"Ding! Your son has slapped the face of the Celestial White Crane, Mingyu, earning you 23 points of 'Father Value.' Your current balance is 68.6."
The system's voice arrived a bit late.
Qin Chuan noticed that this sly system had been growing more polite, now addressing him as "you" in a formal tone.
Indeed, even systems bow before the wealthy!
At this moment, the elders of Starshatter Academy, after a brief silence, coldly turned their gazes toward Qin Chuan.
The tiger-headed elder, trying to mask his fear with bravado, said, "Are you sure... you want Qin Zi to break through to the Second Heaven here? Aren't you afraid he won't walk out alive?"
"You'd better think carefully. If your son dies here, you won't even have the chance to avenge him. Otherwise... that cured meat hanging outside the gate for ten years will be your example!"
Unbidden, the image of that piece of cured meat floated into Qin Chuan's mind—it looked quite small, probably due to being air-dried.
Maybe this was why the Lu family was so eager to retrieve it, lest it reveal their family secret.
"You don't need to use that cured meat to scare me. To be frank, I'm not the same as him."
Qin Chuan replied calmly.
He was brimming with confidence, his resources vast!
Don't misunderstand, he was talking about his 'Father Value.' Now that his balance was full, his courage soared.
"Fine! Since Elder Qin Chuan insists, we won't dissuade you any further. Helping Qin Zi break through to the Second Heaven will consume a significant amount of resources, but Starshatter Academy... can afford it!"
Finally, a black-horned elder said coldly, then turned and left.
It seemed he was going to make preparations.
Forcibly helping someone advance in cultivation required an enormous amount of resources and was far from cost-effective.
After all, Saints of Heaven had long lifespans and had no shortage of time. A few years of cultivation were basically a free gift, so using vast resources to hasten a breakthrough by just a few years was a significant loss!
Two days later.
Starshatter Academy had prepared a spiritual pool filled with dense spiritual energy, a black cauldron brimming with red-hot magma, and a pit embedded with countless blue crystals.
Qin Chuan wasn't sure exactly what mystical properties these items had, but just from the sheer number of blue crystals, he could tell something important—those were Law Crystals!
The cauldron and the spiritual pool were undoubtedly items on the same level as the Law Crystals—immensely valuable.
"They... they aren't trying to kill me, are they?"
Qin Zi couldn't help but shrink back as he looked at the black cauldron filled with magma.
He could sense that it wasn't ordinary magma; many ingredients had likely been added, causing the temperature to reach a terrifying level. One misstep and he'd be roasted like a suckling pig.
"They wouldn't dare."
Qin Chuan said calmly, then added, "Besides, with your father here, who could harm you?"
Whoosh!
The nearby demon elders frowned at this boastful remark, their faces twitching as they gave cold, mocking smiles.
Such arrogance!
But they couldn't say much—if someone bragged and you took it seriously, it would only make you look petty.
"Alright, I'm going in."
Taking a deep breath and trusting his father, Qin Zi plunged into the... spiritual pool.
Of course, he started with the easiest part!
Breaking through to the Second Heaven was tough. It required addressing three aspects: energy, the physical body, and Law comprehension. The spiritual pool replenished energy, the magma cauldron refined the body, and the Law Crystals helped with understanding the power of Laws.
Soon, three days passed.
"Boom!!"
A pillar of Law energy shot into the sky from the pit. Countless blue crystals shattered, scattering like shards of glass, sparkling in the sunlight.
"He broke through!"
"The damned brat finally broke through!"
"He's finished! I swear he's finished!"
The disciples of Starshatter Academy clenched their fists, some even crying tears of joy.
This shameless human had pushed them too far!
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
In an instant, a dozen young figures shot toward Qin Zi from all directions, all of them Second Heaven demon prodigies!
Starshatter Academy gathered the most talented demon cultivators from the entire Starshatter Demon Domain. How could they possibly lack geniuses?
The Heaven-Saint Realm had nine minor stages, and each stage was filled with a large group of outstanding talents. The higher the stage, the more remarkable the talent, since many demons matured later, reaching their peak in the later stages!
Of course, most of the Ninth and Eighth Heaven Saints were struck down by the Emperor's Tribulation, with only a few managing to survive.
"Human, how do you want to die?"
A red-haired youth, dressed in a feathered robe, hovered in the air, looking down coldly at Qin Zi.
The dozen Second Heaven demon geniuses formed a "human" shape, with the red-haired youth standing at the forefront.
"It's Senior Brother Zhu Huan!"
"Fantastic! Senior Brother Zhu Huan has been at the Second Heaven for several years now. He has polished both his Laws and his physical body to perfection. I've heard he's preparing to challenge the gates of Ziyun Academy!"
"Senior Brother Zhu Huan will definitely suppress this guy!"
The disciples of Starshatter Academy cheered excitedly, unaware that their words were tempting fate.
"Are you going to make a move?"
Qin Zi slowly floated up from the pit, looking at the arrogant red-haired youth with a smirk.
At this moment, his body was glowing with both blue and green light—the power of water and wood, supporting and complementing each other, forming a cycle of Law energy that swirled around him.
"You think you're worthy of me making a move?"
Zhu Huan sneered, then calmly turned his head and called out, "Xiu Nian."
Immediately.
A stocky, yellow-haired youth swaggered forward. His shoulder-length hair swayed with every step, and his eyes gleamed with habitual arrogance and disdain.
"That's Xiu Nian of the Golden Giant Ape Clan! He's said to be unmatched in brute strength, with a body as tough as Senior Brother Zhu Huan's!"
One of the disciples explained.
By now, Xiu Nian had already moved. He stepped into the air, his foot making the sky tremble as a yellow light enveloped his body. He descended with the posture of a transforming giant.
"Falling Sky Strike!!"
He roared as flames ignited around his body from the friction with the air. His clothes were instantly incinerated, and his golden fur grew wildly as he transformed into a massive golden ape.
The sheer presence of such a giant using a downward strike was terrifying.
Even before he landed, the pressure from the air alone cracked and collapsed the ground within three meters of Qin Zi.
The ground was made from a special material, one that many Starshatter Academy disciples couldn't even damage with their full strength. This demonstrated the terrifying power of the attack.
In the next moment, the golden giant ape crashed to the ground!
But at that exact moment, Qin Zi leaped into the air like lightning, stepping on the giant ape's head as if riding a skateboard.
"Boom!!"
The ground shook violently, rocks flew everywhere, and the plaza floor was completely shattered. The golden giant ape's upper body was embedded in the ground, with only its rear end sticking up like a seesaw, its legs kicking feebly.
"Ah!! You..."
A hysterical roar echoed from underground as golden flames erupted around the ape, its muscles swelling. It planted its legs on the ground, its back arching as it tried to pull itself free.
"Thud! Thud! Thud!"
However, Qin Zi stomped down several times, causing shockwaves to spread out along with splintering flames.
The golden giant ape twitched a few times, then went still.
"So, do you think I'm worthy now?"
Qin Zi stood atop the limp giant ape's body like an ant on an elephant, looking up at Zhu Huan.
"Ding! Your son has slapped the face of the Golden Giant Ape, Xiu Nian, earning you 20 points of 'Father Value.' Your current balance is 88.6."
Qin Chuan received the system notification once again.
He smiled, then looked at the surrounding Starshatter Academy elders, whose faces had turned ashen, and said, "So, who's up for a wager?"
Whoosh! The elders' eyes turned sharp as they glared at him, as if ready to tear him apart.
"Hmph, do you think your son, having just broken through to the Second Heaven, can continue to challenge our gates? Be careful, or you might regret your arrogance!"
The tiger-headed elder snorted coldly.