"Qin Xuan! You wretched creature! How dare you steal your eldest brother's Monster Beast core!"
"If you do not confess today, I will have you beaten to death right here!"
A thunderous roar echoed through the great hall. Qin Xuan woke up with a start.
"Where am I?"
He scanned his surroundings. This was the stern and imposing Enforcement Hall. Dozens of people filled the room, all glaring at him with seething rage. Qin Xuan looked on, slightly dazed. Suddenly, a flood of memories surged into his mind, rapidly merging with his own.
"I see."
"To think they would beat someone to death based on nothing but the one-sided words of others, all over a single Monster Beast core."
"What a fine Qin Family this is!"
Qin Xuan’s eyes sharpened, his gaze filled with surging coldness. He had once been the greatest alchemist in the Immortal Realm, known as the Celestial Pill Emperor, the leader of the ten great Immortal Emperors.
In his memories, to break the shackles of the Great Dao, he had used the stars of the nine heavens as a guide, the origin energy of all things as medicine, and the sun as fire, with the starry sky itself as his furnace, until he finally forged a peerless divine pill. When that pill appeared, it shattered the Great Dao of heaven and earth. In his pursuit of the divine pill, he had stepped into the endless void and caught a glimpse of a black pagoda standing tall within it. The black pagoda had absorbed the divine pill; when Qin Xuan reached out to refine it, he lost consciousness the moment he touched it.
When he opened his eyes again, he was in this body, belonging to someone who shared his name.
"Qin Xuan!! Will you confess or not!!"
The roar came again from the dais. Qin Fengyi, the eldest sister of the Qin Family, sat in the seat of authority, her face cold and her eyes sharp.
Qin Xuan remained silent. When one is bent on punishing, a pretext is never hard to find. Faced with this crowd of people who could not distinguish right from wrong, he found them unworthy of debate.
At this moment, Qin Xuan’s body was a mess of lacerations, his clothes soaked through with blood. He should have looked utterly wretched, but his gaze—indifferent and void of any emotion—was fixed directly on Qin Fengyi. The intensity of his stare made her heart tremble; she lost her composure and felt a chill run down her spine.
*Clack!*
The gavel struck.
"It seems the hundred blows you just received didn't teach you a lesson!"
Qin Fengyi suppressed the strange unease in her heart and said coldly, "You family traitor, you even dared to steal Eldest Brother Qingfeng's Monster Beast core! He is the Child of Heavenly Luck who bears the fate of the Qin Family."
"Don't even think about it—do you really think a mere ant like you is worth him lowering himself to frame you?"
"Well said!"
Another cold female voice rang out. The second sister, Qin Fengting, said coldly, "Qin Xuan! You are such a disappointment! Even now, you are still obsessed and unrepentant!"
"A person like you pollutes the reputation of the Qin Family just by being alive!"
"Exactly!"
The third sister, Qin Fengwu, stepped forward. Her heroic, pretty face, different from that of an ordinary woman, was filled with killing intent. "Qin Xuan, if you insist on not repenting, I will personally execute you, you disgrace, today!"
*Cling—*
The sword at her waist was drawn, her aura fierce.
"You are welcome to try."
Qin Xuan spoke coldly, his voice utterly indifferent. "I may be severely wounded, but taking you with me to the grave is well within my power."
"Insolent!!"
Qin Fengwu was furious. "A piece of trash at the Qi Condensation 1st Layer like you dares to spout such nonsense!"
With that, she suddenly released the aura of the Qi Condensation 9th Layer, condensing it into a heavy pressure that crashed down upon Qin Xuan!
"Third Sister, no!"
The youngest sister, Qin Fengling, hurriedly spoke up to stop her. "Eldest Brother Qingfeng said that although Qin Xuan is rotten to the core, he is still a member of the Qin Family. If you kill him here, where does that leave Eldest Brother Qingfeng’s face?"
"Hmph." Qin Fengwu sheathed her sword.
