Qin Chen walked with a steady pace toward the Azure Sky Sect Master's Hall, the core of power within the entire sect.
The golden-roofed palace sat atop the highest peak, radiating an aura of dominance. Here, sect-altering decisions were made, and only the strongest dared to enter.
As he stepped through the entrance, the vast chamber stretched before him, lined with towering pillars inscribed with ancient runes.
At the end of the hall, seated upon a grand throne, was the Azure Sky Sect Master.
A man whose mere presence made the air tremble.
Draped in deep blue robes embroidered with golden sigils, his piercing golden eyes locked onto Qin Chen the moment he entered.
Behind him, several Core Elders stood in attendance, their gazes unreadable.
But there was one thing Qin Chen could tell—
They were all paying attention to him.
He had their complete and undivided focus.
Qin Chen smirked slightly. "Sect Master."
The room remained silent.
Then, the Sect Master finally spoke.
"You are far beyond what I expected." His voice was neither cold nor warm—just an undeniable force of authority.
Qin Chen tilted his head. "Is that so?"
One of the elders nearly coughed in disbelief.
How arrogant!
But the Sect Master… merely smiled slightly.
"You walked into the Crimson Hellstorm Domain, a place where no Core Disciple has ever returned from, and instead of perishing… you emerged stronger."
Qin Chen didn't respond, allowing him to continue.
"You retrieved a lost Core Disciple, bringing back Liu Qingcheng, the missing Third-Ranked Core Disciple of our sect."
"On top of that—" His golden eyes flickered. "You have comprehended Sword Dao intent at a level that shakes the entire Core Sect."
The chamber was silent.
Then—
BOOOOOM!
Without warning, an invisible force pressed down on Qin Chen.
A terrifying suppression descended, as if the heavens themselves were weighing down upon him.
It wasn't an attack.
It was a test.
Qin Chen's golden eyes gleamed.
The Sect Master wanted to see if he would kneel.
But he wouldn't.
BOOM!
His Fire Sovereign Dao Body ignited, his golden-purple flames surging outward.
At the same time—
A wave of invisible sword intent burst forth from his body, cutting through the suppression like a blade slicing through mist.
Qin Chen stood completely unmoved.
The Sect Master's eyes flickered with interest. You don't just randomly comprehend a Sword Intent of that level. What happened to this boy?
Then—he withdrew the pressure.
"Well then," the Sect Master said with an amused tone. "You have the talent to reach the heavens. But tell me—what do you seek in this sect?"
The Core Elders turned their gazes toward Qin Chen, waiting for his response.
He could say power.
He could say fame.
He could say to dominate the world.
But instead—
Qin Chen grinned.
"I seek everything."
The room fell silent.
Some elders scoffed.
Some were intrigued.
Some… were stunned.
The Sect Master exhaled lightly.
"Interesting."
Then, he suddenly smiled.
"Well then, Qin Chen." His golden gaze locked onto him.
"Show me how far you can go."
Word spread like wildfire across the Azure Sky Sect.
Qin Chen wasn't just acknowledged by the Sect Master.
He was given free reign.
No restrictions. No unnecessary interference.
The sect had officially decided—
They wouldn't stand in his way.
Instead, they would watch.
And when the time came…
They would see if he could truly reach the heavens.
Far from the Azure Sky Sect, in a powerful but not overwhelmingly dominant clan—
The Qin Clan's grand estate shimmered beneath the evening light, spirit lanterns illuminating its towering walls.
Inside the main hall, a messenger from the Azure Sky Sect stood before Qin Tian, the Clan Patriarch, along with several high-ranking elders.
The atmosphere was calm but charged—they had been expecting this visit.
The messenger cupped his fists.
"I originally came bearing a gift, but I just received the message via talisman. The Azure Sky Sect has formally acknowledged Qin Chen's successful return from his first Core Disciple mission."
Qin Tian nodded, his sharp eyes betraying his deep thoughts.
"And the nature of this mission?"
The messenger hesitated for a moment before continuing.
"He conquered the Crimson Hellstorm Domain alone."
For the second time, the hall fell into complete silence.
Not because they were shocked he succeeded—but because of what that meant.
Qin Chen… had gone beyond their expectations once again.
After a long pause, Qin Tian's lips curled into a thoughtful smile.
"I see… so it's finally time."
An elder on his right raised an eyebrow. "Time for what, Patriarch?"
Qin Tian's eyes gleamed.
"To bring him home."
The elder's expression twitched. "You think he will return?"
Qin Tian let out a slow breath, tapping his fingers on the armrest of his throne.
"He left the Qin Clan with nothing. And now? He has everything. It is we who need him."
He turned his gaze back to the messenger.
"Deliver a message to Qin Chen. Tell him… that his family eagerly awaits his return."
A subtle, calculated smile played on his lips.
"And that the Qin Clan would be honored to welcome him back… as its strongest descendant."
The implications of that statement were clear.
The Qin Clan wasn't summoning him back out of nostalgia.
They were summoning him back because he had become too valuable to ignore.
The messenger bowed before swiftly leaving.
The elders exchanged looks—some pleased, some wary.
One thing was certain—if Qin Chen returned, the Qin Clan's status would change forever.
Meanwhile, in a quiet courtyard away from the main hall, two figures sat beneath the glow of a spirit lamp.
Qin Heng and Lin Rou.
They had already heard the news—their son had completed his first Core Mission and returned victorious.
To them, it wasn't a surprise.
But what did surprise them…
Was the small jade bottle resting in Lin Rou's trembling hands.
A bottle filled with Foundation Building Pills.
"Pills personally refined by Qin Chen," the messenger had said.
Lin Rou's breath hitched as she held the bottle closer, her fingers shaking.
For so many years, she had worried.
Worried about how he was living, worried about whether he was being treated well, worried about if he had enough resources.
And now?
He wasn't just surviving—
He was thriving.
She let out a quiet laugh, tears shimmering in her eyes.
"Chen'er… you even thought of us?"
Qin Heng, usually a man of few words, held the jade bottle with a firm grip.
His calloused hands trembled slightly as he inspected the pills.
A deep sense of pride surged within him.
His son had left the Qin Clan with nothing…
And now he had the power to gift them what others could only dream of.
Lin Rou wiped her eyes, smiling softly.
"He's grown into someone beyond anything I ever imagined."
Qin Heng exhaled slowly, nodding.
"Yes… he has."
They had never doubted that their son was destined for more.
But they had never expected him to rise this high… this fast.
And now?
All they could do was wait—
And hope that, one day, he would return home.