"We meet again, father and son."

At that moment, the surrounding sounds suddenly died down. Everyone and everything else faded away, leaving only the profound emotions between father and son.

They gazed at each other, a strange sentiment weaving through the air.

Chen Yuan looked at Xiang Qianqiu, and Xiang Qianqiu looked back at Chen Yuan. Both had much to say, but at this first meeting, they were at a loss for words.

Feng Jiuge suddenly looked up, a tremor in her heart. She had clearly heard Xiang Qianqiu's words: "We meet again, father and son..." They... were father and son!

And this battle was a father-son conflict!

A flash of green light inadvertently flickered in Chen Yuan's eyes. He clearly saw the deep destiny aura unique to Xiang Qianqiu, which eased his mind.

After the Battle of Zijin Mountain ended, he had seen a man in black leave the battlefield, sensing the destiny aura around him. At that time, he had a feeling in his heart that it was Xiang Qianqiu.

But a feeling was just a feeling. The confirmation now was what truly put his mind at ease.

"It seems you're not surprised?"

Finally, Xiang Qianqiu broke the silence, stepping towards Chen Yuan, a playful expression on his face.

"Why should I be surprised? Didn't you lure me here?"

Chen Yuan's expression remained calm, without any waves from beginning to end. He showed no surprise or panic at Xiang Qianqiu's sudden appearance.

He had envisioned this scene long ago.

"So, you think you can kill me?"

Neither Xiang Qianqiu nor Chen Yuan was in a hurry to strike.

Although they both wished they could kill each other immediately, now was not the time. Neither of them had revealed their full strength.

A fight was unlikely.

This was not the first time the father and son had met. The first time was during the Battle of Liangshan, when Xiang Qianqiu revealed their relationship.

The second time was after the Battle of Zijin Mountain, when Xiang Qianqiu left without a word.

Counting them, they had only interacted directly a handful of times, but their confrontations had been far more frequent.

Xiang Qianqiu had influenced Chen Yuan's life almost entirely. Starting from Ping'an County, the Subduing Dragon Arhat, disguised as the monk Xu Yan, had been secretly watching him from Ci'en Temple.

Xiang Qianqiu had been monitoring his growth step by step.

This rare opportunity was likely their last chance to meet. They both had many things to say.

"If you lured me here, don't you think you can kill me?" Chen Yuan said with a slight smile.

Xiang Qianqiu smiled faintly, "A father-son feud... quite the spectacle."

"So, who is to blame for this?"

"Of course, I am."

"Heh..."

"Chen Yuan, you are destined to escape this calamity today. No matter what preparations you have made, there is absolutely no way you can survive. You may not believe it, but that is the truth."

Xiang Qianqiu stared directly at Chen Yuan, speaking slowly and deliberately.

"Nothing is absolute. Often, the more confident a person is, the more miserably they will lose."

"Heh, I say all this not to persuade you to surrender, but to hope that you can see the situation clearly. There's no need for senseless fighting between us.

When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits."

"So?"

"You can see the current situation in the world. If you and I join forces, the world can be stabilized, and the foundation of my Xiang family's eight-hundred-year dynasty can be renewed.

And you and I, father and son, will surely be remembered in history as role models for the descendants of my Xiang family."

Xiang Qianqiu's expression was very serious.

"I remember, you wanted to kill me."

Chen Yuan raised an eyebrow. He had expected the other party to resort to coercion and inducement at this point, but he didn't expect him to play the father-son card.

"That was then, this is now. I admit, I did use you as a chess piece for the sake of the Great Chu Xiang family's foundation. I believed that everything could be sacrificed, including myself, of course.

But now it's different. I hope... we can temporarily put aside our grievances."

Xiang Qianqiu had spent his life pursuing the Taizu's realm, hoping to pass on the foundation of Great Chu for another eight hundred years. To this end, he had made deep plans for Chen Yuan even before he was born.

He extracted the blood of his clansmen to build a foundation for him and plant things within him, but unfortunately, he was discovered by Chen Xuanling, who begged him to spare the child's life.

At that time, his heart softened.

So, he watched Wu Daozi take Chen Yuan away.

Later, as Chen Yuan became famous, he gradually remembered this child. He discovered that his hope for a breakthrough seemed to lie in him.

This was when he began to plot step by step, turning into an invisible hand, pushing Chen Yuan forward.

Sometimes, he regretted it.

Especially as he saw Chen Yuan developing better and better, and now he had become an equal in strength, which deepened his regret.

