"Father, why didn't you kill them?"
After leaving the Night Emperor's ruins far behind, Qin Zi asked, puzzled.
"You noticed that too?"
Qin Chuan smiled faintly, his expression calm.
"Of course! With your strength, if you wanted to kill them, there's no way they could have escaped."
Qin Zi said with certainty.
Qin Chuan shook his head and chuckled, then said softly, "Lingshuang, why don't you explain it to him?"
"Alright."
Ye Lingshuang nodded and then shared her thoughts, "Qin Zi, your father didn't kill them because there was no point in doing so. After all, if they were able to gather and surround us, it means the Human Race's Holy Temple has already discovered us, and they likely know what we look like. Killing them wouldn't help to silence anyone."
"Since killing them wouldn't change anything, why create more unnecessary bloodshed? They were only following orders and had no personal grudge against us."
"Although the strong can kill the weak without needing a reason, true power comes with an unspoken moral compass... Your father simply didn't want to kill them, so he let them go. It's as simple as that."
After finishing, she looked at Qin Chuan expectantly, her face tinged with a slight blush, and asked, "Brother Qin, did I get that right?"
"Mhm, you were spot on."
Qin Chuan nodded with a smile, laughing inwardly—this is why it's perfect to let others explain things for you!
Sometimes, when you're unsure how to explain something, let someone else do it. Everyone interprets events from their own perspective, and having someone else explain ensures your true motives remain hidden.
No matter what they say, just respond with, "Exactly, that's right."
"Hehe."
Ye Lingshuang, delighted with Qin Chuan's affirmation, let out a girlish giggle, which sent shivers down Qin Zi's spine.
"Master, please act normally…"
Qin Zi was beginning to feel a little scared.
It was like seeing your fierce, tigress-like elder sister act all gentle and coquettish in front of your brother-in-law…
"Hmph!"
Ye Lingshuang's face flushed a bit more, and she shot him a glare before huffing and returning into his body.
"Let's go. We may have to leave the Human Race's territory."
Qin Chuan said calmly.
"What?!"
Qin Zi's mouth fell open in shock. He asked, "The Human Race's territory is vast. Are you saying there's no place here where we can take shelter?"
"Don't underestimate the Holy Temple."
Qin Chuan said seriously:
"The Human Race's Holy Temple has been growing its influence for countless years. Its power is immense. If we stay within the Human Race's domain, it's highly likely we'll be hunted by the Holy Temple. I'm not yet ready to contend with them."
Qin Zi, now understanding the gravity of the situation, asked, "Then where will we go? The Demonic Clan's domain is hostile towards us too."
That's true—for you!
Qin Chuan corrected in his mind before responding, "At this point, our only option is to head to the Beast Clan."
"From what I know, the Beast Clan is different from the Demonic Clan. After transforming, they don't emit demonic or beastly auras, and their appearance is indistinguishable from humans. The only real difference is that they don't have primordial spirits, but their physical bodies are absurdly strong, far surpassing humans and demons."
"So, as long as nothing unexpected happens, we can blend in with the Beast Clan. You're physically stronger than most beasts, so as long as you don't use primordial spirit power, you can easily pass as a Beast Clan prodigy. Things will be just as they were before."
Hearing this, Qin Zi's eyes lit up.
If things would be the same as before, that meant he wouldn't have to hide!
He wouldn't have to act submissively.
He could still act boldly and proudly, competing with the young prodigies of the Beast Clan and even challenging the older generation's experts with the arrogance of youth!
"Father, let's go!"
Qin Zi grew more excited the more he thought about it, eager to enter the Beast Clan's territory.
However, the Beast Clan's domain was located to the northeast of the Human Race's territory, requiring them to cross through dozens of large regions.
"Whoosh—"
Qin Chuan carried Qin Zi as they transformed into a streak of golden light, flying northeastward. Wherever they passed, the wind howled, and the clouds swirled.
They were flying in a straight line.
Their path didn't resemble that of people on the run—it was more like a powerful figure parading openly, almost daring others to take notice.
"What overwhelming momentum!"
"What terrifying pressure!"
"That must be a Martial Emperor!"
Countless people were pressed to the ground by the oppressive force that flashed by. As they looked up, their faces were filled with awe and reverence.
Qin Chuan, with Qin Zi in tow, flew at great speed, stunning countless people along the way. Soon, they began to attract the attention of certain experts.
Even reclusive Martial Emperors.
And also, Holy Temple agents on missions.
"Hmm, something's off."
"Which powerful figure is making such a spectacle?"
"The way they're moving, it looks almost like they're fleeing. But from their aura, they seem incredibly strong..."
"Something's wrong. Report this to the Holy Temple!"
As a result, Qin Chuan's movements were quickly reported to the Human Race's Holy Temple.
The Holy Temple swiftly identified Qin Chuan and Qin Zi's identities and deduced the direction they were heading.
Thus.
Five days later, near the border between the Human Race's and Beast Clan's territories, Qin Chuan was ambushed, just as expected.
"Heavenly Balance traitor, where do you think you're going?!"
"Run? Dream on!"
"The Human Race isn't a place you can come and go as you please!"
"Anyone who offends the Human Race will be hunted down, no matter how far!"
Majestic figures slowly revealed themselves in the sky, while a few others rose from the ground like towering statues, blocking the path of Qin Chuan and his son.
"Heh, sending this many experts—you certainly hold me in high regard."
Qin Chuan floated in the air, scanning the powerful figures surrounding them, a trace of self-mockery in his expression.
There were twelve of them—all Eight-Realm Martial Emperors!
And among them was a hazy figure standing at the pinnacle of the sky, emanating an aura of terrifying power.
That was a Holy Temple Elder!
"It's not that we hold you in such high regard. It's just... even a lion uses its full strength when hunting a rabbit! We old folks have nothing better to do, so why not come out for a stroll? At the very least… we can put on a show of force."
An elderly man with white hair smiled as he said:
"Once, we sent three Seven-Realm Martial Emperors to hunt down a Seven-Realm Heavenly Balance Martial Emperor. In the end, we lost one of our own, and the other two were gravely injured before we managed to kill that Heavenly Balance Martial Emperor."
"Afterward, we reflected on that."
"Why did we only send three Martial Emperors? The Human Race's Holy Temple isn't short on people—why not send more?"
"If we had just sent ten Martial Emperors of the same level, we could've crushed him instantly, without any casualties."
"So, in subsequent extermination missions, we adopted a swarm strategy… There's no need to be modest. The Human Race's Holy Temple is known for its sheer numbers, and overwhelming an opponent is tradition."
After listening, Qin Chuan couldn't help but admire the old man.
What a bunch of cunning rogues!
Still, from an objective standpoint, the Holy Temple had done great things for the Human Race.
They held up the sky for the Human Race.
As someone of the Human Race, Qin Chuan did feel some affection for this roguish Holy Temple. Unfortunately… business comes first!
"Enough talk. Let's get this over with!"
Qin Chuan took a deep breath, and his aura surged. The Sun-Swallowing Sword appeared in his hand, and as he gazed at the surrounding enemies, he exuded an aura of unstoppable might, ready to conquer the world!