"Hehe, you father and son pair are really interesting. Working in such perfect harmony, you almost make it look convincing."
The Jiao Dragon Quasi-Emperor smirked playfully.
Courage?
What does this have to do with courage? Could courage alone defeat him? What a joke!
However, Qin Zi raised an eyebrow and proudly declared, "Shut up! I'm speaking with my father. Since when do you have the right to interrupt?"
Hmm?!!
As soon as those words left his mouth, the entire audience fell silent.
Not only the Jiao Dragon Quasi-Emperor, but even the others stared at Qin Zi in disbelief.
Your courage is really absurd, isn't it?
Are you courting death?
The Jiao Dragon Quasi-Emperor's face twitched visibly, and then he lowered his head, his eyes filled with a crushing pressure as he glared at Qin Zi.
"What did you just say?"
Qin Zi casually scratched his ear and sneered, "Can't even understand human language? Why bother transforming into a human form if you're just going to act like a beast? You should stay in your true form and save yourself the pretense."
Boom!
A terrifying aura burst out from the Jiao Dragon Quasi-Emperor, and he roared angrily, "How dare you!"
Simultaneously, the overwhelming pressure of a Quasi-Emperor bore down on Qin Zi.
However, Qin Chuan released a protective energy barrier, shielding Qin Zi, leaving him without any worries.
Qin Zi continued his taunts. "Dare? Not dare? A beast is a beast. Even if you bite someone, you're still a beast. Do you think that just because a guard dog barks, it's no longer a dog?"
The Jiao Dragon Quasi-Emperor wanted to destroy this brat immediately, but he wasn't content with merely silencing this ignorant fool.
So, he took a deep breath and coldly said, "I am a descendant of the True Dragon, with the body of a Jiao Dragon, noble beyond comparison. How could a lowly human like you ever comprehend that?"
Qin Zi scoffed with disdain and said, "If that's the case, then the person you're holding must be your father, right? My senior brother is your father, so shouldn't you be calling me 'uncle'? Come on, call me uncle, dear nephew."
"You're seeking death!!"
The Jiao Dragon Quasi-Emperor could no longer tolerate it. His fury erupted, and terrifying energy surged like a tidal wave, rushing toward Qin Zi.
"Ding! A Quasi-Emperor of the Eighth Heaven has developed a killing intent toward your son. Following the principle that a father's love is as steadfast as a mountain, your cultivation level has been elevated to the Eighth Heaven of the Quasi-Emperor, and within this realm, you are invincible!"
The system's voice rang out.
Instantly, Qin Chuan felt his strength soar to a new level, and profound changes occurred within his body.
Power, extreme power!
"Boom!"
He stepped forward and stood in front of Qin Zi, and the incoming tidal wave of energy instantly dissipated.
It was as though a massive wave had crashed into a rock, shattering into countless splashes.
"Die!!"
At this moment, the Jiao Dragon Quasi-Emperor came roaring in with a violent gust of wind. His right fist seemed to gather the waters of the four seas, and with one punch, he struck.
"Boom!"
A deafening explosion echoed through the sky. A terrifying shockwave rippled out in all directions, sweeping the clouds from the heavens!
In an instant, the sky was as clear as a wash.
"How is this possible?!"
The Jiao Dragon Quasi-Emperor shouted in horror.
Qin Chuan had stopped his fist with just one hand. No matter how much strength he used, he couldn't advance an inch.
"Not bad strength."
Qin Chuan said calmly, then suddenly clenched his upright hand, gripping the Jiao Dragon Quasi-Emperor's fist and twisting it forward.
"Crack!"
The sound of bone snapping echoed.
"Ah!"
The Jiao Dragon Quasi-Emperor let out a miserable scream, and his eyes flashed with a burst of light as his body suddenly expanded, transforming into a massive Jiao Dragon.
In an instant, the aura of a prehistoric beast spread rapidly, making countless people tremble in fear.
However...
Even though his hand had transformed into a Jiao claw, it remained trapped in Qin Chuan's grasp and couldn't expand any further.
"Empty posturing, nothing more."
Qin Chuan sneered, then shook his right hand violently, and a torrent of endless power erupted, like a great river surging forward without end!
"You!! Aaaaahhh..."
The Jiao Dragon Quasi-Emperor screamed in shock. He felt that immense power surging from his claw, and soon, his entire body was uncontrollably writhing, undulating like a wave.
It was as if he were a snake being shaken violently by a human. Except, this snake was absurdly large.
"Thump! Thump! Thump!"
His body was thick and long, so as it violently writhed, different parts collided with each other, causing his qi and blood to churn, injuring his internal organs.
After a few shakes, Qin Chuan flung him into the distance. Then, raising his right hand, he pressed down in that direction.
"Boom!"
A destructive white beam of light, akin to a Kamehameha wave, pierced through the sky, engulfing the Jiao Dragon and triggering a massive explosion on the horizon, sending a mushroom cloud rising into the sky.
