Chapter Thirty-Nine: Passing the Test

“Boom!”

The mighty shock forced Qin Shuang to stumble back more than ten steps. The Heaven-Shaking Triple Strike had been pushed to its limits by him. A cloud of white mist rose where the two had clashed, obscuring the scene within even to Qin Shuang’s eyes.

“That’s too weak. The Heaven-Shaking Triple Strike isn’t used like that.” From within the mist, Hou Fei shook his head as he emerged, his staff resting casually on his shoulder. The ease in his manner stood in stark contrast to Qin Shuang’s astonishment.

“You—Second Uncle, you’re cheating! Even if you suppress your cultivation, your physical strength is still there. This isn’t fair!” Qin Shuang shouted, and indeed, even if Hou Fei restrained his power, the toughness of his body could not be compressed. The duel between the two was intrinsically unfair.

“Fair? You’re talking to me about fairness?” Hou Fei stared closely at Qin Shuang and suddenly burst out laughing. “Didn’t your father ever tell you? Back when we were only at the Nascent Soul stage, our opponents were already powerful experts at the Void Refining stage. When we had only reached the Tribulation Passage, our adversaries were already loose immortals who had survived eleven or twelve heavenly tribulations. And you’re here, talking to me about fairness?”

Qin Shuang was stunned by Hou Fei’s words. The deeds of Qin Yu were known to nearly everyone in the Qin family, and Qin Shuang was no exception. Just as Hou Fei had said, from the beginning of his cultivation to the end, Qin Yu’s opponents had nearly always been stronger than he was. Moreover, Qin Yu had started his journey as a mortal, while Qin Shuang, even at his lowest, was still a native of the Divine Realm—a privilege mortals could never match.

If he hadn’t been born in the Divine Realm, if Qin Shuang had truly been a mere mortal, would he have been able to roam the mortal world as he pleased, overpowering cultivators and venturing to the Infinite Continent? Would he have even dreamed of avenging Leishan? If Qin Shuang were just a mortal, Leishan would have been thousands of times stronger than he.

Confusion and fear began to stir within Qin Shuang’s heart. If—just if—he, like his father, had started as a mortal and relied entirely on himself, what would he have achieved by now?

Nothing at all. Qin Shuang’s heart bled. For the first time, he realized he was useless not only in the Divine Realm but would have been just as useless had he been born in the mortal world. The only difference was that a failure in the Divine Realm could still flaunt his might in the mortal realm, whereas a useless mortal could only stay at home, waiting for death.

“What’s wrong? Still want fairness?” Hou Fei continued to laugh, as Qin Shuang’s eyes grew ever more lost. Fairness… there was never any fairness in this world. Why, then, had he been so foolish as to chase after it?

“Here, I am the heavens. In my world, I call the shots. And you want to talk to me about fairness?” Hou Fei abruptly intensified his aura, his voice booming as he hammered at the bleeding heart of Qin Shuang.

“No—!”

Qin Shuang suddenly screamed, but his eyes regained their clarity, no longer clouded with confusion.

“Even if this is your world, you won’t defeat me. The descendants of the Qin family never yield to their enemies. Even if you are my second uncle, I won’t concede. And you—most of all, I will never yield to you!”

Qin Shuang’s gaze was piercingly clear. Across from him, Hou Fei had changed entirely, staring in astonishment at Qin Shuang. This “Hou Fei” could not understand where he had slipped up. He had almost driven Qin Shuang to madness, only to see his efforts undone at the last moment.

“What… what are you talking about?” The “Hou Fei” stood slack-jawed, all his previous arrogance vanished.

“You’re nothing but a clown. Just like the one above you—he could read my thoughts, but you’re even more formidable, seeing straight into my heart!”

Qin Shuang smiled. In that instant, he understood completely. His heart was no longer confused; he was grateful to his father and proud to be Qin Yu’s son.

Just as Qin Shuang had guessed, this “Hou Fei” had been conjured from the deepest flaws in his heart. At the core, Qin Shuang longed for his father’s approval, but that longing was shadowed by deep fear. This inner contradiction was precisely what the final gatekeeper exploited.

“Do you know where you went wrong?” Qin Shuang smiled faintly. The figure before him still looked like Hou Fei, but Qin Shuang’s bearing now completely overpowered his opponent. With fear banished from his heart, no adversary could ever be frightening again.

“How… how did you see through me?” The “Hou Fei” looked awkward and his voice trembled.

“You may be able to see into my heart, but you overlooked something important.” Qin Shuang’s smile was radiant. “You forgot I am of the Qin family—and more, I am Qin Yu’s son. Yes, I have fears, but I have pride and passion in equal measure!”

