Chapter 194: Chapter 192: Another Breakthrough in Strength
On the way here, Qin Li’s heart had been surging with a tide of emotions.
He had spent the journey sorting through all the memories of his past and present lives. The memories of his previous life were growing fainter, a fact that was somewhat saddening but impossible to resist.
Meanwhile, the scenes from his current life, which had once felt like a dream, were becoming increasingly real.
The moment he set foot on Profound Island, Qin Li realized this journey might very well be the most important time of his life.
It wasn’t just Qin Wenxuan who was nervous about how to face his son. Qin Li, too, was unsure how to face this father he barely knew. He also had no idea how this powerful family on Profound Island would treat someone like him—an uninvited guest from the secular world.
Qin Li didn’t care if he received a cold shoulder. If they didn’t want him, he would simply find somewhere that did. What he truly feared was arriving only to find his mother wasn’t here, or... that she was, but wasn’t happy.
All these things created a storm of conflicting emotions in his heart. He was only human, with his own passions and desires. As long as you weren’t born from a stone, you were bound to have worries and fears.
But as the carriage entered the ancient city, a strange calm began to settle over Qin Li’s heart. Perhaps this was just his nature: to be calm in the face of great events, growing even more composed as the moment of crisis drew near.
By the time the carriage reached the Qin Family’s entrance and he had stepped out to have his arrival announced, his heart had become completely steady. In fact, as he gazed upon the green stone walls, etched with the marks of countless years of history, all his complex emotions dissolved, and his mind entered a mysterious, profound state.
It was a state a Martial Artist might not encounter even once in a lifetime—a chance opportunity that could never be deliberately sought.
If advancement before the Celestial Level relied on training and accumulation, then advancement after the Celestial Level relied on training, accumulation, and one more thing: enlightenment!
And that enlightenment was the most crucial element of all.
Qin Li had been a hair’s breadth away from breaking through to the Celestial Shattering Realm for some time. Now, today, in this very place, he had, incredibly... broken through!
The fluctuation was faint at first, but it was enough to alert many of those present. A look of joy on his face, Qinling Mountain bellowed in a low voice, "He’s doing it! Everyone, fall back! And raise the security cordon here to the highest level!"
All members of the Qin Family retreated to the perimeter.
Qin Hanyue waved to Linghu Feiyue. "Young lady, come over here!"
Linghu Feiyue had been feeling bored. ’What a waste of an afternoon,’ she thought. She had actually noticed Qin Hanyue earlier and figured she was almost certainly Qin Li’s mother, but since the woman hadn’t called out to her, she felt it would be rude to approach directly.
In truth, Qin Hanyue had simply been afraid of disturbing her son’s moment of enlightenment.
Back with Qin Li, the fluctuations radiating from his body were like ripples on water, one wave following another as they spread out in all directions.
Within the Qin Family’s ancestral estate, three more ethereal figures appeared before Qinling Mountain. Without a word, the four of them flew to the four cardinal directions and worked together to cast a massive barrier in the sky.
It completely enveloped the fluctuations emanating from Qin Li’s body.
After this was done, one of the Supreme Elders sent a telepathic message to Qinling Mountain: "The fluctuations coming from this young man are quite odd! It’s clearly the aura of the Celestial Shattering Realm, but the waves... they give me the feeling of the Celestial Integration Realm. Lingshan, is this young man one of our Qin Family’s descendants?"
Qinling Mountain’s old face, which rarely ever smiled, was now blooming with joy. He nodded emphatically and replied via telepathic message, "That’s right. This young man is the son of one of my great-grandsons. Haha, we just brought him here from the secular world. The Qin Family... is in for some great fortune!"
Just then, the fluctuations from Qin Li’s body began to intensify. Suddenly, an incomparably powerful aura erupted from him, shooting toward the heavens!
BOOM!
The aura slammed into the apex of the barrier cast by the four Celestial Embracing Realm Martial Artists, sending a violent tremor through it.
The four elders, who had been communicating telepathically, exchanged glances, and each saw the shock in the others’ eyes.
At that moment, Qin Li turned his senses inward to his Dantian. The swirling nebula of white and purple qi, originally the size of a fist, had not grown larger. Instead, it had become even smaller than before!
Yet Qin Li could feel a surging energy from within it. The Innate Purple Qi, in particular, seemed to have condensed into a solid form. The once slightly coarse vortex was now as smooth and lustrous as jade.
The Primordial Power in all the meridians of his body raged like a mighty river, surging and churning before finally pouring into the white-and-purple vortex. Though smaller, the vortex now resembled a brilliant galaxy, and at this moment, it felt like a great sea—boundless and unfathomable.
Golden light flickered constantly above the vortex, interspersed with occasional flashes of purple and white. It was a beautiful and mesmerizing sight.
At the same time, Qin Li felt his Spiritual Power had also increased tremendously. ’Next time I ambush a Celestial Integration Realm expert like Hai Tongtian,’ he thought, ’I won’t be in such a sorry state!’