Qin Fengling looked at Qin Xuan, heartbroken. "Qin Xuan, stop being so stubborn. Just confess. As long as you are willing to admit your guilt and repent, Eldest Brother Qingfeng is broad-minded enough to forgive you."
"Indeed."
A voice as clear as jade came from outside the Enforcement Hall. Before the final words had even faded, a thin man in a silk robe walked in. In a few strides, he reached Qin Xuan's side, looked him over, and revealed a pained expression in his eyes. "Qin Xuan, why must you do this to yourself?"
This man was none other than Qin Qingfeng, the eldest son of the third generation of the Qin Family, and the culprit who had framed Qin Xuan.
"Do you know that the Monster Beast core you stole was produced by a 2nd-grade Monster Beast? It was a vital ingredient for refining the Lesser Longevity Pill."
"I laid in wait for days, risking my life, only to hunt that beast. I intended to take its core to refine the pill to extend the Old Patriarch’s life."
"The Old Patriarch has dedicated his entire life to the Qin Family."
"If you lacked cultivation resources, you should have just asked your brother... In such a large family, could we really have been short of spirit stones for someone at the Qi Condensation 1st Layer?"
"How could you... for your own selfish desires, treat the Old Patriarch’s life as a joke?!"
Qin Qingfeng’s words were resonant and forceful. By the end, he let out a long sigh. "Qin Xuan, you have disappointed me too much."
In an instant, the eyes of the women in the hall turned even sharper toward Qin Xuan.
"Qin Xuan!! You heartless wretch!!"
"I will kill you right now!"
The most hot-tempered of them all, Qin Fengwu, drew her sword again and slashed through the air. The blade aura sent Qin Xuan flying several yards.
"Don't!"
Qin Qingfeng seemed shocked by the scene, reacting only after Qin Xuan had been sent flying. "Fengwu, how could you be so impulsive?"
"Regardless of everything, Qin Xuan is still a member of the Qin Family. How can we turn against our own kin and become enemies?"
Qin Fengwu was stunned, then lowered her head. "I was impulsive."
Qin Qingfeng sighed deeply. He looked at Qin Xuan, who had been sent flying, took two steps forward, and leaned down. "Qin Xuan, Fengwu was just being impulsive. Even though you are a criminal, you have the right to survive. As your eldest brother, I will apologize on her behalf."
"If you have any resentment, you may strike me once. I will not dodge or hide; I will let you vent."
Once these words were spoken, the women were stunned.
"Eldest Brother Qingfeng is truly the Child of Heavenly Luck sent by the heavens to watch over the Qin Family!"
"To think he could treat even someone like Qin Xuan this way..."
"Hmph, Qin Xuan is unrepentant, yet Eldest Brother Qingfeng still treats him like this. The difference between them is clear."
The women's expressions were complex as they couldn't help but discuss the matter.
Meanwhile, Qin Qingfeng lowered his voice so that only Qin Xuan could hear him, his tone cold. "Qin Xuan, do you really think a piece of trash like you can fight me?"
"I took your Monster Beast core; that is your honor."
"Confess now and be a dog under my command. If I am in a good mood, I might spare your miserable life."
"Do you think you’re worthy?"
Qin Xuan used one palm to push himself up, his gaze cold and icy as he looked at Qin Qingfeng. Suddenly, the latter’s heart tightened, as if he sensed an invisible sense of danger.
*Swish—*
Qin Qingfeng moved with agility, flashing back three yards. His cold gaze was mixed with shock. "Qin Xuan, what did you say?"
The severity in his eyes was because of Qin Xuan's words, and his shock was because a piece of trash at the Qi Condensation 1st Layer had actually managed to make him, a master of the Zhoutian 9th Layer, feel a sense of crisis.
"Hahahahaha..."
Qin Xuan did not answer, but instead looked up and laughed. Covered in blood, he looked like a devil crawling out of hell, his laughter sending a chill down everyone's spines.
*Clack—!!*
Qin Fengyi slammed her gavel down heavily and demanded coldly, "Qin Xuan!! What are you laughing at? Have you gone mad?!"
