Fifth Peak

The Fifth Peak's halls were located to the west of the main peak, and indeed, they were much simpler than those of the other peaks.

When Qin Yuan followed the disciple into the main hall, three elders were already seated inside.

Presiding over them was a white-bearded old man with a kind face, the presiding elder of the Fifth Peak, Xu Changqing.

To his left sat a stern-faced middle-aged woman, and to his right, a disheveled old man dozing with a wine gourd in his hand.

"Disciple Qin Yuan greets Elder Xu and the two elders," Qin Yuan said, cupping his hands.

Xu Changqing quickly rose and personally helped him up, his face beaming. "Good! Good! What a fine child! No need for such formalities!"

He examined Qin Yuan from head to toe, becoming more pleased the more he looked. "Foundation Establishment sixth layer, solid foundation, condensed spiritual energy... Excellent! Too excellent! My Fifth Peak hasn't produced a genius like you in fifty years!"

Elder Yan, the middle-aged woman on the left, also rarely showed a smile. "Qin Yuan, your choice of the Fifth Peak today is a wise one. Although the other peaks have abundant resources, they are rife with infighting and factions. Our Fifth Peak has few people and is tranquil, making it most suitable for focused cultivation."

The disheveled old man on the right, Drunken Elder, let out a burp and mumbled groggily, "Kid, can you drink?"

Qin Yuan: "...A little."

"Good! Come drink with me often in the future!" Drunken Elder said, then slumped back down to sleep.

Elder Xu shook his head helplessly and said to Qin Yuan with a serious expression, "Qin Yuan, since you have joined my Fifth Peak, you are a core disciple of our peak. According to the rules, core disciples may live alone in a courtyard, receive three hundred Mid-grade Spirit Crystals and ten bottles of Qi Gathering Pills each month, and have access to the first three floors of the cultivation technique pavilion. Furthermore..."

He paused, then took out a token from his robe. "This is the 'Xuan Yuan Token' of my Fifth Peak. With this token, you may enter the 'Xuan Yuan Secret Realm' for cultivation once. The spiritual energy concentration in the secret realm is ten times that of the outside world, and it also has a time acceleration effect—one day outside is three days in the secret realm. You have only recently reached Foundation Establishment and need to consolidate your realm. This token is for you."

Qin Yuan took the token. It was warm and smooth in his hand. The front was engraved with the words "Xuan Yuan," and the back bore a pattern of the Fifth Peak's mountain.

"Thank you, Elder."

"No need to thank me," Elder Xu waved his hand, his expression becoming solemn. "Qin Yuan, you were too sharp today and offended the Third Peak and the Seventh Peak. Liu Zhenshan and Li Changqing are not broad-minded people. They will definitely seek revenge later. They wouldn't dare to act openly within the sect, but outside the sect..."

He took out a Jade Talisman. "This is a protective Jade Talisman. It can withstand a full-power attack from an early stage Golden Core cultivator. Keep it with you to prevent accidents."

Qin Yuan took the Jade Talisman, feeling a warmth in his heart.

Although the Fifth Peak was weak, this sincerity and protection were far superior to the empty promises from the Seventh Peak.

"Your disciple understands."

Elder Xu nodded. "Go. Your courtyard is in the 'Listening Bamboo Garden' on the east side. It has already been prepared. Rest well. In three days, I will take you into the secret realm."

Qin Yuan bowed and took his leave.

As he walked out of the main hall, the sun was setting. The golden afterglow cast upon the Fifth Peak's simple halls, giving them an unexpected tranquility.

He looked at the Xuan Yuan Token in his hand and recalled the new function on his System panel: "Cultivation can accumulate for three days."

One day outside, three days in the secret realm.

The System accumulated three days, which could be extracted as sixty years of cultivation.

If he used it in the secret realm...

A sharp glint flashed in Qin Yuan's eyes.

His cultivation speed from now on would likely shock even more people.

He put away the token and walked towards the Listening Bamboo Garden.

Behind him, Elder Xu and Elder Yan stood at the entrance of the hall, watching his retreating figure.

"This child may very well allow my Fifth Peak to relive its glory from a hundred years ago," Elder Yan said softly.

Elder Xu stroked his white beard, a gratified smile on his face. "My Fifth Peak has been dormant for too long. It's time to show the other peaks what it means to... remain silent, then astonish the world with a single feat."

The setting sun cast long shadows of the two figures.

Meanwhile, on the Third Peak, Liu Zhenshan stared at his grandson Liu Feng, who was on the verge of death on the bed. His face was so gloomy it looked like it could drip water.

"Qin Yuan... Fifth Peak..." he gritted his teeth, his voice as cold as iron. "You wait. I will definitely avenge Feng'er!"

He turned and said to the shadows behind him, "Investigate! Find out Qin Yuan's whereabouts for the past three days! What opportunity did he stumble upon to reach Foundation Establishment sixth layer in three days!"

A deep voice replied from the shadows, "Yes."

On the Seventh Peak, Elder Li sat in his quiet room, a disciple kneeling before him.

"Master, that Qin Yuan is uncooperative. We..."

"No rush," Elder Li closed his eyes. "Genius? This world is not short of geniuses. Only those who can survive are true geniuses. Go, spread the news that Qin Yuan chose the Fifth Peak. Exaggerate it, say the Fifth Peak gave him an irresistible treasure..."

He opened his eyes, a cold glint flashing within them. "I want to see if he, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, can protect those 'treasures' when he is burdened by them."

The disciple understood and bowed before retreating.

As the night deepened, undercurrents stirred throughout the Xuan Yuan Sect's various peaks.

In the Listening Bamboo Garden, Qin Yuan sat cross-legged on a bamboo couch, the System panel floating before him.

[System: Gain twenty years of cultivation per day]

[Current Level: 2 (47/5000)]

[Cultivation Stored: 0/60 years]

[Today's cultivation not yet extracted]

He closed his eyes and began to extract today's twenty years of cultivation.

Under the impact of twenty years of pure cultivation, the bottleneck of the Foundation Establishment sixth layer began to loosen...

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