Ziyun Academy.
A large group of disciples surrounded Qin Zi, many of them showing worried expressions, sighing deeply.
"Senior Brother Qin, you really shouldn't have accepted that three-year challenge with Lu Qian!"
"Yeah, he's already at the Eighth Heaven of the Saint realm. If he doesn't break through to become a Sovereign, in three years he'll likely reach the Ninth Heaven of the Saint realm, while you at most will only be at the Sixth Heaven. How could you fight him?"
"And that's only if he doesn't break through. If he chooses to advance and become a Sovereign at the Eighth Heaven, he'll be a Sovereign in three years!"
"Too impulsive, definitely impulsive..."
Everyone sighed with regret.
At the same time, they also held great respect for Qin Zi.
After all, Senior Brother Qin Zi accepted this absurd three-year challenge for the honor of Ziyun Academy.
If it were them in his place, when faced with Lu Qian's provocative question, "Do you dare to fight?", they probably wouldn't have even dared to respond.
"Don't worry, everyone. When the enemy comes, we will block them; when the flood arrives, we will stop it."
Qin Zi looked around at the crowd, calm and composed, and said:
"I've risen to where I am today without ever fearing any challenge. As long as someone challenges me, I will accept, and then... defeat them!"
A fierce battle intent surged from him, powerful and imposing, making it hard for anyone to meet his gaze.
Seeing this, many of the disciples fell silent.
For some reason, they felt a twinge of sadness in their hearts.
Over the past few months, Senior Brother Qin Zi had become much more steady, but this steadiness had been paid for with suffering.
They often saw Senior Brother Qin Zi sitting alone at dusk, gazing off into the distant horizon.
But in the direction he looked, there was only the endless red glow of the setting sun, not the person he was waiting for...
"Everyone can go now. I'd like to be alone for a while."
After a long pause, Qin Zi said softly.
"Alright."
"We're leaving, Senior Brother Qin. Don't feel too much pressure, we believe in you... You can do it... I think?"
"No, you definitely can do it!"
Everyone tried to cheer Qin Zi up, even if their words were half-hearted, and then they gradually left.
Qin Zi watched them walk away.
He then flew into the air again, landing atop a nearby mountain, where he sat down.
He gazed at the horizon.
Like a monkey watching the sea, he stared as the clouds and sunset flickered in and out of view.
His voice was low and hoarse, almost choked with emotion: "Dad, are you still alive? If you don't come back soon, you might never see me again."
"This three-year challenge... I really don't have the confidence to win... Without you here, I can't find the courage to overcome everything."
"And honestly... I don't even care anymore."
"Without you by my side, what joy is there in life, and what sorrow in death? Other than you, I have no other family left."
"As for Mom... heh, I've never even really cared what she looks like."
"To say something unfilial, to me, she's no different than a stranger. Really, no different... The only reason I swore to find her was because... you miss her."
At that moment, his body shimmered with golden light, and a beautiful, ethereal figure appeared beside him.
It was the golden-haired woman.
She looked at her disciple, seeing his sorrow, and felt an ache in her heart. But she didn't know how to comfort him.
For she, too, felt sadness in her heart.
So, she adjusted her skirt and gently crouched down, wrapping her arms around the despondent Qin Zi.
From a distance, it looked as if an older sister was comforting her younger brother, or perhaps even like a mother holding her child...
"Dad! Are you still alive?"
"Qin Chuan, if you're alive, get out here! I, the future supreme powerhouse, order you—come out!"
After a long while, Qin Zi suddenly pushed away his master, stood up, and shouted at the sky.
"Boom!!"
His roar shook the mountains and valleys, and even caused the clouds to churn and roll, as if boiling gold water!
The sky swirled with clouds, and rays of sunset light danced like dragons across the sky, their brilliance unmatched.
One roar stirred the heavens!
From a distance, his figure stood tall and straight, his long hair flying wildly as he roared. The light of the sunset seemed to outline his form in gold, making him look like a majestic lion letting out a sorrowful cry, full of tragic grandeur!
But the next moment...
A hand silently appeared behind him, grabbed his collar, and effortlessly lifted him into the air.
Huh???
Qin Zi's heroic expression froze instantly, just like a cat grabbed by the scruff of its neck, he stopped moving.
His limbs hung down, head drooping as the collar of his robe was lifted higher than his head, making him look hunched over.
At the same time...
A playful voice echoed:
"Well, well, it's been a few months, and now you dare speak to your father like that?"
Qin Zi's body trembled violently.
He slowly turned his head and saw a familiar face appear in his line of sight.
"Dad!!"
His eyes lit up with joy, tears welling up, and the lifelessness in him instantly gave way to vibrant energy, as if his entire world had come back to life!
He instinctively tried to turn around and hug his father, but after squirming for a moment, he realized he couldn't move.
"Dad, put me down!"
He kicked his feet in the air a few times, struggling like a cat being held up by the neck.
Qin Chuan found this amusing.
So he continued holding him up, letting his mischievous son struggle for a while longer before finally placing him back on the ground.
Once Qin Zi landed, he prepared to throw himself into his father's arms again, but then realized... now that the moment had passed, it felt a little embarrassing.
He lowered his head, nervously tapping the tip of his right shoe against the left, his expression awkward, his hands fidgeting as he awkwardly said:
"Well... Dad, that was a misunderstanding earlier. I respect you so much, there's no way I'd talk to you like that, right?"
He smiled sheepishly, almost groveling.
But the genuine joy radiating from him was impossible to hide, like the sun shining on the earth, bringing everything back to life.
The old, familiar Qin Xiaozhu had returned.
"Really?"
Qin Chuan eyed him suspiciously.
"Of course it's true!"
Qin Zi puffed out his chest and swore with conviction.
Looking at his son's shamelessness, Qin Chuan laughed and cursed, "Get back home first, I'll deal with you later."
"Got it!"
Qin Zi responded cheerfully. With a wave of his right hand, golden light extended into the air, forming a long slide that connected the mountaintop to the Ziyun Academy below.
Then, curling himself into a ball, he rolled down the slide, spinning and bouncing as he went.
He rolled down quite smoothly.
"..."
Qin Chuan blinked, then burst into laughter.
"Brother Qin, you've finally returned."
At that moment, the golden-haired woman nearby spoke softly.
She gently pinched the corner of her skirt, biting her lip. Her golden eyes were filled with joy, but also glistened with faint tears.
Her expression was like a blend of admiration and sorrow.
Qin Chuan glanced at his son's teacher and noticed that she had become even more beautiful, with a deeper allure.
Her figure, dressed in light, flowing garments, was curvaceous and elegant.
Mature, yet gentle.
Had he not been heartbroken by women in his past life, to the point of jumping off a building, he might not have been able to resist in this situation.
Taking a deep breath, he pulled back his "appreciative" gaze and said in a serious tone, "You've worked hard during this time."
"Compared to the pain you've endured on your own, my efforts are nothing," Ye Lingshuang replied, biting her lip as she looked up at him. Her eyes shimmered with emotion, her shoulders trembling slightly.
In her mind, she could imagine this man, like a lone wolf, hiding in some distant corner, howling in pain.
This stubborn man...
He'd rather bear all the suffering alone than let those who cared for him see his vulnerable side.
This man... had suffered too much.
Seeing the expression on her face, Qin Chuan immediately realized that this imaginative woman must have misunderstood something again.
Even he didn't know what grand, earth-shattering deeds he had done to move her to such tears.
Could it be...?
Could it be his tireless efforts paving the way for his son, showing his fatherly love and sense of responsibility?
He couldn't figure it out.
All he could say was, a woman's heart is like the ocean's depths—impossible to fathom!