Qin Xuan gradually stopped his laughter. He struggled to get up, his movements extremely slow and arduous; it took him a full cup of tea’s time to barely manage to stand. Once he was steady, Qin Xuan scanned the entire hall, his voice measured and firm:
"I laugh at the Qin Family for being blind!"
"I laugh at the people of the Qin Family for being ignorant!"
"I laugh at Qin Qingfeng for being unworthy of the title of the Child of Heavenly Luck!"
As these three sentences were spoken, everyone in the hall changed color!
"Qin Xuan! You are courting death!"
Qin Fengwu's eyes turned fierce as she drew her sword.
"Seize him!!"
Qin Fengyi's expression turned icy as she dropped the gavel. Dozens of guards in the hall drew their swords as well!
But this time, before anyone could act, Qin Qingfeng sneered and raised a hand. "Wait."
With that, he looked back at Qin Xuan. "You say I am unworthy of the name of Heavenly Luck?"
"Then I would like to ask you, in this entire Qin Family, is there anyone else worthy of this title?"
After a pause, Qin Qingfeng added coldly, "Don't tell me you intend to claim that *you* are the one with Heavenly Luck?"
"You guessed right."
Qin Xuan’s expression was calm.
"What a joke!!"
Qin Qingfeng sneered, looking him over with disdain. "Do you know that the name 'Child of Heavenly Luck' is not one I gave myself, but one recognized by the entire Qin Family? Just by your empty words, who do you think will believe you?"
Qin Xuan replied indifferently, "That is simple. Three days from now, you and I will have a duel to the death. If I defeat you, it will naturally prove that I am stronger than you and more qualified to enjoy this name."
Qin Qingfeng was slightly taken aback. Not just him, but everyone present seemed stunned. Qin Xuan, a piece of trash at the Qi Condensation 1st Layer, actually wanted to challenge Qin Qingfeng?
"Qin Xuan!! You useless piece of trash, you truly are beyond saving!!"
Qin Fengwu said coldly, "Eldest Brother Qingfeng is at the Zhoutian 9th Layer. If he wanted to kill you, a single finger would be enough to crush you. You, of all people, dare to challenge him?"
"Indeed!" Second Sister Qin Fengting chimed in, "You should go look at yourself in a puddle. What qualifications do you have to challenge Eldest Brother Qingfeng?"
"I think you're just looking for an excuse to buy time."
Qin Fengyi said coldly, "Qin Xuan, this excuse of yours is truly pathetic."
Qin Qingfeng remained silent, his gaze fixed on Qin Xuan with a dark, heavy look. After a while, seeing that the women had mocked him enough, he smiled faintly. "Qin Xuan, I did not want to accept your challenge. We are family, and I truly do not wish for us to turn our swords against each other."
"But you... you should not have made a joke of the Qin Family's Heavenly Luck."
He paused, then said meaningfully, "I will give you one last chance. If you confess now, I can act as if nothing happened."
"But if you insist on this path, for the sake of the family's honor, I will be forced to accept your challenge."
"Swords have no eyes; you had better think this through."
As he spoke, killing intent surged in his eyes.
"You talk too much."
Qin Xuan sneered, his gaze resting on Qin Qingfeng with indifference. "Why the hypocrisy? It is just a battle. If you are afraid, it makes no difference to me."
"It's just that... if people were to find out..."
"That the dignified Child of Heavenly Luck of the Qin Family, a great genius at the Zhoutian 9th Layer..."
"Did not even dare to accept a challenge from someone at the Qi Condensation layer—that, I imagine, would be far more shameful than the fact that you forced a confession through torture."
"Insolent!!"
The women of the Qin Family were outraged, and the eldest sister, Qin Fengyi, shouted coldly, "Guards, take this—"
"Enough."
Qin Qingfeng raised a hand to stop her, then said calmly, "Qin Xuan, I did not want to see kin turn their blades on one another, but..."
"You are truly obsessed and unrepentant. Very well, I shall grant your wish."
"Three days from now."
"At the Ancestral Hall, I will wait for you to do battle!"