Huh? I'm Still Too Young to Be Forced Into Marriage? (Seeking Follow-ups)

Qin Zheng's tone was calm, as though he were speaking of something utterly insignificant.

Yet beneath that calmness lurked a chilling coldness that made one's heart tremble.

"For this, I only destroyed the martial souls of six Spirit Hall elders."

"I publicly beheaded one of them."

"And... exterminated his nine clans."

At that, Qin Zheng paused.

He looked at the gravestone as if waiting for something.

A moment later, he smiled.

"Teacher, if you were still here, you would probably... be happy for me, wouldn't you?"

"You always used to say that my murderous nature was too heavy, that if I became emperor, I would surely become a tyrant and bring ruin upon all living beings. Look, I know how to restrain my killing intent now."

"Though... I never imagined that after two thousand years of sinking into obscurity, when they offended me, I wouldn't think of slaughtering every last one of them, wiping out their entire families, and cutting the weeds at the root."

Qin Zheng's voice grew lower and lower.

By the end, it was nearly inaudible.

And just then.

Buzz!

A crimson gleam suddenly flashed from the depths of Qin Zheng's eyes!

The instant that crimson gleam appeared, the temperature throughout the cemetery seemed to plummet by dozens of degrees!

The air froze at that moment.

The killing intent emanating from Qin Zheng surged without restraint!

What kind of killing intent was that...?

It was as though mountains of corpses and seas of blood stood before him, as though hundreds of millions of living beings were wailing, as though even heaven and earth had changed color because of it!

If a soul master had been here, merely sensing that killing intent would likely have frightened them out of their wits—or even caused their body to explode on the spot!

And as his killing intent soared.

A figure seemed to emerge behind Qin Zheng.

It was a figure filled with divinity.

Tall and majestic, he held a blood-red longsword, with boundless slaughtering aura swirling around him.

His gaze was cold and merciless, as if all things in the world were nothing more than ants in his eyes.

If any god from the Divine Realm had descended here, they would have recognized him at a glance.

This phantom was none other than one of the Divine Realm's five great God Kings, the one who governed slaughter and judgment... the Asura God!

And at the very moment the Asura God's phantom appeared.

Six other majestic figures manifested simultaneously at Qin Zheng's side!

These six figures took different forms and possessed entirely different auras.

Some were imposing, some ethereal, some violent, some unfathomable... but without exception, all of them radiated the aura of deities!

These six...

Were, astonishingly, all deities!

Their presence was not as terrifying as that of the Asura God.

But they were still... first-class gods, even second-class gods!

Seven divine trials.

The gazes of seven gods.

At that moment, all fell upon Qin Zheng!

Their gazes carried anticipation, scrutiny, and... a hint of longing, as though they were waiting for Qin Zheng's choice.

However.

It lasted only an instant.

The next second.

The seven figures suddenly vanished.

As if they had never appeared at all.

And Qin Zheng's killing intent likewise disappeared without a trace at the same moment.

As though that world-destroying killing intent from moments ago had been nothing but an illusion.

Qin Zheng looked at the grave before him and let out a sigh.

"Master, there's something I've never dared to tell you to your face."

"Actually... ever since I slaughtered tens of millions across the Three Sects and Two Nations back then, when the world honored me as the Qin Emperor, a divine trial had already descended upon me."

"And... it was the Asura God's divine trial."

Qin Zheng's tone was calm.

As though he were talking about something that had nothing to do with him.

"More than that... it wasn't merely the Asura God's divine position."

"The other six divine trials descended at the same time as well."

"As long as I nodded slightly, I could have inherited any one of those divine positions."

"Ascending to the heavens in a single step, becoming a deity of the Divine Realm."

At this point, Qin Zheng paused.

A trace of complexity flashed through his eyes.

"But... I concealed it. Using the unique traits of my Crown Sun Sacred Dragon martial soul, I forcibly suppressed that divine position."

"And... once suppressed, it remained so for two thousand years."

Qin Zheng smiled, his smile carrying a hint of self-mockery.

