"You... your cultivation... how is this possible?!"
The woman in the white dress first flashed a look of hatred when she saw Qin Chuan, then her expression turned to shock.
His cultivation level had reached the same realm as hers, and in fact, his aura was even more profound.
It was simply unfathomable!
Her current body was transformed from the corpse of her ancestor. The essence of life and flesh within had long been exhausted, leaving only an empty shell.
But the man before her was in his peak state.
"You've also reached the realm of the Ancestor God? How can this be?!"
The woman in the white dress roared in disbelief, her eyes becoming wild with rage as she raised her head and screamed bitterly toward the sky: "Heavens, how could you be so unjust?! Why favor such a despicable, blood-soaked butcher like him?! How can a person like him reach the realm of the Ancestor God? Why?!"
Qin Chuan stood silently, watching her outburst with understanding. He could empathize with her hatred—a mother seeking vengeance for her slain child. It wasn't unreasonable for her to act out this way.
After a long while.
The woman in the white dress finally regained her composure, staring at Qin Chuan with bitter hatred. Determined, she gritted her teeth and said, "Even though I may not be your match, I can never forgive you for what you did to my son. Today, we must have an end to this!"
With that, a blinding red light erupted from her body as she transformed once again into an ancient, noble phoenix!
"Boom!"
The overwhelming aura that could suppress all the heavens spread forth like a tidal wave. Her aura coalesced into an enormous phantom of a phoenix in the sky, enveloping all of Xuanhuang Heaven.
Countless living beings trembled, and all creatures knelt in reverence!
"Kill!!"
The phoenix shot straight up into the sky, then dove down toward Qin Chuan with unimaginable speed.
"Boom!"
As the phoenix charged down, the space around it disintegrated like fragile bubbles. Everything in its path—including laws, the great Dao, and time itself—was annihilated. At this moment, the heavens dimmed, and nothing in the world seemed able to stand against it.
"Restrain."
Facing this apocalyptic scene, Qin Chuan remained calm. He slowly extended his right hand as if catching a small bird, reaching out toward the phoenix.
"Zzzt!"
In the next instant, that once-arrogant phoenix seemed to be crushed by an invisible force, its body rapidly shrinking.
"You will never suppress me!"
The phoenix roared toward the heavens, its body sparking with dark red lightning—static generated by the clash of two immense forces.
But ultimately.
The phoenix couldn't resist the suppressive power of Qin Chuan. It shrank quickly, crashing to the ground, becoming smaller and smaller.
When it had shrunk to human size, the flames around its body disappeared, and it reverted to the form of the woman in the white dress, lying prone on the ground.
Supporting herself with trembling arms, she lifted her head to glare at Qin Chuan, her voice filled with hatred as she gritted her teeth and said, "I've lost, but I am not resigned! If there is a next life, I will tear you apart limb by limb!!"
Her words were venomous.
But deep down, she felt utterly powerless. This man before her was too strong—so terrifyingly powerful. Throughout all of history, how many could even match him?
"I never said I'd kill you, so why talk about a next life?"
Qin Chuan smiled as he spoke.
"You won't kill me?"
The woman in the white dress was stunned for a moment, then she looked at Qin Chuan with a mocking sneer. "At this point, why pretend to be merciful? Do you think I'll be grateful if you spare me?"
"Besides, even if you don't kill me, I don't want to live! My clan and my son are both dead—what meaning is there in life for me?"
Qin Chuan shook his head and said, "Your son isn't dead."
"What??"
The woman's body trembled as she blinked in shock, her eyes locking onto Qin Chuan with urgency. "What did you say? My son... he..."
The sudden surge of hope left her feeling lost, as if afraid this was all a cruel lie.
Qin Chuan didn't explain further. He simply reached out toward the air.
"Buzz!"
A vortex of space appeared, and from it, a young man dressed in black appeared on the empty ground, looking bewildered.
"Huh, Uncle Qin?"
Lin Yi was stunned for a moment, then he felt an intense gaze burning into his back.
Whoosh!
He quickly turned around, his eyes widening and his pupils dilating as he stared.
"You... you are..."
Seeing the woman in the white dress before him, the blood in Lin Yi's veins surged uncontrollably. A deep, instinctual sense of familiarity and warmth filled his entire being, causing his body to tremble.
"It's... it's me... it's me..."
The woman in the white dress was equally overwhelmed, her words faltering as tears fell like pearls, flowing down her face uncontrollably. She laughed and cried at the same time, nodding constantly.
"Mother!!!"
Lin Yi shouted, tears streaming from his eyes as he dashed forward and embraced the woman he had never met.
"My son!"
The woman in the white dress held her son tightly, tears streaming down her face like radiant pearls falling onto his back.
"What... what is happening?"
Qin Zi, watching with his mouth wide open, was utterly dumbfounded. Even the giants of Xuanhuang Heaven, who had arrived in response to the commotion, stood frozen in astonishment.
After a long time.
The mother and son finally calmed down. Wiping away her tears, the woman in the white dress asked, "Yi'er, what happened? Why do you call him Uncle Qin? Hasn't he harmed you?"
Lin Yi shook his head, full of gratitude as he replied, "Mother, Uncle Qin is my benefactor and one of the kindest elders I've ever known. Without his care, I would have died long ago."
"Huh? Didn't he steal your bloodline and take your jade pendant?" The woman in the white dress was confused.
Lin Yi smiled wryly and asked in return:
"Mother, if Uncle Qin hadn't done those things, could I have survived being hunted by the Phoenix Clan?"
"As far as I know, Brother Qin Zi has been hunted by the Phoenix Clan several times, even having giants after him. They've borne all those dangers on my behalf... I could never repay the debt I owe Uncle Qin."
The woman in the white dress was stunned, but she still had doubts. She continued to ask, "But he did take your bloodline and the jade pendant, didn't he? Perhaps the Phoenix Clan's pursuit of Qin Zi was just an accident."
Lin Yi laughed and said:
"Look, don't I still have my bloodline? As for the pendant, Uncle Qin returned it to me later. If he really had ill intentions, a single thought could have destroyed me. Why go through so much trouble?"
The woman in the white dress fell silent for a moment, then slowly nodded in realization, her face gradually turning awkward.
She glanced toward Qin Chuan, looking slightly embarrassed as she spoke in a hesitant tone, "Brother Qin, I acted too impulsively before. I didn't realize you had done so much for Yi'er... I... I..."
She was utterly ashamed of herself.
Qin Chuan smiled warmly and waved his hand dismissively, saying generously, "Don't blame yourself. It's only natural. Besides, I've always believed in fate. Since Lin Yi and I share a bond, it was only right that I helped him."
"Ah, fate? You're not secretly involved with my mother, are you?"
Lin Yi suddenly turned toward Qin Chuan, his eyes wide with shock.
"You silly boy, what nonsense are you spouting?"
Qin Chuan scolded him with a laugh.
"Oh, I see..."
Lin Yi, disappointed, pouted, his mood sinking a little.
"Yi'er, what's wrong?"
The woman in the white dress asked curiously.
"It's nothing! Really!"
Lin Yi turned his head, feeling guilty inside, yet still longing in his heart—How great would it be if Uncle Qin could be my father?!
"Yi'er, you're definitely hiding something from me. Tell me, and I'll fulfill your wish," said the woman in the white dress.
"Really?!"
Lin Yi's eyes lit up, suddenly excited.
But in the next moment, he sighed deeply, his spirit deflating once again.
Forget it.
Uncle Qin isn't that kind of person.