When the dust finally settled.
The once mighty Jiao Dragon lay like a mere worm, slumped in a giant crater on the horizon, barely clinging to life, looking pathetically small.
But even from such a distance, its massive form was still clear, giving a sense of just how enormous it truly was.
"This… this…"
"Is it over already?"
"Elder Qin Chuan is this powerful!"
"It seems the rumors are true!"
The disciples and elders of the Purple Cloud Academy stared in shock at the scene, even forgetting to wipe the sweat from their brows.
There had long been rumors that Elder Qin Chuan was an ancient powerhouse rebuilding his cultivation, but they had dismissed it as a joke.
Now, it seemed there was much truth to the rumor.
"Pop!"
The energy sphere trapping Jin Zhi shattered.
Immediately, Jin Zhi regained his freedom, and his body swelled, transforming into a hundred-meter-long golden dragon that flew towards them.
"Thank you, Elder Qin Chuan. Thank you, Junior Brother Qin."
The golden dragon spoke in a human voice.
"Senior Brother Jin, why don't you revert to your human form?"
Qin Zi asked.
"Uh… well… my clothes were torn apart earlier, so if I transform back now… I'll be naked."
Jin Zhi replied a little embarrassed.
"This…"
Qin Zi's face twitched, and the surrounding people were caught between laughter and tears.
However, some female disciples looked disappointed.
He noticed it! If only he had reverted to his human form directly, they would have had a feast for the eyes...
"Interesting, truly interesting… but this battle for the True Dragon is far from over."
At that moment, a majestic voice echoed like rolling thunder, resounding across the heavens and earth.
At the same time, a massive vortex of demonic energy appeared in the sky, and an overwhelming pressure descended like a waterfall.
Everyone felt a suffocating pressure. It was a primal instinct, a sense of awe from the disparity in their life forms.
"It's a Demon Emperor!!"
The Purple Cloud Palace Master looked at the vortex, his face pale and his body stumbling as despair washed over him.
"As expected, as expected."
"I knew it. For such an important matter like the True Dragon battle, there was no way they'd send just one Quasi-Emperor. There had to be a Demon Emperor overseeing it!"
From within the vortex of demonic energy, a figure slowly emerged.
It was a middle-aged man clad in dragon scale armor, his body tall and muscular, radiating an aura of sheer dominance.
It seemed as though he could tear apart the heavens, shatter the earth, cut off rivers and mountains, and massacre billions of beings with a mere gesture!
"You, not bad."
The Demon Emperor glanced at Qin Chuan and said calmly, "But… this True Dragon, I must take it back. No one can change that."
Qin Chuan's expression remained unchanged.
But internally, he felt a tinge of anxiety. To face off against a Demon Emperor head-on, he still lacked confidence.
Even though he could use the Emperor's Possession technique, it would only last for about twenty seconds. If he couldn't defeat the opponent in that time, he would be doomed.
It was a gamble.
The power he could gain from the Emperor's Possession was random. It could grant the strength of a high-level Emperor, or it might only match a low-level one.
Whether he could win was uncertain.
"Father…"
Qin Zi looked at Qin Chuan, his face filled with worry. He was torn, more conflicted and in pain than ever before.
The situation had escalated. If his father continued to fight, he might pay an unimaginable price.
But if his father stayed out of it, Senior Brother Jin might fall into the hands of the demons and lose his life.
"Why?! Why am I so weak! Why!!"
He roared in his heart, tears welling up in his eyes.
He had worked so hard, given it his all, so why was he still powerless!
Seeing his son in such despair and pain, Qin Chuan's heart also sank into turmoil.
He had always been a man who liked to weigh pros and cons.
In any situation, he prioritized benefits. Normally, if the cost outweighed the return, he wouldn't act.
And risking so much of his 'father points' or even his own safety to save Jin Zhi was simply not worth it to him.
But…
"Do I really want to live like this forever?"
"Constantly calculating, constantly weighing, all for the sake of gaining more benefits, losing more and more of who I am? Even watching my son cry in despair, I don't dare to step forward?"
"If my whole life is like this, then what's the point of living?"
"I always told myself, I'll make those sacrifices so that in the key moment, I'll have the power to protect him and help him safeguard what matters most to him. And now... this should count as the key moment, right?"
Finally, he took a deep breath, a carefree smile appearing on his face, a hint of self-mockery but filled with determination.
He placed his right hand on his son's shoulder and gently reassured him, "It's okay. I'm here."
After saying that, he took a step forward.
"Boom!"
An overwhelming aura surged into the sky. He felt as though he had rediscovered his true self. His essence, energy, and spirit reached their peak, and even the intangible force of heaven and earth began to converge upon him.
When he shouldered his responsibility, he shouldered the entire sky.
In that moment, he was not an Emperor, but more powerful than one!