek as a gruesome wound appeared on his abdomen, nearly cutting him in half as he fell to the ground.
"Sect Master!!"
Several elders of the Qingye Heavenly Sect rushed over, their faces pale as they caught him and prepared to flee.
"Heh, did I say you could leave?"
Qin Chuan sneered, and with a sweep of his sleeve, a massive green leaf covered the sky, trapping them.
One Leaf Covers the Sky.
Space sealed.
"Qin Chuan, do you really want to make an enemy of my Qingye Heavenly Sect? Do you know that our founder, Daoist Qingye, has already stepped into the realm of giants? He is destined to become a giant soon!" Master Qingyang gritted his teeth as he spoke.
"An enemy? You came here to kill me, and now you're talking about enemies? Isn't that laughable?" Qin Chuan mocked.
Master Qingyang's face stiffened.
The Jade-faced Flower Lord, clutching his wound, coughed twice and said in a pale voice, "Qin Chuan, you won this time. Kill me if you want, but your fate will be far worse than ours!"
"Heh."
Qin Chuan chuckled dismissively, then suddenly appeared right in front of him, face to face, and asked, "What was your cultivation level at your peak?"
"Huh?"
The Jade-faced Flower Lord was stunned for a moment, caught off guard. He then snorted coldly, "Hmph! At my peak, I was a Five-Heaven Divine King. Killing you would be as easy as crushing an ant!"
He lifted his head proudly, holding onto his last bit of pride.
"I see… Well, off you go then," Qin Chuan smiled slightly. "I'd love to see how powerful you were at your peak."
"What? You'll really let us go?" The Jade-faced Flower Lord frowned, a hint of suspicion in his eyes.
"No, I'm saying I'll let you go. As for them, they don't need to." Qin Chuan smiled.
"You!!"
The Jade-faced Flower Lord glared at Qin Chuan, then turned to look at the elders of the Qingye Heavenly Sect.
The elders clenched their teeth, their faces ashen, but none of them spoke. They knew begging for mercy was pointless.
"Go now, before I change my mind," Qin Chuan said with a smile.
The Jade-faced Flower Lord struggled to his feet, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. He stared coldly at Qin Chuan and said, "You will regret this!"
Qin Chuan remained silent, smiling faintly.
"Sect Master, avenge us!" The elders called out to the Jade-faced Flower Lord as he departed.
The Jade-faced Flower Lord nodded with his back to them, clenching his fists as he quickly flew away into the distance.
Qin Chuan watched him leave, then turned his gaze to the elders, who were resigned to their fate.
"If you're going to kill us, just do it. No need for… Ugh!"
Master Qingyang, attempting to put on a brave front, groaned mid-sentence as he suddenly coughed up blood.
"You…"
He clutched his abdomen in pain, pointing a trembling finger at Qin Chuan, his mouth filling with thick blood, staining his teeth red.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Before he could say more, Qin Chuan struck out with a devastating punch, obliterating the elders in a wave of destruction, leaving nothing but blood mist.
The scene dissipated into nothingness.
At this point, many onlookers remained nearby, watching intently. Qin Chuan scanned the crowd, speaking coldly, "It's over. Move along."
Without hesitation, the spectators quickly turned away, pretending nothing had happened, each going their own way.
"Father, why did you let him go?" Qin Zi asked with a serious expression.
He had been holding back his question out of respect for his father's dignity in front of others, but now he couldn't contain it any longer.
"His strength is decent," Qin Chuan smiled faintly and looked meaningfully at Qin Zi. "He'll make a good stepping stone for you."
Qin Zi's mouth twitched, "Father, isn't that stepping stone a bit too big? I've only just broken through to the Divine God Realm."
"Pressure creates motivation," Qin Chuan said firmly. "If you want to achieve great things, every step you take must account for ten steps ahead."
Qin Zi paused for a moment.
Although something felt off about what his father said, it did seem to make sense. And since the words came from his father, they naturally carried more weight.
His father wouldn't set him up for failure, right?
With that thought, he took a deep breath and nodded solemnly, "Father, I understand."
"Good," Qin Chuan nodded approvingly. He can be taught.
At that moment, three enormous beams of light shot up from the center of the plaza, resembling three towering pillars.
It seemed they were… three incense sticks!
The incense sticks were colossal, like three great pillars standing side by side. Their surfaces were intricately carved with divine patterns, giving off an air of sacredness.
This was an unusual phenomenon.
The actual incense sticks weren't that large, only around ten meters tall, and they were inserted into a bronze tripod with three legs and two handles.
"It's the Three Incense Sticks of Creation!"
"Legend has it that these are sacrificial objects capable of connecting to an unknown and great world. Whoever receives the favor of the Three Incense Sticks of Creation can have any wish granted within certain limits!"
"Any wish? Can I wish to become a giant or even the Master of Xuanhuang Heaven?"
"That… might be beyond its scope, but becoming a Divine King should be possible. It's been done before."
Gasp!
"Hurry, the closer we get to the Three Incense Sticks of Creation, the easier it is for our wishes to be granted."
With that, the crowd quickly surged toward the center of the plaza.
"Is this for real?" Qin Chuan squinted his eyes, feeling less than thrilled. In fact, he was growing uneasy.
Normally, opportunities like this—where benefits were handed out for free—often ended up in Qin Zi's hands.
And if Qin Zi really gained the favor of the Three Incense Sticks of Creation and secretly wished to know about his mother's situation…
Wouldn't that expose the truth?
"Father, what are you thinking? Let's hurry over. Maybe we can get a wish granted too!" Qin Zi said excitedly.
"Let's go," Qin Chuan agreed reluctantly. Even though he didn't want to, he couldn't show it. So he led Qin Zi toward the central plaza.
Soon, they arrived at the center, where the three incense sticks, radiating brilliant divine light, stood before them.
The tops of the incense sticks were slightly charred, seemingly burning slowly. As they burned, wisps of blue smoke drifted upward, gathering at the tips of the incense sticks and transforming into various images.
At the base of the incense sticks, a large crowd had gathered, sitting in orderly rows with their eyes closed in meditation.
In the innermost circle, there were eight individuals, each exuding an ancient and profound aura that sent chills down the spine.
Divine Kings!
Qin Chuan's expression shifted slightly. Were these Divine Kings resurrected from Xuanhuang Heaven, or were they from the Upper Realm?
"So powerful!" Qin Zi gasped, his body trembling from the overwhelming pressure radiating from the eight individuals who were merely sitting there.
"Should we approach?" Qin Chuan asked calmly.
In truth, he was conflicted.
He didn't want Qin Zi to get too close to the Three Incense Sticks, but if these Divine Kings developed killing intent toward Qin Zi, it might work in his favor.
Both choices carried risks and potential benefits, so he decided to let Qin Zi choose.
No matter what Qin Zi chose, it would send a message to those around them—We can approach if we want. I don't fear those Divine Kings.
"Hmph, acting tough, are we? Do you think you can just waltz over to the central position? Go ahead, give it a try," a mocking voice suddenly sneered from nearby.