Finally, the black-robed elder was sealed inside the gourd.
Everything calmed down.
Qin Zi stood there, dumbfounded by the scene. A giant powerhouse was dealt with just like that?
"Are you okay?" Qin Chuan asked as he plugged the gourd.
"Uh... yeah, I'm fine!" Qin Zi snapped out of his daze, his curiosity piqued as he stared at the purple gourd. "Dad, what kind of treasure is this?"
"It's from the seven-colored gourd vine we've been growing at home. After a century of nurturing under Bawanghua's care, it finally bore this gourd," Qin Chuan explained.
"That amazing?!" Qin Zi's eyes widened. That gourd seed was something he had brought back from the Seven-Colored Gourd Mountain years ago.
At the time, he had thought it extraordinary, but he never imagined it was this powerful—able to suppress even a giant powerhouse!
"Dad, does the vine only produce one gourd?" Qin Zi asked eagerly, drooling at the thought.
"Just one." Qin Chuan's face remained impassive.
"Oh..." Qin Zi felt a bit disappointed but didn't doubt his father's words, so he didn't press further.
"Dad, what will happen to that old guy inside the gourd? Will he be able to escape?" Qin Zi asked.
"He probably won't. The interior of the gourd contains infinite space-time, making it nearly impossible to escape. It also holds a terrifying power of destruction. Over time, even a powerhouse will be eroded and disappear," Qin Chuan said calmly.
"Hiss!!!" Qin Zi gasped. This gourd was terrifying, making him feel a little scared.
After a moment of contemplation, he gritted his teeth and said, "Dad, the Phoenix Clan impersonated my mother before, and now they sent a powerhouse to try to kill me. We can't let them off this time!"
He was feeling emboldened.
With the gourd in hand, he felt invincible!
However, Qin Chuan shook his head and said, "The Phoenix Clan has deep foundations and possesses the protective power left by their ancestors. I haven't fully recovered my strength yet, and relying solely on this gourd won't guarantee victory."
"Huh?" Qin Zi's expression dropped as he instantly shrank back. Worriedly, he asked, "But what if the Phoenix Clan comes for revenge after we killed one of their powerhouses?"
"We'll return to Xuanhuang Heaven," Qin Chuan replied calmly. "No matter how strong the Phoenix Clan is, they won't dare to enter Xuanhuang Heaven to kill you. After all, you are the Lord of Xuanhuang Heaven."
"Okay." Qin Zi nodded in agreement.
Whoosh!
Qin Chuan waved his hand, enveloping Qin Zi in a powerful energy. The two of them disappeared from sight.
More accurately, they became invisible. It was a form of perfect concealment, even beyond the detection of a powerhouse.
"Dad, I can't see you anymore! Wait, I can't even see myself!" Qin Zi's surprised voice echoed through the empty starry sky.
…
At the ancestral grounds of the Phoenix Clan, silence reigned.
Suddenly!
Several ancient and terrifying auras shot into the sky, powerful enough to make the stars in the sky tremble and fall.
"Old Eight's aura has vanished!"
"Old Eight has fallen! Who did this? I can't even divine who it was—how is that possible?!"
"Unforgivable! Absolutely unforgivable!"
Angry voices reverberated, and the sky was suddenly filled with blood-red clouds, with lightning flashing, and a net of laws appearing. All the members of the Phoenix Clan cowered on the ground, pale with fear, trembling like leaves.
At that moment, a towering figure entered the ancestral grounds, walking with steady steps. Even in the presence of the old ancestors, he showed no fear.
After all, he himself was also a powerhouse.
This figure was naturally the Clan Leader of the Phoenix Clan. He entered the ancestral hall and spoke in a deep voice, "I know who killed the Eighth Ancestor."
"Who?!"
The old monsters, who had lived for countless years, all turned their gaze toward the burly man. Their eyes were burning with intensity, seemingly able to melt anything.
"It was likely the father of that wretched child, Qin Chuan," the Clan Leader said gravely. "The Eighth Ancestor went out this time to kill that child, but there's no way that child could have killed the Eighth Ancestor. The only possibility is his mysterious father."
"Of course, it doesn't matter who exactly did it. All we need to know is that the killer is connected to that child, and that's enough."
"This is the perfect opportunity to eliminate the wretched child and wipe out everyone connected to him. Root and branch!"
He took a deep breath, his expression turning extremely serious. He continued, "I also visited the Sea of Chaos. There are dark tides stirring, and black mist rising. That figure will likely awaken soon. We must eliminate the child and sever all ties with Xuanhuang Heaven as quickly as possible!"
That figure!
At the mention of this, even the old monsters of the Phoenix Clan, who had lived for countless years, showed expressions of fear.
This was a forbidden existence!
Back in the day, Xuanhuang Heaven was incredibly prosperous, but even so, it was powerless before that figure. The heavens collapsed, and all the great kings turned to dust!
As for why that figure had attacked Xuanhuang Heaven and what grudges were involved, no one knew.
In fact, if not for the tragedy of Xuanhuang Heaven, no one would have even known that such a terrifying existence was still in this world...
"We must act quickly!" one of the old monsters urged.
"But… that wretched child is still the Lord of Xuanhuang Heaven. Now that the old monsters of Xuanhuang Heaven are returning one by one, if we enter Xuanhuang Heaven to kill him, those old fogeys might not agree," another old monster said.
"Hmph, this is a matter of life and death for the Phoenix Clan! What can they do if they disagree? We'll invite all the forces and strong allies of the Phoenix Clan to go to Xuanhuang Heaven and force them to hand over the child!"
Another old monster snorted coldly.
Directly entering Xuanhuang Heaven to kill someone would indeed be difficult, but they could pressure Xuanhuang Heaven's powerhouses to depose the wretched child from his position as Lord of Xuanhuang Heaven, then exile him. After that, they could kill him openly!
Though this plan would still damage Xuanhuang Heaven's reputation, the harm would be minor. Under immense pressure, Xuanhuang Heaven would likely compromise.
"Alright, let's do that!"
"I'll contact the Xia Family of Longevity and the Burial Heaven Valley."
"I'll get in touch with some old friends of mine."
"I'll visit the Azure Lotus Dao Sect. I have an old flame there who still owes me a favor from a certain incident…"
With that, the Phoenix Clan's old monsters began pulling their strings, calling upon their connections in an attempt to crush Xuanhuang Heaven with overwhelming force.
At the same time…
Back in Xuanhuang Heaven.
Qin Chuan, who had just finished planting the gourd vine and was sitting cross-legged on a cliff, resting with his eyes closed, twitched his ears slightly.
He opened his eyes, his gaze deep as if it could pierce through endless time and space. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
"That figure? Seems strong…"
…
In a flash, a hundred years passed.
Over the past century, Xuanhuang Heaven had grown increasingly prosperous. Not only had new geniuses emerged, but the strength of the older generation of powerhouses had fully recovered as well.
In the mountains, rivers, and lakes, quasi-powerhouses awakened, their presence so powerful that it dimmed the stars in the sky.
What was most exciting, however, was the return of the Forbidden Mountain Gods—twenty-eight of them had already come back!
Boom!
On this day, an indescribable pressure descended from the sky, sweeping across all of Xuanhuang Heaven like a tidal wave.
"How dare you!"
"Guests from afar…"
"What brings you all here?"
Majestic voices echoed from the Forbidden Mountain Gods, and figures appeared atop the peaks, stepping into the sky, one by one.