The Beast Clan's territory stretched vast and boundless.
In this frosty heaven, all living beings competed for freedom.
On the earth, savage beasts roamed everywhere, some grazing on grass, others hunting prey. A few powerful beasts had taken human form and established cities similar to those of the human race, living lives even more akin to humans than the demon race did.
Savage beasts had no spiritual souls, but their bodies were terrifyingly strong.
The world is fair—if fate closes a door, it always opens a window.
The blonde woman controlled Qin Zi's body, carrying the "unconscious" Qin Chuan as they flew deep into the Beast Clan's territory.
The sea is wide for fish to leap, and the sky is high for birds to soar.
As soon as they entered the Beast Clan's territory, the pressure from the Human Race's Holy Temple lifted instantly, giving them a sense of safety like a fish returning to the sea or a bird to the forest.
Half a month later.
The three had ventured deep into the Beast Clan's lands.
The blonde woman had been flying at top speed for an extended period, consuming a significant amount of her spiritual energy. She returned control of the body to Qin Zi.
A few more days passed.
Qin Chuan then "woke up" from his supposed unconscious state, though in truth, he hadn't been injured at all.
But, of course, he had to keep up the act!
Otherwise, how could he explain his previously weakened state? He couldn't just tell Qin Zi, "Hey kid, I was just messing with you."
Even though he could claim it was a test of courage, using the same trick repeatedly would eventually give him away.
It was better to use it sparingly.
"Father, you're awake?!"
Qin Zi was overjoyed, immediately pulling out various pills and herbs, ready to stuff them into his father's mouth.
Cough, cough.
Qin Chuan coughed twice, covering his mouth with his hand. Sneakily, he checked his palm to find a few streaks of blood.
He quickly concealed his hand, acting as if he didn't want anyone to see, playing the role of a father struggling to maintain his dignity in front of his son.
Those bloodstains didn't escape Qin Zi's "sharp eyes," causing his nose to tingle with emotion.
At that moment, his father's image didn't diminish in his heart but became even grander—always standing resolutely in front of his child, protecting him at all costs, even at the expense of his own safety. This was the essence of true fatherhood!
"Father, are you alright? Are you seriously injured? Have you harmed your foundation?" Qin Zi asked, full of concern.
Qin Chuan, his face slightly pale, hesitated for a moment before smiling bitterly. "This time, I'm afraid it's truly serious."
Upon hearing this, Qin Zi's heart clenched!
His father had always been so calm and collected, never showing concern even in the face of the sky falling. But now, he said it was serious.
It must be… really serious.
Taking a deep breath, determination filled his eyes. "Father, what do I need to do to help you recover? Just tell me, and I'll make it happen!"
Qin Chuan thought for a moment.
Then, as if an idea had come to him, he hesitated before shaking his head. "Forget it, it's too dangerous. I can't let you take that risk."
"Father, I'm not afraid of danger!" Qin Zi quickly said, looking at his father with a seriousness he had never shown before.
Qin Chuan trembled slightly, a look of emotion crossing his face, as if he suddenly realized his child had grown up. That kind of surprise, that kind of pride, that inner joy—it was beyond words.
But in the end, he smiled and shook his head, turning away. "It's enough that you care. There's no need for you to risk your life."
"Father, I'm not afraid!" Qin Zi stepped forward, positioning himself in front of his father, who had turned away, and said firmly, "I must go! If I know I can save you but back down out of fear, how can I continue to pursue the path of martial arts? Even if I were to somehow reach the peak, I'd only be a coward!"
"Father, you don't want me to become that kind of person, do you?"
Qin Zi looked earnestly at his father.
Qin Chuan hesitated for a long time before finally sighing with a bitter smile. "Ah, I shouldn't have taught you so many principles..."
"Hehe!"
Qin Zi's face brightened, knowing he had succeeded. He was overjoyed at the prospect of helping his father.
Qin Chuan gathered his thoughts and said, "I was already severely injured, and then I forced myself to break through during the battle with that Holy Temple elder. I've completely overdrawn my life force, and my foundation is utterly shattered..."
"Hiss!"
Qin Zi gasped in shock.
Qin Chuan continued, "Restoring life force is a minor issue, but mending my foundation is far more challenging. According to my calculations, the only thing that can repair my foundation is the Beast God's Heart, located in the Beast Clan's Holy Academy."
"The Beast God's Heart?"
Qin Zi was puzzled.
Qin Chuan explained, "The Beast God's Heart is an artifact brought back from the Forbidden God Mountain by a powerful beast warrior. Because of its heart-like shape, the Beast Clan believes it's a gift from the Beast God, hence the name."
"Of course, that's just the Beast Clan's assumption. In reality, it's a divine item from a higher realm known as… cough, cough, cough!"
Suddenly, Qin Chuan began coughing again, spitting up several mouthfuls of blood before weakly saying, "I won't explain the details. Just know that the Beast God's Heart is the only thing that can restore my foundation."
Qin Zi nodded solemnly. "Understood!"
He clenched his fists, silently vowing to retrieve the Beast God's Heart no matter the cost.
…
Qin Chuan was left to recuperate in a small Beast Clan city.
Qin Zi spent some resources to hire two partially transformed beast girls with cat ears to take care of his father before heading out on his own.
He was headed to the Beast Clan's Holy Academy.
After gathering information, he learned that the Beast Clan's Holy Academy was their supreme institution of learning, the source of all Beast Clan academies!
Similarly, both the Human and Demon Clans had their own holy academies, where each race's most brilliant prodigies gathered—every one of them had the potential to become a supreme emperor!
However, entry into the Holy Academy required passing a rigorous test.
The test was notoriously harsh.
Ninety-nine percent of those who attempted it would perish in the process.
This was also meant to deter those who were not up to the challenge, filtering out all but the true elites.
Of course, Qin Zi had no fear.
As long as the test was something that could be passed by others, he had no doubt in his ability to succeed. Qin Zi had never been weaker than anyone else!
And he wouldn't be weaker than any beast either.
As for Qin Chuan, there was no way he was going to stay in that small town to recuperate. After he secured the two cat-eared girls, he didn't bother doing anything else.
He quietly followed Qin Zi.
The Beast Clan's waters were deep, and his young son was too inexperienced to handle it on his own. Qin Chuan had to stay behind the scenes, stirring up waves and creating chaos…
Two months later, with his father's silent support, Qin Zi reached the Beast Clan's central holy territory without a hitch.
He hadn't encountered a single problem along the way, and he couldn't help but marvel at how peaceful the Beast Clan seemed.
What he didn't know was that, along his path, numerous Beast Clan warriors lay on the ground, foaming at the mouth, their limbs twitching…
At that moment.
Above the Beast Clan's holy territory.
A luxurious flying boat soared through the sky. At the bow, a handsome young man in golden robes stood with his hands behind his back, gazing coldly into the distance. Beside him stood a beautiful young woman dressed in a flowing white feathered gown.
Behind them.
Three elderly men dressed in gray robes stood like statues, their auras unfathomably deep.
The young woman, her face flushed with shyness, stole a few glances at the golden-robed youth. Without making a sound, she shuffled closer to him… inch by inch, until she finally rested her head gently on his shoulder.
Swoosh!
The golden-robed youth trembled slightly, his face turning red, his muscles twitching as he quietly clenched his fists.
However.
After a quick glance at the three gray-robed elders behind him, coldly watching, he slowly unclenched his fists…
He surrendered to the situation.
Suddenly, the golden-robed youth spotted a familiar figure flying in the distance, and his eyes lit up with surprise.
"Huh? Junior Brother Qin?!"