With Qin Chuan's cultivation at the level of an Eight-Realm Martial Emperor, it was naturally impossible for him to miss the presence of the quasi-emperor.
He had done it on purpose.
Coming to the old site of the Night Emperor, it wasn't just about retrieving the Dao bones. Of course, he had to pin the label of "Night Emperor's remnant" on Qin Zi's head.
Previously, Qin Zi had already exposed the Heavenly Balance Clan's imperial artifact. Add in the fact that Emperor Kun had shown up to save him, as well as the recording stone Qin Chuan had planted, it had set the groundwork to frame Qin Zi as a "Heavenly Balance Clan traitor."
But that still wasn't enough.
As they say, three points make a story. At least three pieces of evidence were needed to make the accusation stick.
After all, a triangle is stable—just like how most underwear is triangular, for stability!
The Night Emperor himself had been suspected of colluding with the Heavenly Balance Clan, which led to his extermination by the Human Race's Holy Temple.
As long as Qin Zi could be tied to the Night Emperor, the label of being a Heavenly Balance Clan traitor would be sealed.
Not even Jesus could save him!
At this moment, the trio arrived at a golden cave.
The cave was primitive, simple, and ancient. Its ceiling had irregular stalactites hanging down like sharp spears.
The walls of the cave were engraved with scriptures and divine powers. These things, which could cause a storm of bloodshed in the outside world, were scrawled on the walls like childish doodles.
There were even large patches of silver-white symbols glowing on the walls, like tiny tadpoles swimming around.
At the deepest part of the cave stood an altar, in front of which was a massive incense burner.
In the center of the altar lay three pristine bones. They emitted a faint, ghostly glow, their surfaces crystal clear, while countless mysterious patterns flickered faintly within, making them appear incredibly enigmatic.
"The Night Family has suffered a great catastrophe, and now our bloodline is almost extinct. These three bones are just collecting dust here. As a descendant of the Night Family, I, Ye Lingshuang, wish to take these bones today. I humbly ask for the ancestors' permission."
The golden-haired woman spoke reverently.
But no one responded.
Of course, she hadn't expected anyone to.
She symbolically observed a moment of silence for a few minutes, went through the motions, and then walked up to the altar to take the three bones.
"Qin Zi, these are yours now."
Her face wore a gentle smile, but there was an unmistakable sadness beneath it.
Qin Zi looked at the three bones but didn't reach for them immediately. Instead, he said solemnly, "Master, don't worry. In the future, my father and I will help you rebuild the Night Emperor Clan. We'll make it even more prosperous than before."
The golden-haired woman blushed slightly.
"Rebuilding the Night Family will require people. Right now, our bloodline is almost completely wiped out, and I'm the only one left..." she said shyly, casting a quick glance at Qin Chuan.
Qin Chuan pretended not to notice and said to his son, "This place is safe. You can fuse with the Dao bones right here."
"Understood!"
Qin Zi understood what was going on. His master wanted to become his mother, but he didn't dare comment on that matter lightly.
"Pop! Pop! Pop!"
Qin Zi directly inserted the three bones into his body, then, gritting his teeth against the pain, sat down to begin the fusion process.
"Buzz!"
His body started glowing, and his blood flowed wildly, baptizing the three bones.
Meanwhile, Qin Chuan casually browsed the scriptures and divine powers on the walls, committing everything to memory.
Knowledge is power.
And to create one's own divine abilities, one needs vast accumulation—this is the so-called foundation.
Time flew by quickly.
In the cave, time passed unnoticed.
Only by observing changes could one measure its flow.
Three days later!
"Buzz buzz buzz!"
Three brilliant beams of light erupted from Qin Zi's body, illuminating him until he became almost transparent.
The three Dao bones had successfully fused!
One in the chest, one in each arm.
At this moment, the three bones glowed, with countless symbols and energies pouring out like tadpoles, nourishing Qin Zi's entire body.
"Urgh!"
Qin Zi let out a beast-like roar, a mix of explosive power and a sense of release.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"
Three beams of light representing the laws of the world simultaneously burst from his body.
Thanks to the mysterious origins of the three Dao bones, he had broken through three times in a row, reaching the Fourth Tribulation of the World Emperor realm!
"Hahaha! I broke through again!"
Qin Zi shouted excitedly.
Inside his body, the Primordial Qi of All Things and the unseen Martial Luck churned rapidly, nourishing him.
His rapid progress was inseparable from these two things.
It was a cheat upon a cheat!
"Very good, but remember not to become arrogant. Even within the same realm, you are not invincible."
Qin Chuan said calmly.
"I know."
Qin Zi nodded enthusiastically, though inside, he couldn't help but feel a little smug. With all this power, who could defeat him in the same realm?
Still, he knew better than to show off in front of his father!