He even felt a sense of indescribable fear.

He considered himself the successor of Taizu, and the God-Slaying Spear had willingly recognized him as its master. He had once been arrogant, but now he discovered that Chen Yuan... was the one who most resembled Taizu.

The Hall Master of the Seven Kill Hall had said before that if their father and son joined forces, they would control half of the Central Plains. He had scoffed at the Hall Master of the Seven Kill Hall at the time.

But what he thought in his heart was unknown.

Now, in a position of advantage, he... was willing to let Chen Yuan go once, not for himself, not for Chen Xuanling, and not for Chen Yuan.

It was for the foundation of Great Chu.

He believed that Chen Yuan's talent was no weaker than his. Following the path of Taizu was not impossible with his help, and he could abandon his years of planning.

He would only take the path of the primordial spirit to lay the foundation for Great Chu.

Because he also knew that their enemies were not only in the human world but also in the Immortal Realm.

He looked down on those people, thinking they were just rats who hid and struggled to survive, but how could rats really drive Great Chu to the brink of ruin?

"Continue."

Chen Yuan quietly watched Xiang Qianqiu's performance.

"If you and I join forces, half of the Central Plains will return to Great Chu. I will be the Human Emperor, and you will be the Crown Prince. After we eliminate certain people, I can abdicate the throne to you.

If you still hate me, I will commit suicide in front of you. What do you say?"

Xiang Qianqiu stared at Chen Yuan, waiting for his answer.

Chen Yuan's eyes were deep as he met his gaze:

"What if you go back on your word?"

If Xiang Qianqiu went back on his word in the future, how would he counter him?

If he sat on that throne, would he really be willing to step down?

Chen Yuan never hesitated to speculate about others in the worst possible light. He only felt that Xiang Qianqiu was a bit naive now, treating him like a three-year-old.

Was this a child's game?

Why should it be that you say we fight, then we fight, and you say we make peace, then we make peace?

If it were that simple, why would he have come this far?

"I can..."

Before Xiang Qianqiu could finish speaking, Chen Yuan interrupted him, saying:

"Oaths are empty. Even if there are restrictions, who knows if you have a way to break them? If you want to join forces, you can... but I also want to be the Emperor.

How about this, I will be the Human Emperor, and you will be the Crown Prince. When I get tired of being the Emperor, I will abdicate to you..."

Feng Jiuge glanced at Chen Yuan, her eyes conveying only one meaning.

Inverted Heavenly Principles!

Since ancient times, has there ever been a father-son reversal of roles?

"So, you're not willing?"

Xiang Qianqiu was not angry, because he had also envisioned Chen Yuan's refusal, but he didn't expect him to have such an idea of reversing the Heavenly Principles.

"It's just that you're not sincere enough to negotiate. You keep saying that you can sacrifice everything for the foundation of Great Chu, but that's just your fig leaf.

The only thing you really care about is yourself, and coincidentally... so am I.

You and I are evenly matched. Why do you think I would recognize you as my father again? Just because of the father-son relationship? You should know me. I'm the kind of person who can ignore favors, but I will definitely repay grudges tenfold.

I have gone from weak to strong step by step. Most of the time, you have been an obstacle to me, not a protector. You, the Xiang family, Great Chu... what kindness have you ever shown me!

Why should I submit to you?"

"Heh... heh heh... hahaha..." Xiang Qianqiu looked at Chen Yuan and suddenly laughed, not in a crazed or angry way, but simply laughing.

Because... what Chen Yuan said made sense, made a lot of sense.

Even he himself believed that his current thoughts would change in the future.

He was thinking about abdicating in the future, but how could he really be willing to do so when the time came?

"If you really want to join forces, I'll give you a better option."

Chen Yuan leaned back on the chair formed from Yuan Qi, gently rubbing his chin.

"Let's hear it..."

"Now, you unleash all your means and die at my hands. Our grudges will be written off. I am willing to change from the Prince of Yan to the Prince of Chu, and annex all the forces under you.

In this way, half of the Central Plains will fall into my hands, and there is hope for reshaping Great Chu. Isn't that what you want? Now, I give you the choice. Are you really true to your words, everything for Great Chu, or are you really just using it as a fig leaf?"

"You want to defy the world and commit patricide?"

Xiang Qianqiu's eyes narrowed.

"Since ancient times, the royal family has been heartless. There are many examples of father-son killings. What does this matter to you and me? If your father blocks your path,

dare you say you wouldn't kill him?"

