Son, Put Your Father To The Test (FF)

After watching Qin Zi enter the abyss, Qin Chuan left the edge of the chasm, seeing no point in waiting around.

More importantly...

He had set his eyes on that pig-loving, overweight man, Zhou Xiang. Following the typical pattern of the cultivation world, such peculiar individuals often had unique qualities.

It was worth trying to persuade him…

The Zhou family owned a massive pig farm, complete with a slaughterhouse.

In the world of martial cultivation, not everyone was above mundane needs. Aside from a few powerful cultivators, most people still needed to eat.

Pork was an essential part of their diet.

Of course, given the Zhou family's status, they didn't need to raise pigs themselves. A single command would have countless subordinate forces delivering as much meat as they wanted.

But the pig farm was established by the Fifth Elder to satisfy the peculiar hobby of his grandson — slaughtering pigs!

It was embarrassing, no doubt.

But, in the end, it was still his grandson. Such a small request was easy to grant, especially when it only required a word.

"Oink—!"

"Oink—!"

The shrill cries of pigs being slaughtered echoed from the slaughterhouse. A 300-pound man held a struggling pig down effortlessly with his left hand while his right hand thrust a butcher knife into the pig's throat.

Gurgle...

A torrent of blood gushed out, flowing along the blade into a large basin that had been prepared beforehand.

"Young Master Zhou Xiang is so mighty!"

"Young Master Zhou Xiang's knife skills are godlike!"

"That technique of his is becoming more refined by the day. I swear, that pig almost looked content when it got stabbed!"

"Yeah, I saw it too. I was right there."

The half-naked butchers surrounding him all displayed admiration, their flattery pouring in thick and fast.

"Not bad, not bad, next one!"

The chubby Zhou Xiang was clearly in high spirits. With a grand gesture, he brandished the knife, and another pig was brought over immediately.

In fact, every butcher around him had a pig in tow, all waiting in line to bring them forward for slaughter.

Some of the workers were in charge of dragging the butchered pigs away, sending them to various kitchens, or selling them in the market.

It had become a full-fledged assembly line!

Zhou Xiang, meanwhile, was solely responsible for the kill. By the end of a day, he would have slaughtered thousands of pigs.

But the strange thing was...

Most butchers accumulated a sense of bloodlust after killing just a few hundred pigs a year. Zhou Xiang, on the other hand, slaughtered thousands of pigs daily, yet not an ounce of murderous intent clung to him.

When he wasn't holding a knife, he gave off the harmless vibe of a country bumpkin, like the clueless son of some wealthy landowner.

"Oink—!"

Another pig was stabbed.

Whether it was an illusion or not, in that instant, the pig's eyes seemed to narrow, almost as if it was smiling contentedly.

Then its body convulsed before going limp, blood gushing out like a willing sacrifice.

"Such impressive technique!"

At that moment, a voice full of admiration rang out.

Whoosh!

Everyone turned their heads to see a composed young man dressed in white approaching. His demeanor was calm and collected, yet there was an unmistakable air of authority about him.

An invisible aura seemed to surround him, and as he approached, even the blood on the ground parted to either side, creating a clean path for him to walk on.

"Greetings, my lord!"

"Greetings, my lord!"

The butchers, terrified, dropped to their knees. They knew they were in the presence of a true powerhouse.

An unfathomably powerful figure!

These men were just ordinary butchers, at most possessing body-refining levels of cultivation. In the grand scheme of things, they were at the very bottom of society.

After all, slaughtering pigs wasn't a job for cultivators. Zhou Xiang had specifically chosen ordinary people for this task.

In their eyes, although the world wasn't short of strong cultivators, those high-flying warriors were far beyond their reach.

Now that such a legendary figure had appeared before them, how could they not feel awe? How could they not be overwhelmed?

"Are you... Senior Qin Chuan?"

The chubby Zhou Xiang froze for a moment before recognizing Qin Chuan.

News didn't travel slowly within the Zhou family. The higher-ups had already thoroughly investigated the background of Qin Chuan and his son.

After all, the Zhou family had given away a precious spot for the Phoenix Fire Nest. There was no way they wouldn't know who they were giving it to.

Such carelessness didn't exist.

Qin Chuan strolled leisurely over, smiling as he praised, "Your movements appear casual, but in reality, they perfectly align with the pig's heartbeat and emotional peak."

"Your strikes are incredibly precise, hitting the exact spot at the perfect moment."

"This technique not only disrupts the pig's fear response but also severs its pain receptors right at the emotional climax, allowing it to experience ultimate comfort."

"With that one strike, the pig feels the greatest joy in death, a joy it never experienced in life."

"In other words, you're not simply killing the pig; you're giving it a new meaning to its existence through death, completing its life."

"At first glance, it seems like an act of slaughter, but in truth, it's an act of creation. This... is unparalleled artistry!"

Qin Chuan gazed at Zhou Xiang as if he had discovered a rare gem, his admiration entirely sincere.

"This!!!"

Zhou Xiang's entire body trembled, his pupils dilating in shock.

It was as if something had struck him right in the heart, and a wave of warmth surged through his body, setting his blood on fire like molten lava.

This was excitement.

This was awe.

This was overwhelming emotion!

For so many years, this was the first time anyone had praised him like this, and not with empty flattery, but with words that spoke directly to his heart!

It was exactly what he had been doing, what he had been thinking but had never been able to put into words.

This man… truly understood him!

"Senior... how do you know all this?"

Zhou Xiang's hand trembled as it gripped the butcher knife, his rolls of fat shaking with the intensity of his emotions.

In this moment, he saw Qin Chuan as the one true confidant of his life—someone he had met far too late!

"Because we are the same kind of people."

Qin Chuan smiled warmly, stepping closer. "I can feel it in you. Every cut you make holds no malice but is filled with compassion, even love."

"You pity their fate. You understand they are destined to be slaughtered, a fate that no one can change. So you use your unique way to make their death less painful."

"This is great love. True compassion."

Qin Chuan's voice was deep, his expression tinged with sorrow, exuding an air of profound empathy for the world.

Zhou Xiang, on the other hand, was so moved that he began to tremble all over.

It was as if he had been walking a lonely path of faith, burdened by misunderstanding and ridicule, only to suddenly meet someone who shared the same belief. How could he not feel grateful? How could he not be overwhelmed?

Thud!

Finally, Zhou Xiang slammed the butcher knife into the table and knelt before Qin Chuan, saying, "Please, accept me as your disciple!!"

At this moment, his only desire was to become Qin Chuan's disciple.

Because he knew that this elder shared the same compassion, walked the same path, and was much further along it than he was!

The "further along" wasn't about cultivation but rather the depth of understanding, the pursuit of this shared journey.

In fact, Zhou Xiang didn't care about cultivation. If he had wanted to become stronger, all he had to do was say the word.

But in this world of confusion...

To him, everything else was secondary.

Even the most invincible power was, in his eyes, just a side pursuit, something he couldn't be bothered to chase.

His true path was simple: slaughter pigs, slaughter pigs, and keep slaughtering pigs. Not until the pig farm was empty would he find peace!

"You don't need to become my disciple because there's nothing I can teach you. You've already walked your own path."

Qin Chuan smiled gently.

This man, who had once thrown tantrums before his grandfather, now seemed filled with determination and gravitas.

Still kneeling, Zhou Xiang respectfully said, "There's no distinction in learning; the accomplished are the masters. You have gone further along this path than I, so I acknowledge you as my teacher. Teacher, please accept this disciple's bow!"