Son, Put Your Father To The Test (FF)

"Lin Yi?!" Qin Chuan's eyes flickered as he suddenly recalled hearing this name earlier in the main hall of the Eastern Victory Divine Sect.

Su Xuanlong's daughter had asked him for a medicinal pill, claiming it was to heal a certain "Junior Brother Lin." At the time, Su Xuanlong had been somewhat displeased and mentioned the name of this Junior Brother—Lin Yi!

He had taken note of the name back then.

After all, it was hard to ignore a Sect Master's daughter, who seemed to have had a tragic childhood, humbling herself to ask her disapproving father for a pill to save a junior brother, especially one with the surname Lin... There was clearly more going on.

He smelled a plot.

Based on his years of experience in such matters, this seemed like yet another "Chosen One" story, and it was highly likely that Lin Yi was part of the "abandoned son" trope.

As everyone knows:

Some powerful families, due to internal strife or other reasons, often let their heir wander the world. They usually leave them with a jade pendant as proof of identity, to be used when it's time for them to reclaim their rightful place.

And despite being impoverished, no foster parent would ever sell off this priceless pendant, instead choosing the perfect time to give it to the child. The reasons? No one knows.

As for the mysterious jade pendant in his hand, Qin Chuan suspected it to be the very same token used in those abandoned son stories, marking Lin Yi as a Chosen One.

Moreover, it might even be a cheat tool.

Of course, this was only one possibility. In fact, there was another scenario that Qin Chuan was considering…

"If it's the other possibility, that would be even better..." Qin Chuan squinted, gripping the jade pendant tightly.

After a moment of thought, he said, "Can you tell me more about Lin Yi? I'm quite interested in this young man."

"What are you planning to do?" The Sword Emperor's eyes flashed with a hint of wariness.

Lin Yi was a junior within the sect whom the Sword Emperor had high hopes for. Based on his current potential, Lin Yi could very well become the leader of the Eastern Victory Divine Sect in the future—he might even become the next World Emperor.

Of course, this didn't conflict with him stealing Lin Yi's jade pendant. After all, treasures belong to those with virtue.

"Don't be so tense. What could I possibly do to a young man? My interest in him is a stroke of luck for him, and perhaps… also for your Eastern Victory Divine Sect."

Qin Chuan smiled cryptically and said in a low voice, "Though the Eastern Victory Divine Sect may stand high within the Eastern Domain, you should know, in the grand scheme of this world, the Eastern Domain… is quite small."

Swoosh!

The Sword Emperor trembled slightly.

Though he had already suspected Qin Chuan was an ancient figure reborn, hearing him speak such casual words left a deep impact.

That was a level of command over the world!

How vast was this world?

The Sword Emperor didn't know.

But the mysterious man standing before him seemed to know…

"What do you wish to know? His accomplishments, or perhaps his rate of growth?" The Sword Emperor paused briefly before asking.

"Heh, none of those things matter to me. To truly evaluate a person, such things are superficial… It's missing the point."

Qin Chuan smiled meaningfully and then added, "All the past leaves traces, and all futures are foretold... To see if someone has the potential for greatness, you must look at their experiences."

"It's their experiences that shape everything about them—their character, their courage, their decisiveness, their resilience… These are the things that matter most."

"In comparison, talent… is insignificant."

Qin Chuan shook his head and smiled as he stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze deep as he stared at the sky, as if he could see through the nine layers of clouds above:

"There are countless things that can change one's talent—divine pills, spiritual fruits, the essence of heaven and earth, ancient scriptures… They are too numerous to count, and those born into great powers never lack such things."

"But among the endless beings in this world, how many can truly reach the peak?"

He finished speaking, letting his words hang in the air, giving the Sword Emperor time to reflect.

The Sword Emperor pondered for a long while before furrowing his brow and asking, "You say talent doesn't matter, but if someone has character and no talent, how are they supposed to rise? Are they supposed to rely on fantasies?"

