180: Qin Wangchuan: This time I really beat up Big Brother

As soon as this thought emerged, Qin Wangchuan shook his head and chuckled, "No, no, unless I'm given time, or the damn System exerts its power, otherwise, it's just pure suicide."

As his mind raced with various thoughts, his brows furrowed once more.

Xu Tianluo was just the beginning.

His sixth brother's obsession, his eldest brother's stance, the future civil war... each link was intertwined like a death knot.

How was he to untangle it?

How to avoid that civil war?

As he was deep in thought, an old yet robust voice suddenly boomed in his Divine Sense.

It was the Old Ancestor.

The Old Ancestor's summons!

Although he had been called over a few times before, it was always through a messenger.

This time, however, it was a direct sound transmission.

Qin Wangchuan dared not delay; he immediately summoned his carriage and soared through the clouds.

The Tenth Heaven of Longevity was completely different from what he remembered.

The last time he came, it was a flat plain with only one tree around.

But this time, with a single step, he found himself standing atop a solitary peak.

Looking down, a sea of clouds surged beneath his feet, and all the mountains appeared like specks of dust.

Misty clouds swirled around the peak, and in the distance, a thatched hut hung precariously over a chasm thousands of feet deep, connected only by a rust-covered iron chain bridge.

The moment he stepped onto the iron chain—the trial began.

The iron chain suddenly sank, and countless dark golden runes emerged from beneath the rust, transforming into scorching chains that wrapped around his feet.

Nine Heavens Lightning Tribulation Fire shot up from the abyss, directly striking his crown.

Dragon Gauze automatically protected him, dissipating the Lightning Tribulation Fire.

But in the next instant, Qin Wangchuan saw it.

He saw all living beings... their suffering, their hardships, their destruction.

Ragged farmers knelt in cracked fields, their withered hands cradling the last dead seedling;

Injured soldiers leaned against a city wall, clutching a blood-soaked family letter to their chests;

White-haired old women dug with bare hands in the ruins, their fingertips bloody and bruised, yet still calling out their grandchild's name;

Countless Cultivators perished under the Lightning Tribulation, gazing at the sky in their final moments... a pair of emaciated hands reached out from the abyss, gripping Qin Wangchuan's ankles tightly.

The sensation was terrifyingly real—dirt embedded in cracked fingernails, dried blood scabs on broken nails.

He stumbled slightly as he was pulled, and the iron chain beneath his feet groaned under the strain.

"Save me..."

"I don't want to die yet, I still have family..."

"Immortal Elder... please..."

The voices layered one upon another, drilling into his ears like maggots.

Qin Wangchuan could even clearly feel the trembling from each palm—the trembling of despair, unwillingness, and dying throes.

He knew it was an illusion, of course, but it was too real...

Suddenly, a small, blood-stained hand grabbed his wrist.

He looked up into a pair of tear-filled eyes—it was a child, no older than six or seven, half his body charred by the Lightning Tribulation Fire.

"Big Brother..." The child's lips moved, blood oozing from between his teeth, "I'm scared..."

Qin Wangchuan looked down, gazing into the child's eyes, blurred by tears and blood.

He slowly bent down, his fingertips gently brushing the child's charred hair, his voice as gentle as the most reassuring promise:

"Don't be afraid."

His words were gentle, but the aura around him suddenly underwent a drastic change—

"First Gear."

Golden Dao patterns emerged from beneath his skin, flowing over his entire body like living things.

The furnace within him roared, and a vast amount of Qi transformed into white mist, rising and scorching the surrounding air, making it twist.

Before the child could react, Qin Wangchuan had already kicked out.

"Bang!"

The entire iron chain bridge vibrated violently, and the surrounding illusions shattered like a mirror.

The wailing masses, the burning scorched earth, the desperate cries, all transformed into scattered streaks of light.

When the dust settled, Qin Wangchuan looked down—

He had only taken one step.

And ahead, on the path to the thatched hut at the end, there were still thousands of steps.

"A trial?"

Qin Wangchuan's lips curved slightly, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

Before his words even finished, he had already taken a step without hesitation—

The iron chain vibrated, his robes fluttered, and he charged forward like a drawn sword!

Each step presented a different scene, a different tribulation.

But he maintained a steady pace, allowing thousands of tribulations to beset him, his gaze becoming increasingly clear.

Finally, when he reached the end of the bridge, all the tribulation phenomena suddenly vanished.

The door of the thatched hut opened without wind, and the scene behind it suddenly became clear.

In stark contrast to its simple exterior, the interior was an incredibly grand, ancient hall.

Towering pillars reached the dome, carved with ancient murals depicting ancestral sacrifices and battles between gods and demons, exuding a vast Dao rhyme.

The hall was empty, with only Old Ancestor Qin Taiyi seated on a simple futon in the central area.

Before him was an illusory chessboard outlined with Dao patterns; he was playing alone, against the Void Realm.

Qin Wangchuan entered the hall, his footsteps clearly audible in the spacious environment.

He approached, standing respectfully.

Qin Taiyi did not look up, his gaze still focused on the chess game, as an invisible piece fell.

"Not bad."

The old and calm voice uttered two words, carrying a hint of imperceptible satisfaction.

However, Qin Taiyi's tone immediately shifted, and the invisible chess piece suspended above the board lingered, not yet falling.

He did not look at Qin Wangchuan, as if he was questioning the chess game, or perhaps scrutinizing Qin Wangchuan's Dao Heart:

"Wangchuan, do you know what your biggest flaw is?"

Without waiting for Qin Wangchuan's answer, he continued on his own, his voice calm as an ancient well:

"Too kind!"

"You were born into the Qin Family, grew up under its protection, and were too well-sheltered. You still harbor an unnecessary kindness towards the living beings of this world. This is a sign of your pure Heart-Nature, but also your greatest weakness on the Dao path. Until now, this is what I have always believed..."

His words paused slightly here, and Qin Taiyi finally slowly raised his eyes, those ancient, world-weary eyes of different colors finally falling upon Qin Wangchuan, carrying a very faint but real hint of doubt:

"...But just now, when you made your move, your heart seemed to have no hesitation whatsoever?"

This indeed exceeded his expectations.

Such utterly real illusions of the suffering of all living beings directly targeted the softest spot of compassion in one's heart.

According to his past understanding of this junior, even if Qin Wangchuan could ultimately see through it, his heart would surely undergo a struggle, and there would be at least a trace of hesitation in his actions.

Yet, his words of comfort to the child were gentle, but the decision in his heart and the actions of his feet were fierce and decisive, without the slightest bit of sloppiness.

Facing the Old Ancestor's question, Qin Wangchuan's gaze was frank, and he directly nodded in admission:

"Yes, no hesitation."

"Because," his voice was steady, yet carried an undeniable firmness, "I have things I must do."

Qin Taiyi watched him quietly, an invisible pressure pervading the empty hall, signaling him to continue.

Qin Wangchuan met the Old Ancestor's gaze, his tone resolute, his Dao Heart clear as a mirror:

"Anyone who obstructs my Dao, whether real or fake, good or evil, I will kick them away."

"Since I have already identified it as an obstacle, how can there be any room for hesitation?"