At this point, Qin Chuan couldn't care less about anything else. Rather than waiting for failure or choosing a failure he couldn't absorb, he might as well choose the unknown.
At least this unknown didn't seem very powerful, at least not in terms of size.
Although the unknown allowed for a gamble, it also carried immense danger—a life-threatening danger.
That was the price of the unknown.
Qin Chuan wasn't without hesitation, but a martial artist's life is more about opportunity than fate, and opportunity is accompanied by risk. He would encounter countless dangers throughout his life.
Each danger could increase his chances of success in the next; every effort yields a reward. Every adventure was for better survival, so he wouldn't have to take so many risks in the future.
Fortune favors the bold, and it was too difficult for Qin Chuan to give up at this moment. It was both danger and opportunity.
Opportunities are fleeting; there was no time to hesitate.
Qin Chuan acted, swift, accurate, and ruthless, because there was no second chance. He seized it; fortune or misfortune was up to fate. Qin Chuan's luck had always been good, and besides, his body usually reacted to danger to some extent.
*Whoosh!
* The thin red lightning struck Qin Chuan, disappearing silently from his body.
The world instantly returned to calm.
There was no reaction whatsoever.
Qin Chuan was stunned. What was going on? No reaction at all? Had he failed?
Qin Chuan's heart skipped a beat. Although failure was normal, it was still very frustrating. He was a little dazed.
Just then, the energy of heaven and earth began to converge on Qin Chuan. Only then did Qin Chuan realize that he had succeeded.
A surge of joy filled him, but what was that tiny, blood-red lightning bolt? However, there was no time to think about that now.
Refining and absorbing—this process took a while, but not long. Seven days passed quickly.
Breaking through to Immortal Emperor was within the normal range. In fact, just considering the absorption process alone, seven days was not short.
But if one were to cultivate in seclusion until the breakthrough, the time could be much longer, because most of the time was spent looking for the opportunity to break through, and the actual breakthrough itself took very little time.
Boom!
Qin Chuan felt as if his body had exploded, but not in a painful way. Instead, it felt as if many magical places within his body had been opened up, as if he had become a vast ocean, possessing infinite power and potential.
This feeling was wondrous, an incredibly powerful one. Qin Chuan finally understood the gap between an Immortal Emperor and a Quasi-Immortal Emperor.
Immortal Emperor Realm!
He had broken through!
Qin Chuan was now an Immortal Emperor himself, his power surging wildly, an increase so immense it was almost unbelievable. He understood why this step was truly considered a meteoric rise for powerful martial artists.
Only when one truly becomes an Immortal Emperor could one understand the difference, especially for Qin Chuan now.
Previously, as a half-step Immortal Emperor, he could defeat Immortal Emperor level martial artists like Long Yuanchong. Now, seeing Long Yuanchong and his ilk, they were utterly vulnerable. Qin Chuan even felt he could suppress them with just his willpower.
The Five Elements energy was completely absorbed by Qin Chuan, resulting in a significant improvement in both his appearance and many of his abilities.
Calming down, Qin Chuan thought again of that silent, fiery red lightning bolt. What exactly was it? Why hadn't it reacted at all?
The unknown always makes one uneasy, and Qin Chuan was no exception. Now he was searching, trying to sense it; he wouldn't feel comfortable until he understood.
However, once that tiny, fiery red lightning entered his body, it vanished without a trace, as if a stone had sunk into the sea. He felt
no discomfort whatsoever. Qin Chuan quickly reasoned with it; since he couldn't say for sure whether it was good or bad, he shouldn't dwell on it
. At least it wasn't a bad thing now, since without that small lightning bolt, he wouldn't have reached the Immortal Emperor realm. Besides, this was a life-or-death tribulation; if it allowed him to break through, then in principle, there was no problem.
He decided to deal with it later; perhaps it was a good thing.
Qin Chuan washed up before going outside. Renjun and Long Yuanchong were both there, and they smiled when they saw him.
They knew Qin Chuan had broken through; Renjun was very happy, and Qin Chuan even saw genuine happiness on Long Yuanchong's face.
This made Qin Chuan feel quite joyful, because he had come to terms with it, and the grudges between them had been settled in the last battle.
As for what would happen in the future, he would deal with that later. What he needed to do now was improve his strength; as long as he was strong enough, nothing else mattered.
"How was it? Did it go smoothly?" Renjun asked happily.
"Thanks for your help, brother. It went smoothly."
Qin Chuan said, then greeted Long Yuanchong again. At this moment, the Human Ruler said, "The imperial tomb is completely sealed off. No one can go in, and no one can come out."
Qin Chuan wasn't surprised. This was an imperial tomb; if they didn't have the capability, they wouldn't have gone to such lengths to set up such a large trap.
However, Qin Chuan still didn't understand why such a trap would be set up. Was it out of hatred for anyone entering his tomb?
"Greed kills. This trap exploits human greed, but it's normal. People die for wealth, birds die for food—it's only natural," Qin Chuan said helplessly.
"That's why I admire you, brother. Such courage is not something ordinary people can achieve," the Human Ruler said earnestly.
Qin Chuan shook his head and said nothing. Could he say he had absorbed the essence, or that he was confident? Actually, no one would believe him if he said he was confident.
Long Yuanchong was saved by Qin Chuan this time; otherwise, he would definitely have died here. Just thinking about it terrified him.
Unconsciously, being with Qin Chuan rekindled the feeling of being fellow disciples. Although Qin Chuan wasn't as strong as Long Yuanchong back then, he was the senior brother and always looked after him.
Now, so many years have passed, and many things have happened, but Qin Chuan still cares for him like this. Even if he's not a good person, it doesn't affect his feelings.
Often, the line between good and bad isn't so easy. One person might see someone as bad, but another might see someone as good.
Bad people aren't without feelings; they can become good, and good people can become bad.
"Brother Qin, your talent and aptitude are the best I've ever seen. I've never seen anyone who can rival you," Renjun said, looking at Qin Chuan with surprise and delight.
"There are always people better than you, brother. No need to flatter me. Let's go, let's have a good meal," Qin Chuan said, in a good mood.
On a nearby mountaintop, they prepared a feast of fine wine and food—all made by Qin Chuan himself, absolutely delicious.
What Qin Chuan felt most confident about, and even considered unbeatable, was his culinary skills…
At least in all these years, he had never met anyone who could surpass him in cooking.