Son, Put Your Father To The Test (FF)

The land was devastated.

The surrounding hills had been completely shattered, and a river, once a hundred meters wide, was cut in half and diverted. The original riverbed had collapsed, with sand and rocks scattered in all directions, leaving behind a massive, circular crater. The pit was laced with spiderweb-like cracks, and at the very center of it lay a battered figure.

Qin Zi!

He was embedded in the ground, in a pitiful state. His clothes were tattered and ruined, but despite the earth-shattering attacks, one thing remained intact.

Was it his will?

No, it was his underwear.

"Heh, for someone so young, you sure are cunning. Even with my personal intervention, you almost managed to escape."

A burly, purple-haired man hovered in the sky, looking down at Qin Zi with a playful smirk. His dignified face even showed a hint of admiration.

"However, almost doesn't count. Once I make a move, there is no room for luck."

Qin Zi struggled, barely raising his hand to wipe the blood from his mouth. Gritting his teeth, he forced out, "You're a dignified Realm Emperor, and yet you attack a junior like me? Aren't you ashamed?"

"Fortune and treasure belong to the worthy. I'm simply taking what is mine. What's shameful about that?" the purple-haired man replied with a slight smile.

Qin Zi wanted to argue more but held back, knowing that in the face of absolute power, words were meaningless.

"It seems I have no choice but to use that."

He took a deep breath, his expression growing serious. Then suddenly, he tilted his head back and screamed, "DAD!!!!"

The shout was so loud it seemed to make the world spin, and the scene zoomed out as if shot from an aerial camera. In the depths of his open mouth, something shaped like a peach heart vibrated violently...

"Heh, you're on the verge of death and still clinging to hope? Even if your father were here, what could he possibly do?"

The purple-haired man chuckled dismissively, shaking his head. "Across the four domains, there are few who can stand toe-to-toe with me. What could your father be worth? You'd better hope he doesn't show up, or his fate will be the same as yours."

But just then, a leisurely voice rang out, "Why don't you tell me what fate my son and I are supposed to face?"

Whoosh!

The purple-haired man's pupils contracted sharply. Reacting instinctively, he flashed several hundred meters away in an instant. However, in the next second, a figure was already waiting there for him, and with a casual wave of his hand, he smashed the purple-haired man into the ground.

"Boom!"

The earth shook violently, and a massive crater, over a hundred meters wide, appeared, covered in spiderweb-like cracks. It was even more impressive than Qin Zi's crater, with underground water beginning to seep up.

But there was no one at the bottom of the pit.

Whoosh!

The purple-haired man reappeared in the sky almost instantly, as if teleporting. For a Realm Emperor, a physical blow like that wasn't enough to cause real harm. However, his expression was now extremely grim as he warily stared at Qin Chuan, his voice tense. "Who... are you?!"

"Didn't you hear me? That's my son down there." Qin Chuan replied with a smile, pointing at the crater where Qin Zi lay.

Upon hearing this, Qin Zi's face lit up with a smile, reminiscent of a loyal dog. He lay sprawled in the pit, his body forming a large "X" shape, unmoving, as the underground water slowly lifted him.

See? I told you my dad would come and save me.

"How is this possible?!"

Qin Chuan's words caused the purple-haired man's face to drain of color, a shiver running down his spine. He had suspected this was the case earlier, but now that it was confirmed, it felt like a death sentence.

This kid's father... is so terrifying?

Then why had the kid been hunted before? And by so many people? Why hadn't his father come to his aid earlier?

At that moment, he felt as if the world itself was mocking him.

"Friend, I think there's been a misunderstanding here."

Finally, the purple-haired man squeezed out the words, though they sounded hollow even to himself.

It was an empty statement, a lie. Everyone knew it wasn't true, but why did people still say it?

Because what really mattered wasn't the words themselves, but the attitude behind them—an admission of defeat.

When someone says these words, it means they're acknowledging their loss. The language may fall short, but the message is clear: they've given up.

"Hmm, since it's a misunderstanding, it should be resolved. So, tell me, how do you plan to resolve it?" Qin Chuan asked, smiling.

"Uh..."

The purple-haired man hesitated for a moment. He knew there was no way out today without a significant loss, so he steeled himself and said, "I once acquired a flying shuttle, an Emperor-level artifact. While it has no offensive capabilities, its speed is unmatched—even most Realm Emperors can't catch it. It would make a fine mode of transportation for your son."

As he spoke, a golden flying shuttle, shaped like a sleek board, emerged from his illusory world behind him and flew toward Qin Chuan.

Qin Chuan casually caught it, then without a second glance, tossed it into the pit where Qin Zi lay floating.

Qin Zi, who had been lying on his back in the puddle at the bottom of the crater, flipped over and climbed onto the flying shuttle. Now face-down, he sprawled on top of it, motionless like a dead dog.

"One flying shuttle doesn't seem like enough," Qin Chuan said with a smile, still looking at the purple-haired man. "Look at my son. His fighting spirit has waned, and he seems dispirited. Clearly, he's suffered emotional trauma, and that's going to take quite some effort to heal."

"This..."

The purple-haired man's face twitched. These two were clearly trying to bleed him dry! He felt his anger rising, wanting to shout back: Do you really think you can take me down so easily? If it comes to a fight, the outcome isn't guaranteed. Let's see who wins!

But he held back.

A true expert can assess their opponent with just one exchange, and from that brief clash earlier, he knew the man before him was like a towering mountain, an opponent he couldn't hope to shake.

Fight him, and I'll be the one who dies.

"Sigh, fine. Today, I admit defeat."

The purple-haired man sighed, his face filled with resignation. "But I hope you can understand why I acted as I did. In this world, only the strong survive. Treasures and opportunities are seized by the deserving. If we don't fight for them, how can we grow stronger? Waiting for blessings to fall from the sky? Most people will wait a lifetime and still see nothing."

With that, he once again summoned his inner world, beginning to sift through the treasures he'd accumulated over thousands of years for compensation.

His collection was vast and impressive, amassed through centuries of cautious cultivation and plundering.

Qin Chuan watched the wealth pile up in the illusory world, his mouth opening slightly as if he wanted to say something, but holding back.

"Is there something you want to say?"

The purple-haired man was sharp enough to notice Qin Chuan's hesitation and warily asked.

"I was thinking..."

Qin Chuan began to speak slowly, and the purple-haired man's gaze locked onto his mouth, anxiously awaiting what outrageous demand might follow.

Suddenly!

A fierce, overwhelming force blasted toward him. The purple-haired man's pupils shrank in shock, and before he could react, searing pain exploded in his head, as though his brain had been torn apart. Then the world spun violently.

"Boom!!"

The ground below shook, though it didn't collapse, as it had been reinforced by the fusion of Gold and Earth laws, making it indestructible.

The purple-haired man's head was buried deep in the cracked golden earth, his body dangling limply above, legs drooping, with his rear end pointed skyward.

"You... you fight without honor!"

He weakly raised his trembling right hand before letting it fall limply again. His entire body seemed to wither, like a wilting plant.

"Is he... dead?"

Qin Zi stared dumbfounded at the scene, unable to believe that a mighty Realm Emperor could be reduced to such a pitiful state.

"No, just unconscious," Qin Chuan said calmly.

At that moment, the purple-haired man's illusory world began to rapidly contract, like a clam retreating into its shell. But Qin Chuan was quick to act, reaching his hand into the shrinking world.

This was the Claw That Will Ruin You!