Qin Chuan turned his head to see who had spoken.
It was an unremarkable middle-aged man, only at the Three-Heaven Divine God level, his face full of disdain.
Qin Chuan couldn't be bothered to waste words.
He unleashed a wave of pressure.
Pfft!
The man immediately spat out blood, his expression of disdain turning into terror as he looked at Qin Chuan, his face pale.
"You… You…"
"Leave."
Qin Chuan said coldly.
"Y-Yes!"
The man quickly nodded and bowed, vanishing from sight.
Watching him go, Qin Chuan felt no emotion.
Some people just enjoy provoking others to feel important, but the moment they meet someone they can't mess with, they immediately cower.
For people like that, reasoning doesn't work. Nor does pretending to be weak and then turning the tables. The only solution is to reveal your true strength.
I'm powerful, and you can't afford to mess with me!
"Do you want to approach?"
Qin Chuan asked Qin Zi again.
Qin Zi glanced at the Divine Kings, a flicker of caution in his eyes, but he concealed it well. Smiling, he shook his head. "No need. Those seniors are meditating, and it wouldn't be polite to disturb them."
Qin Chuan sighed silently.
His heart was conflicted.
He knew why his son was acting so considerate. But often, when children are most thoughtful, it's when parents feel the most guilt…
"Alright."
Qin Chuan nodded and said nothing more. Both father and son sat down, following the example of others, and began to meditate.
How should one make a wish?
First, you need to be calm.
Then, with sincerity, comes the possibility of the wish being granted.
Qin Chuan wasn't holding out much hope for the Three Incense Sticks of Creation, and he didn't really have any wishes either. He lacked for nothing.
In life, having no desires makes you strong.
Time passed slowly.
"Look! The Creation Smoke is moving!"
Suddenly, someone cried out, causing many people to open their eyes and look skyward.
They saw that the smoke swirling at the top of the Three Incense Sticks of Creation was slowly descending, converging toward the eight Divine Kings seated in meditation.
A faint glow appeared on the surface of the Divine Kings, seemingly resonating with the descending smoke.
"It's said that when the Creation Smoke envelops someone, they will receive the favor of the Three Incense Sticks and have their wish granted."
"Those eight seniors should all be able to have their wishes fulfilled. I wonder what they will wish for."
"I wish it were me."
The surrounding crowd whispered in awe, their faces full of envy, wishing they could trade places with those eight.
Although the Divine Kings remained with their eyes closed, they clearly heard the chatter around them, and faint smiles appeared on their faces.
They looked as pleased as a student who, after receiving praise for a perfect essay about their influential father, tries to suppress a smile but can't quite hide it.
Buzz!
Just then, the smoke that had been about to envelop the eight Divine Kings suddenly shifted direction, flowing toward the outskirts of the crowd.
Its target was none other than… Qin Zi!
A soft glow appeared around Qin Zi, serene and sacred, like the light emanating from the most devout believer.
Whoosh!
The smoke gathered rapidly, swirling above Qin Zi's head, and then continuously flowed into his body.
"This!!"
"What's happening?"
"Who is that?"
The crowd was stunned. Someone was stealing a Divine King's fortune? And it was a young man?
Was this kid about to ascend to the heavens?
"Hmm?!"
At that moment, the eight Divine Kings simultaneously opened their eyes, their gazes sharp as they locked onto Qin Zi.
Seeing that it was a mere youth, they were momentarily surprised, but then their eyes flickered with thought.
They didn't make any rash moves, nor did they show anger. Instead, they remained deep in contemplation, each pondering something.
"Sigh, it's all up to fate," Qin Chuan sighed, quickly adjusting his mindset and preparing his web of lies.
If Qin Zi discovered that his mother was already dead, Qin Chuan could continue to weave more lies. After all, as a father, he could always say, "I did it to give you hope." It wouldn't be unreasonable, and he could easily add more details to support the story.
In any case, he'd adapt to the situation.
Soon, all the smoke was absorbed into Qin Zi, and the glow around him became even more radiant, so brilliant that it seemed to blur his form, making him appear otherworldly.
At that moment, Qin Zi seemed transcendent, as if he had shed the mortal coil and was on the verge of ascension.
"What immense wish power! What kind of wish could he have made to generate such a powerful glow of wish energy?"
"I've heard that the stronger the wish power, the greater the wish, and the harder it is to fulfill. But the smoke from the Three Incense Sticks of Creation represents the power to grant wishes. Judging by the current amount of smoke… it doesn't seem to be enough."
"Sigh, he's being too greedy. They've warned not to make such grand wishes. Now, all this opportunity has been wasted."
The crowd sighed, disappointed.
You've been granted favor from the Three Incense Sticks of Creation—why not make a simple wish and be done with it?
Now look. You asked for too much, exhausted all the wish-granting power, and it's still not enough. All for nothing.
And if there had been leftover smoke, others could have used it too! But now there wasn't a trace left!
Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!
Suddenly, the sound of sizzling filled the air, accompanied by a pungent smell.
The crowd turned to see the three enormous incense sticks burning rapidly, their tops glowing red!
Thick smoke, like dark clouds, billowed out and rushed toward Qin Zi.
Whoosh!
A vortex appeared around Qin Zi, like a bottomless pit, devouring the smoke without restraint.
The sight left everyone awestruck.
"This… this…"
"Throughout history, no one has ever drawn this much smoke. Not even a tenth of it!"
"What kind of wish is he making that requires so much smoke? Even becoming a giant shouldn't take this much, right?"
"Could it be… that he wishes to become the Master of Xuanhuang Heaven?"
"This is outrageous! Lying down and wishing to become the Master of Xuanhuang Heaven? How shameless!!"
Many people were losing their minds.
Gradually, though, they sensed something amiss. Even the eight Divine Kings began to tremble.
Because the Three Incense Sticks of Creation were shrinking rapidly. In just a short time, they had already lost a tenth of their height!
To understand, these incense sticks had existed since the beginning of Xuanhuang Heaven, standing for countless eons.
Over that time, despite being used by many, they had hardly worn down at all.
And yet, this kid had consumed a tenth of them, and he was still going!
Who was this kid?
What gave him the right?
Even the Master of Xuanhuang Heaven couldn't pull off something like this. Why was the mountain indulging this young man?
Countless questions swirled in their minds, and they all sensed that this was a situation beyond their comprehension.
Perhaps some unimaginable power was protecting this boy. Perhaps… it was connected to that mysterious great world.
Sizzle. Sizzle. Sizzle.
The Three Incense Sticks continued to burn.
Qin Zi kept absorbing the smoke, accepting it all as if determined to claim all the fortune from past and present.
Finally, after a long time, he stopped.
The crowd gasped as they realized that half of the Three Incense Sticks had burned away, leaving them as charred stubs, like trees struck by lightning.
The glow of wish power around Qin Zi slowly faded as he returned to normal.
"Father, I think I did it!" Qin Zi exclaimed excitedly, looking up.
"What wish did you make?"
Qin Chuan asked, trying to keep his tone calm, but inside, he was trembling.
Judging by the sheer amount of smoke Qin Zi had absorbed, this was unprecedented. What wish could he have made?
If the boy had used the power of the smoke to dig into his past, he could uncover everything—even the color of his underwear!
That would be the end of everything!
"Hehe, it's a secret."
Qin Zi chuckled mischievously, his expression sly and playful.
Seeing this, Qin Chuan's heart grew heavier. He silently asked his system, "Can you calculate what wish he made?"
Ding! Divination is possible. Given the importance of this situation, it will cost 100 Father Points to perform.
The system responded.