He shook his head. “You should never have claimed to be the heavens before me. In the eyes of the Qin family, no one can stand before us and call themselves the heavens.” Qin Shuang pointed at the “Hou Fei.” “Because no matter which heavens try to suppress us, we will fight and shatter them!”

A blast of wind shot from his fingertip and passed effortlessly through the “Hou Fei’s” head. The once overbearing “Hou Fei” collapsed heavily to the ground…

***************************

“Father, Mother, this is my own choice. Please do not blame my brother.” Qin Si’s eyes were tightly shut, his golden spear slowly radiating a golden glow.

“That’s more like it. I want everyone to know that you, Qin Si, are inferior to me, Qin Shuang. You have been utterly and completely defeated by me!” Qin Shuang’s expression was twisted with ferocity, the tip of his staff still dripping with Qin Si’s blood.

Suddenly, Qin Shuang moved. His staff conjured a storm of shadowy blows, enveloping Qin Si from every direction. Qin Si, determined to let his brother win, did not resist. He allowed the rain of blows to fall, even using his golden spear to divert the Fire Source Spirit Pearl’s protective function, making no effort to defend himself—he was willingly courting death.

Boom!

With a thunderous crash, Qin Si was sent hurtling backward, smashing a number of divine artifacts that decorated the Purple Profundity Hall.

“Father was right—my body truly is incredibly tough.” Qin Si shook his groggy head. Jiang Li had been pregnant for thirty-six thousand years before giving birth to him, bestowing both extraordinary talent and an unyielding physique. Later, after being reforged by Qin Yu with primordial energy, Qin Si’s body was nearly as durable as a top-tier primordial treasure.

“That’s just Father’s favoritism. What good is a tough body if I can still be beaten down by you?” Qin Shuang’s face twisted once more with cruelty. Qin Si’s heart sank and sorrow engulfed him again.

Boom!

Another mighty blow sent Qin Si crashing through half the Purple Profundity Hall, landing just outside Qin Yu’s bedchamber. Qin Shuang followed, unrestrained.

“With all this commotion, not a soul has come!” Qin Si gave a bitter laugh. Their battle had raged across half the Purple Profundity Hall; it was impossible for no one to have noticed.

“So they’re watching too, waiting to see which of us will stand above the other.” He shook his head again. Though his body was strong, it was not quite on par with a first-class primordial treasure. The two heavy blows had left him gravely injured.

“Of course they’re watching. After today, no one will call me ‘useless Qin Shuang’—only the strongest Qin Shuang.”

Once more, Qin Shuang approached and stood before Qin Si. This time, he did not use a primordial treasure but simply lifted his foot and kicked Qin Si, sending his still-unsteady body flying into the room.

“Who would have thought I’d die in my parents’ bedchamber?” Qin Si smiled bitterly to himself. This was indeed Qin Yu and Jiang Li’s chamber, though now empty.

“To die here… maybe this was Father and Mother’s will.” All hope drained away from Qin Si’s heart. He could not believe that Qin Yu and Jiang Li were unaware of the fight between him and Qin Shuang, or that he was letting Qin Shuang win. Yet, his parents had not appeared—he could only interpret their absence as tacit consent.

“Die!”

Qin Shuang brought his staff crashing down from above.

Boom!

The powerful force shook the room, collapsing half of it. Qin Si, covered in blood, stood on the side that remained, his gaze locked on a mirror hanging on the wall. At the last moment, he had activated the Fire Source Spirit Pearl’s defensive function, blocking Qin Shuang’s strike.

Qin Shuang was dumbstruck. He hadn’t expected that the Qin Si who had been so eager to die would suddenly change, nor that he would look so wretched.

On the wall hung a mirror—the Illusory Spirit Mirror. It was a gift from Godking Duanmu Yu to Qin Yu during his pursuit of Jiang Li, and Qin Si had once tried to ask his father for it, but to no avail.

The Illusory Spirit Mirror could display the desires within one’s heart. It was the only artifact in the Purple Profundity Hall not forged by his father, but acquired later.

But now…

This was just a mirror. It was not the Illusory Spirit Mirror at all, merely a common divine artifact designed to look like it.

“None of this is real!” Qin Si’s eyes overflowed with tears as he gazed at the mirror and laughed, as if he had encountered the happiest thing in the world.

“How foolish I’ve been! Even if others turned away, Father and Mother would never watch their sons destroy each other. Why couldn’t I trust them?”

Qin Si wept, furious with himself for doubting his family. The Purple Profundity Hall seemed so real—had he not known that the true Illusory Spirit Mirror, a symbol of his parents’ love, would never leave the hall, he might truly have died here this time.