In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed.
Qin Chuan successfully obtained the Tianheng Clan emperor's blood promised by the Starshatter Academy's palace master and extorted a hefty sum of resources.
A settlement agreement was signed.
Qin Chuan promised that he would no longer bring Qin Zi to blockade the gates of Starshatter Academy, and in exchange, the academy paid a significant fee.
Indeed, Starshatter Academy was vast and wealthy.
This settlement fee alone increased Qin Chuan's wealth by a hundredfold, surpassing many quasi-emperors and almost rivaling an emperor!
The academy was so generous because... it was an official expense and could be reimbursed.
Thus, Qin Chuan, carrying Qin Xiaozi, left Starshatter Academy under the watchful eyes of many demon experts, who were relieved to see them go.
In the sky.
Aboard the flying boat.
Qin Chuan took out a tenth of the resources he had extorted and handed them to Qin Zi, who was utterly stunned.
"This… this is too much!" Qin Zi gasped in shock. He had never seen so many resources in his life—enough to make even emperors tremble.
"Take it," Qin Chuan said casually.
"Father… aren't you going to keep some?" Qin Zi, ever filial, thought first of his father.
Qin Chuan smiled in satisfaction.
He reached out and patted his son's head, speaking with a carefree tone, "You won this. It naturally belongs to you... No matter how down-and-out I become, I won't fight my son for resources."
Upon hearing this, Qin Zi's eyes welled up with tears.
He choked up slightly—his father was too good to him, too selfless.
Qin Chuan felt the warmth in his son's gaze, and the smile on his face grew even more benevolent, perfectly natural.
He truly was a loving father.
Wasn't he?
...
Another month passed, and the father and son duo returned to Ziyun Academy, following the same route aboard the flying boat.
During the journey.
Qin Chuan, under the pretense of going to the restroom, secretly used the blood of the Tianheng Clan's emperor to unlock the Ice Dragon Spear!
Don't wonder why he still needed to go to the restroom.
In truth, everyone needs to go, regardless of strength or status—it's a natural physiological function.
Of course!
It's just that nobody talks about it.
Since it's something nobody pays attention to, it naturally gets overlooked, and then no one mentions it.
"Is that the gate-challenging flying boat?!"
"Senior Brother Qin Zi has returned!"
"Hahaha, Senior Brother Qin Zi successfully challenged the gates!"
"Well done, Brother Zi!"
The disciples of Ziyun Academy were ecstatic, their faces filled with fanatical admiration. Qin Zi had helped them regain their honor.
It was a moment of vindication.
After being welcomed by the female disciples of the academy, Qin Zi's steps began to float—like walking through a narrow path with dew-laden grass brushing against his clothes!
Sensing that something was bound to happen, Qin Chuan separated from Qin Zi as they neared Ziyun Academy.
And sure enough.
As Qin Zi walked along a secluded path, a familiar figure appeared ahead—it was the elder from the Lu family.
"Where's the item?"
The Lu family elder stood with his hands behind his back, looking at Qin Zi with the demeanor of a master addressing a servant.
In his mind, this young man had already submitted to him. After all, Qin Zi had followed his orders and challenged the gates of Starshatter Academy.
A person who submits is no different from a dog, right?
"What item?" Qin Zi asked, feigning confusion.
"Hm?!" The Lu family elder's expression shifted from nonchalance to surprise, and then to a cold glare.
He stared sharply at Qin Zi and asked, "Are you telling me... you didn't bring back the body?"
"What body? Why would I bring that back?" Qin Zi replied with a smile.
"You!!"
The Lu family elder's face darkened, his aura growing chaotic. He coldly snarled, "How dare you defy me!"
"Elder, you're quite strange. I don't owe you anything, so why should I do your bidding?" Qin Zi's smile grew even wider.
"You! Want! To! Die!"
The Lu family elder's eyes burned with fury as he spat out each word.
"I'm a personal disciple of Ziyun Academy. I crushed Starshatter Academy so badly that they didn't dare to kill me—do you think you can?" Qin Zi sneered.
Who are you trying to scare?
"Fine, fine, fine!"
The Lu family elder laughed angrily, pointing at Qin Zi as he sneered, "Do you really think my Lu family has no means to deal with you?"