A happy smile touched the corners of Qin Li’s lips. He slowly opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing within them before being drawn back, leaving him with the appearance of a handsome young man.
He then cupped his hands toward the sky and declared in a clear voice, "Thank you, esteemed seniors and ancestors, for standing guard!" Then, Qin Li turned in a circle, his hands still clasped in a fist-and-palm salute, and smiled. "Fellow clansmen, Qin Li greets you all. It is my fault for making you all stand here with me for an entire afternoon. This junior apologizes."
"My dear son!"
Before Qin Li could finish, a trembling, tearful voice cried out. A figure rushed forward and threw her arms around him.
"I’ve missed you so much!" Qin Hanyue said, holding Qin Li tightly, unable to stop her sobs.
Qin Li felt a sting in his nose. It had been four years. He was now taller than Qin Hanyue, but that didn’t diminish the towering image he held of his mother in his heart.
"Mother, I’ve finally found you," Qin Li said in a low voice. His gaze shifted to the middle-aged man who was slowly approaching, a man who bore a striking resemblance to himself. He then asked his mother softly, "Have you... been well these past few years?"
"Yes, Mom is very happy!" Qin Hanyue released Qin Li and nodded forcefully, patting his shoulder with tear-filled eyes. "My dear son, you’ve gotten so tall! Mom is so happy, truly, so happy!"
Nearby, Qinling Mountain and the other elders exchanged a look. They all suppressed the urge to speak with Qin Li immediately. A family reunion required a bit of private time.
Qinling Mountain waved a hand at the core members of the Qin Family, many of whom wore expressions of envy. "Everyone, disperse," he said coolly. "Tonight, we will hold a grand feast!"
The crowd cheered in excitement. After all, the Qin Family members who had surpassed the Celestial Integration Realm rarely made public appearances. This was especially true for the three Celestial Embracing Realm Supreme Elders and the Patriarch, Qinling Mountain. If not for the incident with the Thousand Kills Sect, Qinling Mountain would still be in secluded cultivation.
After all, every one of them hoped to cross the threshold of a Venerable in their lifetime and truly pursue the peak of the Martial Dao.
Thus, getting these powerful experts to attend an internal family banquet together was nearly impossible. Even during the annual New Year celebrations, it wasn’t guaranteed they would all show up.
But Qinling Mountain’s words clearly meant that tonight, all of the Qin Family’s top experts would be present at the family feast. For the junior members of the family, especially the young ones who idolized their powerful ancestors, this was absolutely wonderful news. The inspiration it would provide them was immense.
And all of this... was because a young man had suddenly appeared—one from the secular world, who was, at the same time, absurdly strong.
"Master Qi... is so lucky!" one of the Qin Family clansmen couldn’t help but exclaim.
"You’re wrong. It’s not just Master Qi who’s lucky, it’s the entire Qin Family!" someone nearby added.
Nearly everyone nodded in profound agreement.
This was not the secular world. Though competition and jealousy existed here as well, the families living on Profound Island understood the importance of unity better than anyone.
The Qin Family’s ability to hold a place on Profound Island and establish a firm foothold in Fengsha City, becoming a powerful family in the eyes of others, was precisely due to their incredibly strong internal unity.
"Little brother." With tears streaming down her smiling face, Qin Xue walked over and gave Qin Li a gentle hug. "You’ve gotten even more handsome," she said softly.
Qin Li gave a slightly proud smile. "And you’ve gotten more beautiful, Sister!" As he spoke, he looked at the middle-aged man who was hesitantly but slowly approaching, and his expression grew complicated.
Qin Hanyue took Qin Li’s hand and led him over to Qin Wenxuan. "Son," she said softly, "he... is your father."
Qin Wenxuan’s heart was pounding with emotion. It had nothing to do with the strength Qin Li had displayed today; it was simply because this young man was his son.
"Li..." Qin Wenxuan only managed to say that one word before his voice choked with emotion. His eyes reddened, and he couldn’t go on. He took a deep breath, trying his best to calm himself before slowly saying, "I... I’ve wronged you!"
Qin Li’s heart was a tangle of complicated feelings. Deep down, the bond of blood and bone kept reminding him that the man before him was his father. Yet, that one word—a word he had never spoken in his past life, nor in this one—simply would not come out.
In the end, Qin Li also took a deep breath and said, "Just give me some time. I need to get used to this."
Both Qin Wenxuan and Qin Hanyue were stunned for a moment. A flicker of disappointment was clear in Qin Wenxuan’s eyes, but it was quickly replaced by joy. ’My son didn’t explicitly reject me,’ he realized. ’That means deep down, he still accepts me as his father!’
This feeling was reinforced when Qin Hanyue, who was holding his hand, gave it a firm squeeze.
Qin Wenxuan’s dejected heart instantly brightened. He nodded forcefully, secretly swearing an oath. ’You are my son. I will spend the rest of my life making up for how I’ve failed you and your mother all these years. If anyone wants to harm you, they’ll have to do it over my dead body!’