"I wouldn't..."

Xiang Qianqiu shook his head.

"Before, at Zijin Mountain, when I faced Jingtai, he said something that I think was very reasonable."

"What did he say?"

"He said I had no ruler and no father."

"Heh..."

"You tell me, how could he have the nerve to say such a thing? My ruler and father showed me no kindness and wanted to kill me. Isn't it a matter of course for me to kill them? A ruler asks his subject to die, and the subject must die. A father asks his son to die, and the son must die.

Those words, those things, to me... are just bullshit!"

Chen Yuan said softly.

Xiang Qianqiu nodded in agreement:

"What you said... makes a lot of sense. No wonder you are my bloodline."

"There's one more thing."

"What is it?"

"If you don't die, my heart won't be at ease..." Chen Yuan said with a smile.

"If you don't die, my plan won't succeed..."

Seeing that Chen Yuan was unwilling to join forces, Xiang Qianqiu still said these words.

Hoping that Chen Yuan would join forces before was just another path to take. Since the other party was unwilling and wanted to kill him now, then... he could only continue on the old path.

After the two sides finished speaking, the atmosphere suddenly froze for a moment, then:

"Hahaha... hahaha..."

"Heh... hahaha..."

The father and son, at this moment, began to laugh very tacitly.

Feng Jiuge was confused, but watching the two laugh, she didn't know why, but she suddenly laughed too.

"Alright, let your people come out."

Chen Yuan's laughter gradually stopped, and his expression quickly changed, saying indifferently.

"Good, good..."

Xiang Qianqiu nodded and stretched out a palm, clenching it slightly.

The next moment, the Hall Master of the Heavenly Demon Hall, Dongfang Sheng, and another Yang Shen True Lord of the Heavenly Demon Hall, plus the Four Demon Lords, quickly revealed their figures from the void.

The Hall Master of the Seven Kill Hall, Chen Huaiyi, the King of Chu River, and several Yama Kings also appeared.

After that, there was Lu Guangsheng, the Lord of Liangshan.

Including Xiang Qianqiu and Feng Jiuge, the Yang Shen True Lords on their side reached seven, all standing behind Xiang Qianqiu, calm and composed.

"Prince of Yan, it's been a while."

Dongfang Sheng looked at Chen Yuan and nodded.

"It hasn't been long. Hall Master Dongfang is too concerned about this king."

Chen Yuan responded.

"Huaiyi, aren't you going to show yourself yet?"

Xiang Qianqiu turned around and looked at Chen Huaiyi, the King of Chu River.

The other Yama Kings frowned and looked at each other. Only the Hall Master of the Seven Kill Hall seemed to have expected this scene and didn't feel any surprise.

Chen Huaiyi glanced at Xiang Qianqiu, took a step forward, and went to Chen Yuan's side, saying:

"When the time comes, I will naturally show myself."

After Chen Yuan guessed that Chen Huaiyi had been exposed, he had secretly informed him, telling him to be careful and to leave the Seven Kill Hall in advance if possible.

But after Chen Huaiyi understood Chen Yuan's plan, he weighed it and decided to continue staying as the two had originally planned. He knew Xiang Qianqiu's personality.

Before he completely lured out Chen Yuan, the possibility of him taking action was not high.

This was why the current scene occurred.

"I didn't know about the ambush you suffered from the imperial court back then. It's just a pity that you couldn't trust me after all and were unwilling to show yourself, but instead hid in the Seven Kill Hall."

Xiang Qianqiu seemed to sigh.

"The past is useless to talk about. In short, it is a fact that you killed Xuanling. Back then, my Chen family was loyal to Great Chu, and it can be considered that we have paid back the kindness of your Xiang family.

Now, I am just Chen Huaiyi."

"King of Chu River, you are right. The past is useless to talk about. This seat is also unwilling to mention this matter. Now, I can tell you that Chen Yuan has no chance.

Come back, you are still the King of Chu River. In the Seven Kill Hall, apart from me, you are number one."

The Hall Master of the Seven Kill Hall suddenly spoke.

"Hahaha... Hall Master, thank you for taking me in at the Seven Kill Hall back then. It's just a pity that we have different paths and cannot work together. After being a rat in the shadows for a long time, one doesn't want to see the light of day again.

I... don't want to be one anymore."

Chen Yuan frowned and shook his head:

"I really don't know who gave you the confidence to think that I have no chance at all. This is an open hand. If I didn't have some confidence, how could I have come here to die?"

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