Xuanhuang Mountain.
This was the heart of Xuanhuang Heaven, the place where it all began.
Currently, Xuanhuang Mountain was sealed off, even the mightiest figures couldn't force their way inside. But a figure dressed in white walked through as if it were solid ground, making his way forward with ease.
He didn't fly but walked step by step, like a devout pilgrim heading toward a sacred place!
He walked for a long time.
Finally, he arrived at the ancient Heaven-Sacrificing Altar.
Passing through a familiar square, he saw several bloodstained guillotines, and then he reached the center of the square, where a large black cauldron with three legs and two handles stood, with three enormous sticks of incense inserted into it.
Each of the three incense sticks was half-burned.
Their tops were charred black.
Qin Chuan walked slowly forward, then knelt down, clasping his hands together, and whispered, "I know you must have some spirit within. Since you could hear my son's voice and grant his wish, you must be able to hear mine as well, right?"
"Leave!"
A cold snort echoed, as if it were the fury of heaven itself. In truth, there was no actual sound, but Qin Chuan could sense the emotion.
Still kneeling on the ground, Qin Chuan bowed his head again, asking, "I just want to know, is he really dead?"
The three incense sticks remained silent.
Qin Chuan continued bowing.
Dong!
Dong!
Dong!
His forehead repeatedly struck the ground, making a sound like a bell ringing. What was even more incredible was that his body—meant to be eternal and indestructible—actually began to sustain injuries, with blood seeping from his forehead.
Primordial might cannot harm him, but love can.
"Please, tell me."
Dong!
"Please, tell me."
Dong!
"Please, tell me."
Dong!
With each question, he bowed again, the dignity of a ruler of the universe now utterly humble.
He was both repenting and pleading, hoping for an answer—that Qin Zi was still alive!
After a long while.
The blood from his forehead had already stained his white robes red, and even the ground beneath him was soaked, an alarming sight.
But still, he continued bowing.
At last, a sigh echoed.
"Sigh..."
Qin Chuan lifted his head, staring anxiously at the three incense sticks.
In the center of the three incense sticks, a vague, ancient figure appeared, wearing simple hemp robes, his form like smoke.
"He came from that place, and naturally, he returns to that place. Nothing in this world can hold him."
Whoosh!
Hearing this, Qin Chuan's eyes lit up with boundless hope.
The joy he felt was indescribable. It was more exhilarating than resurrection itself, the redemption he longed for after endless regret, the light after infinite darkness.
After a long time, Qin Chuan took a deep breath and asked, "That place... where exactly is it? Can you tell me?"
The old man was silent for a moment, then straightened his back, and said with a resolute voice, "Beyond the heavens, at the peak of all worlds, lies the Infinite Eternal Heaven!"
Rumble!
As those words echoed, the entire universe trembled. Lightning cracked and thunder roared, as if the end of the world had come.
Qin Chuan's mind was also shaken.
After some time, he fixed his gaze on the old man and asked, "Do you know... how to get there?"
"I do."
The old man said calmly.
Qin Chuan was startled, not expecting the answer to come so easily.
But then the old man continued, "However, it is a path to certain death. If you attempt to go there, you may lose all your cultivation, possibly never regain your memories, or worse... face eternal annihilation."
"I'm not afraid!"
Qin Chuan responded without hesitation, clasping his hands and saying, "Please, elder, tell me where that path is."
The old man glanced at Qin Chuan with a complex expression, sighed softly, and said, "It lies within the Endless Abyss of Xuanhuang Mountain."
Qin Chuan's heart trembled slightly.
The Endless Abyss!
He had heard of it before. Xuanhuang Mountain was divided into five sections: the Heaven-Sacrificing Altar, the Ascension Grounds, the Valley of the Dead, the Bridge of Reincarnation, and the Endless Abyss. Among them, the Endless Abyss was the most mysterious, an unreachable place that even the mightiest figures could not enter, nor even glimpse into.
"Thank you, elder!"
Qin Chuan expressed his gratitude with reverence, then rose to his feet and made his way toward the Endless Abyss, still walking rather than flying, his attitude sincere and devout.
Eventually, he reached the Endless Abyss.
It was a massive, pitch-black rift!
At the center of the rift was a whirlpool of eerie blue light, spinning with a thunderous sound, images of countless lives flickering within it. The sight reminded Qin Chuan of the Six Paths of Reincarnation from Earth's myths.
"Xiao Zi, your father is coming."
Qin Chuan took a deep breath and leaped into the abyss!
What lay ahead might cost him his cultivation, his memories, or even lead to eternal oblivion, but he did not hesitate!
This was a debt he owed to Qin Zi.
You called me father, and I will protect you for a lifetime. If I fail, I'll try again in the next life.
...
"Can this really happen?"
After a long time, Qin Chuan had fully absorbed the memories of his new body, and he couldn't help but smile wryly.
He surveyed the room's decor—thankfully, this wasn't the Qin family estate in Xunyang City, nor was it the Nine Heavens Realm.
He had succeeded!
He had jumped into the Endless Abyss and arrived safely in the Infinite Eternal Heaven. Of course, this was merely a lower dimension within the Infinite Eternal Heaven.
As it happened, the family he found himself in also had the surname Qin, and they belonged to an unremarkable, small-town family.
Ding! Welcome to the "Father's Love Like a Mountain" system. With this system, you can protect your son and from now on—BANG!!!
A mechanical voice echoed.
But before it could finish speaking, it exploded!
A cold gleam flashed in Qin Chuan's eyes, terrifying in its intensity, as he said icily, "My son, I will protect him myself!!"
This time, he would no longer rely on shortcuts. He would cultivate on his own, step by step, until he reached the pinnacle!
Just then.
A familiar, youthful voice called from outside.
"Father, someone's bullying me!"
Qin Chuan's body trembled. He turned to see a stubborn young boy dressed in black, pouting as he walked in.
Gradually.
A warm smile spread across Qin Chuan's face, like the gentle rays of sunlight in early spring, bright and comforting.
"Don't worry, Father is here."
End of story.