Qin Chuan said nothing in response.

But his silence only irritated the Sword Emperor further, leaving him feeling like he had swallowed a fly—frustrated and blocked.

After a long pause, just as the Sword Emperor was on the verge of losing patience, Qin Chuan finally smiled mysteriously and said, "Young man, you are still too impatient…"

The Sword Emperor froze in shock.

He quickly composed himself.

Qin Chuan chuckled and said, "In truth, there's no right or wrong in such logic. What matters is… who is saying it."

"The words I just spoke may sound like nonsense to you, but coming from me, they hold no contradictions. Do you know why?"

The Sword Emperor frowned, deep in thought.

It felt like he had grasped something important, but when he tried to focus, it slipped away—like a veil between him and understanding.

"Hehe, it's because… you lack the level to comprehend it."

Qin Chuan smiled confidently and said, "When I speak of a past experience, you think I'm lying, that I must be exaggerating. Why? Because you yourself cannot achieve it."

"And just because you can't achieve something doesn't mean I can't."

"Does that make sense to you now?"

Qin Chuan's gaze was piercing as he looked into the Sword Emperor's eyes, his aura growing more imposing as he continued, "When I say talent doesn't matter, it's because I have the right to say it. Because if I wish, I can change someone's talent!"

"And the reason you find that statement wrong is because you don't have the right to say such a thing. So when you hear it, you naturally believe it to be false."

"Of course, from a purely objective standpoint, my words aren't entirely correct. But in the context of this conversation, you can't say that I'm wrong."

"Now… do you remember what we were discussing?"

Boom!

The Sword Emperor felt a mental jolt, as if a bolt of lightning had struck him. For a moment, he saw Qin Chuan in a new light, as if he had grown taller—like a towering figure standing between heaven and earth, gazing down upon him.

This… was the difference in their levels!

After a long pause, the Sword Emperor finally snapped back to reality. Having gone through feelings of curiosity, doubt, and awe, he now found himself inexplicably reverent toward Qin Chuan.

Taking a deep breath, he nodded, "Alright, since you wish to know about Lin Yi's past, I will tell you everything I know."

Qin Chuan smiled in satisfaction.

He had successfully intimidated him.

The reason he had gone through all the trouble of speaking in such circles was to mentally manipulate the Sword Emperor. Once someone's thoughts are led astray, their subconscious develops a sense of reverence.

The Sword Emperor organized his thoughts and began, "Lin Yi is the heir of a second-tier family under the Eastern Victory Divine Sect's subordinate—Ming Tian Sect. His family is nothing special."

"The strongest ancestor in the Lin family is only a Third Heaven Saint. Lin Yi's father, a mere Seventh Heaven Saint, is no stronger than an ant compared to us."

"But Lin Yi's mother is a mystery. She was saved by Lin Yi's father from a river, and while her origins are unknown, she was certainly no weakling. It's said that even the Lin family's patriarch treated her with great respect."

"Apparently, due to the debt of saving her life, this mysterious woman fell in love with Lin Yi's father, and that's how Lin Yi came to be. However, shortly after Lin Yi's birth, she mysteriously disappeared."

"She came mysteriously and left mysteriously. No one knows her identity. This jade pendant is the only thing she left behind for Lin Yi."

"I suspect this jade pendant is extraordinary—perhaps even a token from a powerful organization."

As he said this, a flash of fear passed through the Sword Emperor's eyes before he quickly relaxed.

Qin Chuan pondered over this information.

After a long pause, he smiled playfully, "So, this is actually a troublesome hot potato, right? No wonder you were willing to hand it over to me."

Cough, cough…

The Sword Emperor coughed awkwardly, indeed feeling conflicted about this pendant. Once he discovered its origins, he had been torn between keeping it and discarding it.

Keeping it left him uneasy.

But discarding it was too much of a loss!

Now, by offering it to Qin Chuan and resolving their conflict, it was clearly the best way to handle the situation.