"Looking back now, I really regret it."

"If I'd known that slaughtering so many people back then could trigger the descent of the Asura God's divine trial even without taking Slaughter City's test, I would have held back a little."

"It would've saved me all this endless trouble."

"Every time I kill people on a large scale, I have to worry about whether gods are watching me."

Qin Zheng shook his head, as if he were genuinely troubled by it.

Yet there was not the slightest trace of regret in his eyes.

"Master, if you'd known back then, you probably would've chased me down and beaten me, right?"

"You definitely would've said, 'Such a good opportunity, and you actually gave it up? Are you an idiot?'"

Qin Zheng's tone carried a trace of nostalgia.

As though he could once again see that old man holding a ruler and chasing after him to beat him.

"However... I don't regret it."

"If I had inherited a divine position, I might already be a God King by now."

"But... that would ultimately have been the inferior choice."

"So what if I became a God King?"

"I would still have enemies, still have restraints."

"I don't like that feeling."

A sharp glint flashed through Qin Zheng's eyes.

It was the sharpness of one who looked down upon the entire world.

"I possess two super-divine-grade martial souls. I became a demigod at seventeen, the first person under heaven. Why should I coexist with the rest?"

"Therefore, I want to create a divine position of my own—a divine position capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with the creator gods of the Divine Realm, or even... surpassing them!"

Boom!

The instant those words fell.

An indescribable aura erupted from Qin Zheng's body!

This aura was even more terrifying than the Asura God phantom from before!

It was as though... heaven and earth were trembling for it!

As though... all gods were submitting before it!

Create his own divine position?

And one capable of matching the creator gods, even surpassing them?

What arrogance!

What ambition!

Yet.

When spoken by Qin Zheng, it sounded like the most natural thing in the world.

As though... he truly could accomplish it.

"For this, I hid my second martial soul, the Crown Sun Sacred Dragon, for a full two thousand years! Two thousand years..."

Qin Zheng's voice carried a trace of emotion as he slowly raised his hand.

Faint golden light flickered in his palm.

That radiance was warm and sacred, as though it contained endless vitality.

It stood in stark contrast to the destruction and finality of the Terminus Sacred Dragon.

One beginning, one end.

One life, one death.

The two martial souls complemented each other.

"Now that I've awakened, I can feel it—my divine position... seems to have already taken shape. I'm only one step away."

A trace of confusion flickered in Qin Zheng's eyes.

"Now, Limit Douluo are no different from ordinary soul masters in my eyes."

"Even if a god descended in person, I would not fear them."

"If I fully unleashed both my Sun Crown and Terminus Twin Sacred Dragon martial souls, bolstered by the traits of both martial souls, then even against a God King, I'm confident I could fight them."

"But..."

Qin Zheng frowned.

"I always feel like something is missing."

"I don't know whether it's faith... or foundation."

He lowered his head and looked at Qian Xifeng's tombstone.

"Teacher, tell me... what exactly am I lacking?"

No one answered him.

Only the wind drifted gently past.

Qin Zheng stood before the grave, silent for a long while.

He was waiting.

Waiting for an answer.

But the person in the grave could no longer guide him.

Two thousand years had ultimately separated everything.

Who knew how much time passed.

At last, Qin Zheng spoke again.

"Forget it."

"If I can't figure something out, then I won't think about it."

"I've already waited two thousand years. A few more days won't matter."

Qin Zheng smiled, and all the confusion in his eyes vanished.

In its place was his usual confidence.

"Teacher, I'll be leaving now."

"I'll come see you again next time."

"Oh, right..."

Qin Zheng paused and glanced at the tombstone.

"Your descendant, that little girl named Qian Renxue, is quite impressive."

"I'll look after her a little."

"So rest easy."

As his words fell, Qin Zheng cupped his hands once more and bowed.

Then he turned around and slowly left the cemetery.

His figure gradually vanished into the forest.

Only that lonely grave remained, standing quietly in the wind.

As though recounting that tale from two thousand years ago.