"The Lu family might have a way, but as far as I can see, you don't represent the Lu family. Otherwise... the Lu family would have ceased to exist long ago."
Qin Zi spoke nonchalantly.
"You insolent brat!"
The Lu family elder roared, his face twisting with fury, turning red and white with humiliation.
The truth was, he couldn't represent the Lu family. Even coercing Qin Zi to retrieve the old corpse had been his own foolish idea. Therefore, after Qin Zi refused, the Lu family wouldn't hold him accountable.
There was no reason to bully him for no reason.
They might get away with bullying an ordinary person.
But a personal disciple of Ziyun Academy, affiliated with the Human Race's Holy Temple, wasn't someone they could just push around!
"Old man, yelling won't help. I know you could crush me with a finger, but would you dare lay a finger on me?"
Qin Zi smirked, "You don't dare because, according to the rules of the Human Race's Holy Temple, if you harm me, you'll die for sure. And you don't have the guts to face death."
"You—you—you... you infuriate me!!"
The Lu family elder was on the verge of losing his mind. He raised his eagle-like claws as if to strangle Qin Zi but, in the end, merely tugged at his own white hair before storming off in anger.
"Ding! A Nine Tribulations Emperor at the Seventh Heaven has developed murderous intent toward your son. Following the principle of fatherly love and the need for a father to prevail, your cultivation will be raised to the Seventh Tribulation, and you will be invincible within your realm!"
In the shadows, Qin Chuan received another system notification.
Immediately, his power surged, and his inner world underwent its seventh transformation, becoming increasingly like a real world.
He estimated that with his current strength, he could be invincible beneath the quasi-emperor level. If he wielded the Ice Dragon Spear, he might even challenge a quasi-emperor!
"This old fool has developed murderous intent toward Qin Zi, and it's a kind that won't be easily extinguished. Although he wouldn't dare make a move in the academy, he might try something sneaky outside."
Qin Chuan's eyes narrowed.
"Qin Zi's cultivation is still too weak. To be safe... I'll have to send this old man to meet his maker..."
In his heart, he had already sentenced the elder to death.
Of course, killing him would require the right opportunity, so it would take careful planning.
Qin Zi could openly kill someone, but Qin Chuan couldn't. If he was exposed, the consequences would be severe.
...
The next day, many familiar faces came to visit Qin Zi.
Water Qingrou, Water Qinghan, Zhao Yunsheng, Lin Yi, Chu Zhongtian, Xuan Tianji, and the monk Ruoyu...
Though some of them weren't particularly close to Qin Zi, they all came from the Fragmented Continent, and meeting a fellow traveler far from home always brings a special kind of warmth.
Qin Zi took the opportunity to subtly probe Water Qinghan.
However, her behavior showed no flaws—whether it was genuine openness or meticulously hidden schemes, it was impossible to tell.
During the three months that Qin Zi had spent challenging the gates of Starshatter Academy, these people had been training and adventuring in Ziyun Domain. It seemed they had also encountered some good fortune.
The talented individuals from the Fragmented Continent had strong luck and found themselves thriving in the main continent.
After some polite conversation, everyone left, and Qin Zi prepared to return to the library to study more divine techniques.
Ziyun Academy housed countless tomes from the Human Race's Holy Temple, many of which were mass-printed and distributed across academies in various domains. However, only personal disciples were allowed to access certain rare and valuable texts.
"Senior Brother Qin Zi."
As Qin Zi walked along the stone path to the library, a playful voice called out from behind.
The tone of "Senior Brother" was particularly mocking.
Qin Zi turned to see a handsome young man with phoenix eyes, smiling at him in a way that wasn't friendly.
"Do you need something?" Qin Zi sensed hostility and responded coldly.
"Heh, I heard Senior Brother Qin returned from challenging the gates of Starshatter Academy, riding high, not even respecting the academy elders. So... I've come to witness it myself."
The young man with phoenix eyes said with a smile.
"Are you from the Lu family?"
Qin Zi asked.
The young man's smile faded, his expression turning cold as he said, "I am Lu Cheng, at the Third Heaven. Please, personal disciple, teach me."