They all stared at the baby on the floor.
She had once been a killing machine.
And now… a baby?
"You and your tricks," Luo Qing muttered, frowning. "As expected of The Father."
Without hesitation, The Father picked up the baby, walked to the edge of the island—
And threw her off.
The crowd was stunned.
Wasn't this The Father?
The man rumored to have risked his life thousands of times for his daughter?
Yet now, without a flicker of hesitation, he had discarded her.
Still expressionless, The Father drew his blade.
It oozed bloodlust—thick, suffocating. Dark smoke curled from its edge, twisting unnaturally in the air.
The atmosphere shifted.
The crowd stiffened, faces drained of color. They weren't sure what was about to happen, but whatever it was, it wouldn't be pleasant.
A wave of nausea spread through them. Dizziness blurred their senses, their footing unstable.
BLAAARGH!!
A soldier retched violently, his body trembling.
"I feel awful," another gasped, clutching his stomach.
"What do you expect? We're dealing with The Father. Most of his attacks are both physiological and psychological." His voice was strained, eyes darting nervously. "He's the worst opponent to face—because even without cultivation—"
HRKKK—KOFF!
Liu Yu suddenly clutched her throat, choking violently. Her knees buckled, her hands beating against her chest in desperation.
KRUHHK—SPLURT!!
Blood burst from her mouth. Her eyes turned crimson, unfocused—pain writhed across her face.
"What did you do to her?!" Luo Qing snapped, fury coloring her tone.
Liu Yu convulsed, her body twitching uncontrollably.
A shiver crawled up the spines of the onlookers.
Luo Qing gritted her teeth and drew her sword.
Without hesitation, she lunged—striking straight for The Father.
But—
The blade passed through him.
Like he wasn't even there.
WHOOSH!!
Luo Qing barely managed to dodge a slash aimed at her shoulder from behind. The attack skimmed her ear, slicing deep enough to draw blood.
CLANG!
The stillness shattered.
Luo Qing surged forward—a blur of motion. Her blade screeched against The Father's in a violent clash of sparks.
She didn't hesitate.
Slash. Twist. Strike. Leap.
She moved like fire—wild, uncontained, dangerous.
A midair spin, a crescent sweep toward his ribs—
A footstep—
And he was gone.
No clash. No counter.
Just absence.
"You think just because my strength is lower, you can win?" He scoffed. "You must be joking."
She snarled, already turning—driving her blade forward.
CLANG!
This time, he didn't vanish.
His grip was steady. Too steady.
The force of her strike pushed him back slightly, but he barely acknowledged it.
With chilling precision, he parried all her attacks.
Currently, their strength wasn't much different—one at 1 ding, the other at 1.5 ding.
They were neck and neck.
Luo Qing exhaled sharply, centering herself.
BOOM!!
Her speed exploded.
In the blink of an eye, she was right in front of him, sword descending toward his chest.
The Father didn't flinch.
He shifted half a step.
That was all.
Her blade missed—by mere inches.
Three more attacks followed—a hook, a spin, a downward slash so fierce it cracked the stone beneath them—
Yet it was like fighting a ghost.
No clangs. No sparks.
He wasn't blocking.
"Don't you dare look bored," Luo Qing hissed, frustrated.
Then—
She stopped.
THUD!!
She dropped to her knees, her breathing ragged.
Blood seeped from her eyes, her nose, her mouth.
Fear widened her gaze.
"W-What did you do to—"
THUD!!
She collapsed.
Her body hit the ground. Motionless.
Shing.
The Father sheathed his blade.
"I've won," he said simply.
"You may now leave the island."
The remaining soldiers didn't hesitate. They gathered Luo Qing and Liu Yu's bodies, whistling for winged beasts.
Without another word, they mounted them—
And left.
- - -
The Father walked to a spot on the ground, knocking lightly.
Immediately, the earth shifted.
A lantern emerged.
He picked it up, preparing to explore the island.
WHOOSH!!
A pinkish-white lasso suddenly snaked around the lantern—yanking it from his grip.
His gaze snapped upward.
There stood a figure—clad in armor that shimmered between reality and illusion.
It was pinkish-white.
A helmet hid the stranger's face.
The lantern rested in his hands.
SWOOSH!!
Before The Father could react—
The figure sped off.
The Father blinked.
And then—
"*********. COME BACK WITH THAT ******* YOU SON OF A ***!!"