"Let's go," Qin Chuan said.
The golden-haired woman nodded, formed seals with her hands, and once again summoned the golden vortex.
In a flash of light, the three of them reappeared beside the stone monument.
"Boom boom boom!"
In the next moment, a wave of terrifying pressure descended from all directions.
"What is this?!"
The slightly smug Qin Zi was immediately pressed to the ground, his face turning pale.
Looking around, he saw…
Eight majestic figures hovering in the sky, each surrounded by swirling storm clouds.
Eight Martial Emperors!!
"Unexpectedly, there really are remnants of the Night Emperor Clan. It seems today we'll uproot them once and for all."
A younger figure among the eight glanced at the golden-haired woman and sneered, "Ye Lingshuang, we meet again."
Ye Lingshuang looked up at him and said coldly:
"So, it's you. I didn't expect even you could become an emperor. It seems times really have changed—any stray cat or dog can now ascend."
The man wasn't offended, instead, he sneered in return:
"Yes, stray cats and dogs can become emperors. And you, the once magnificent Ye Lingshuang, are nothing more than a living failure."
Ye Lingshuang's face remained expressionless as she retorted coldly:
"If the Night Emperor Clan hadn't been destroyed, I could crush you with one hand. You may be in power today, but don't strut before me. In my eyes, you'll never be worth anything!"
The man laughed and shook his head:
"Hmph, I have no interest in showing off to you. Whether you were once glorious or not, now you're just a loser that everyone wants dead. I'm here to kill you!"
Whoosh!
In an instant, the murderous intent became tangible, like a blood-red spear piercing the sky, aiming to impale Ye Lingshuang's very soul.
"Thud!"
Qin Chuan took one step forward, standing in front of her. The killing intent dissipated three meters from him.
"Heh, Ye Lingshuang, it seems even you have sought refuge. The once-proud woman now hides behind a lover for protection. But I doubt you can satisfy him."
The man mocked.
"You're shameless!"
Ye Lingshuang growled, flushed with shame.
"Hahahaha!"
The man laughed maniacally, as if humiliating the once lofty goddess pieced together the shattered fragments of his ego.
"Slash!"
The next moment, a golden light pierced the sky, cleaving through the clouds before streaking toward the horizon.
His head flew high.
"Mu Dao!"
"Dear nephew!"
The surrounding Martial Emperors were shocked and immediately rushed over, forming a defensive wall in front of him.
But as his head flew through the air, it suddenly glowed, and a golden figure emerged, full of panic.
"Who… Who are you?!"
All his arrogance had vanished, for his body had been easily destroyed.
Another strike would obliterate his very soul!
"Why should a dead man care?"
Qin Chuan wiped the Sun-Swallowing Sword with his fingers, his gaze slowly rising along the blade as he spoke.
"To kill him? Dream on!"
"Night Emperor remnant, you're dead!"
The seven remaining Martial Emperors sneered coldly and attacked in unison, fully revealing their cultivation levels.
Three Four-Realm Martial Emperors.
Two Five-Realm Martial Emperors.
Two Six-Realm Martial Emperors!
Such a lineup was terrifying, capable of solving most problems.
"Boom boom boom!"
One devastating divine power after another came crashing down with apocalyptic force, nearly shattering the sky.
"Break!"
Qin Chuan didn't even look, casually swinging his sword. The sword energy fell like a heavenly river, tearing everything apart!
"Rip!"
The divine powers were torn apart, and the seven Martial Emperors couldn't withstand the overwhelming destructive force. They were flung backward in all directions as the golden sword light cut through the soul of the terrified figure.
"No…"
His soul let out a desperate wail, but he didn't even have the courage to resist and wasreduced to ashes instantly.
"A High-Realm Martial Emperor!"
"How is that possible?!"
"Run!!"
The remaining seven Martial Emperors screamed in terror. Encountering a High-Realm Martial Emperor, something they had never anticipated, left them utterly terrified. Without hesitation, they fled in seven different directions.
"Die!!"
Qin Chuan's eyes gleamed with murderous intent as he swung his sword casually, sending out several beams of sword light. He initially thought these seven would manage to dodge.
However, he overestimated two of them. The sword light, which he had aimed to graze them, ended up cutting off half of their bodies...
Fortunately, they didn't die.
Qin Chuan wasn't particularly inclined to kill them all. After all, he needed these people alive to report back about Qin Zi.
As for himself...
He wasn't concerned at all. His face had been obscured by an illusion the entire time, so they had no idea what he looked like. However, Qin Zi...
Well, he was about to become quite famous.
The owner of the Heavenly Balance Clan's imperial artifact, the savior of Emperor Kun, and now an accomplice of the Night Emperor's remnant—all of this would land Qin Zi on the Human Race's Kill-On-Sight Blacklist!