At this moment.
Qin Zi stood there, dumbfounded, watching as his father unleashed divine might, sweeping away over a dozen extreme realm experts. He felt as though everything was unreal.
Wasn't his father supposed to be on the verge of death?
Wasn't he supposed to be lying in some small town in the Beast Clan, being nursed day and night by two pure and sexy cat-eared girls?
How could he be so powerful?
How had his injuries recovered?
"Could this be his final burst of energy?"
Just as this thought arose, he decisively slapped himself—how could he have such a terrible thought?!
He flew forward at once, eager to ask what was going on.
"Father…"
"Let's talk inside."
Before he could say anything, Qin Chuan interrupted him and then said to the White Crane King, "Dao brother, may I use your cave dwelling?"
"Of course, of course."
The White Crane King stared blankly at Qin Chuan. After witnessing Qin Chuan's invincible might, his gaze had turned somewhat dazed.
It seemed he had become a little fanboy.
Both men were handsome, dressed in white, with carefree and extraordinary temperaments—they truly made a fitting pair.
Qin Chuan led Qin Zi directly into the underground palace of the White Crane Heavenly Palace—this underground palace had a crack in it from the previous battle.
"Ugh!"
As soon as they entered the underground palace, Qin Chuan suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, and an incredibly terrifying aura surged from him.
"Father, what's happening to you?!"
Qin Chuan didn't speak, but from his body came the sound of roaring rivers and collapsing mountains.
His aura, after a brief moment of ferocity, gradually weakened. His complexion quickly paled, and even a hint of deathly stillness appeared on his face!
"Father!!!"
Seeing his father, who looked as though he would collapse any moment, Qin Zi let out a sorrowful cry, rushing forward to support him. Tears streamed down his face uncontrollably.
"Heh... it's no use after all…"
Qin Chuan, his face devoid of any color, revealed a self-mocking expression and bitterly smiled. "Father's final battle… I didn't disgrace you, did I?"
"Why?!"
Qin Zi's eyes were red, and his voice trembled as he shouted, "You were already like this! Why did you still come?!"
"Cough, cough…"
Qin Chuan coughed up some bloody foam and smiled weakly, "Heh, the entire world was bullying my son, how could I not come? Even though my foundation is shattered, and I'm barely holding on... I'm still your father."
"Father, I have the Beast God's Heart! I'll give it to you right now, you can still live!"
Qin Zi trembled like a madman, frantically tearing open his own clothes, preparing to reach into his chest and pull out the heart.
Plop!
However, Qin Chuan grabbed his hand—Qin Chuan's hand was cold but full of strength, as stiff as a corpse.
"It's too late, it won't help." Qin Chuan sighed weakly.
"It can! It definitely can!"
Tears flowed down Qin Zi's face, and with his other hand, he tried to reach into his chest.
At this point, Qin Chuan was so weak that he couldn't grab both of Qin Zi's hands. Seeing his son about to plunge his hand into his chest…
"Stop this nonsense!"
Suddenly, Qin Chuan shouted sternly, his voice not loud but extremely serious.
With the last of his strength, he growled, "Qin Zi, have you stopped listening to your father?!"
"I..."
Qin Zi froze in place, his tearful eyes gazing at his father, and he cried out in pain:
"Father, what can I do to save you? I can't live without you!!"
Qin Chuan slowly raised his pale hand, placing it gently on his son's head. His face showed a weak but gentle smile.
"You're still young. Don't despair. Your future is long. You will become a peerless powerhouse. You will witness dazzling sights and be admired by countless people…"
"But without you, what's the point of having all that? I don't want to possess it alone!"
Qin Zi cried out in despair, his heart breaking.
Qin Chuan fell silent.
After a long while, as though he had thought of something, he said softly, "Actually… I still have a slim chance."
"Really?!"
Qin Zi's eyes lit up with endless hope, his joy overwhelming him like a half-dead rabbit suddenly leaping to life.
"Yes."
Qin Chuan nodded and said:
"I once received a Nirvana technique from a mysterious senior. This technique cannot be spoken of or passed on, and can only be used once in a lifetime. No matter how severe the injuries, there's a possibility of Nirvana rebirth."
"However, using this Nirvana technique requires the determination to risk everything. Success means rebirth, failure means death... and there's only a ten percent chance."
"Ten percent!!"
Qin Zi's face paled again, the hope in his heart almost extinguished completely.
Ten percent—how was that different from near-certain death? In fact… it was even worse than a one-in-nine chance!
Nine-to-one odds still felt better than one-in-ten!
Qin Zi gasped for breath, as if someone were strangling him. His breathing grew heavier and more labored.
After a long time, he looked at Qin Chuan with determination and said in a trembling voice, "Father, please use the Nirvana technique. I believe you can be reborn! You are a peerless powerhouse—this world cannot bury you!"
Saying this, he helped Qin Chuan sit cross-legged and then backed away slowly.
With unsteady steps, Qin Zi retreated, his sorrow-filled eyes locked on his father, as though he were engraving this figure deep into his memory, creating an indelible mark.
Perhaps… this would be their final meeting!
One step, two steps, three steps...
Finally, Qin Zi reached the entrance.
"Qin Zi."
At that moment, Qin Chuan suddenly called out.
Qin Zi paused, seeing his father, weak and pale, sitting cross-legged on the ground, a gentle smile on his face.
"Having you in this life… has made me proud as a father."
Qin Zi could no longer hold it in. With a loud cry, he covered his face and ran away.
(Note: "走" in classical Chinese often means "to run," as seen in the example "錄畢,走送之" from The Biography of Ma Sheng in the East.)
After successfully sending his son away, Qin Chuan waved his hand, summoning the power of the earth to seal the crack in the underground palace.
And so, he began his "Nirvana."
In truth…
There was no Nirvana at all!!
It was all a lie to deceive Qin Zi—he was perfectly fine!
"Sigh, I made the kid cry again, but what else could I do?"
Qin Chuan shook his head, feeling a bit sentimental.
After all, he had previously claimed that only the Beast God's Heart could save him, and now he was up and walking around, even stronger than before.
Such a thing would be hard to accept—emotionally, perhaps, but not logically.
And the consequence of logical disbelief was…
Doubt.
Once Qin Zi started realizing his father was a trickster, he might begin to second-guess everything. That would make it much harder to fool him in the future.
As the saying goes: "Once bitten by a snake, ten years afraid of ropes."
If Qin Chuan wanted to keep deceiving Qin Zi, he had to ensure his credibility remained impeccable—without a single blemish.
Trust is a fragile thing.
It might take hundreds or even thousands of acts to build up trust, but a single misstep could destroy it.
So, a Nirvana it would be.
He just needed to seal off the underground palace and take a month-long nap. By then, he could simply walk out as if nothing happened.
Moreover, during that month of anxious waiting, Qin Zi would constantly recall all the good things his father had done for him, which would only deepen their bond as father and son.