Three Days

Qin Yuan fed all the spirit crystals and pills into the system.

[Feeding successful. Upgrade progress +400]

[Feeding successful. Upgrade progress +200]

The progress bar reached 4,078 points, drawing ever closer to an upgrade.

But that was not what concerned him now.

"From mid-stage Golden Core to late-stage Golden Core requires far more accumulation than from early-stage to mid-stage," Qin Yuan calculated inwardly. "Even with the system granting twenty years of cultivation every day, it will still take at least three days."

Three days to store sixty years of cultivation, then launch a single all-out breakthrough.

He was confident he could break through to late-stage Golden Core in one stroke.

"Zhou De," Qin Yuan called.

Zhou De entered the hall at once. "Senior Brother Qin."

"I will enter seclusion for three days," Qin Yuan said. "No matter who comes during that time, I will see no one."

Zhou De's expression turned solemn. "Yes."

"Also," Qin Yuan paused, "if anyone comes to provoke us, you need not pay them any heed. Just guard the mountain gate."

Zhou De nodded. "Understood."

Qin Yuan said no more. He closed his eyes and entered a state of deep cultivation.

The first day.

At dawn, a group of people arrived on the mountain path of Blazing Peak.

At their head was a bald, burly man nine feet tall, his muscles knotted like dragons. His bare upper body was covered in hideous scars. His face was full of fierce flesh, and his eyes were savage. He was none other than the seventh-ranked True Disciple—Duan Tianlang.

More than a dozen lackeys followed behind him, every one of them radiating a fierce aura, with the weakest already in the early Foundation Establishment Realm.

"Qin Yuan! Get out here!"

Duan Tianlang's voice exploded like thunder, making the entire mountain peak hum and tremble.

Zhou De, Zhao Tiezhu, Lin Qing'er, and the others hurried to the mountain gate. At the sight of Duan Tianlang's vicious, fiendish appearance, all their hearts sank.

"Senior Brother Duan," Zhou De stepped forward despite himself, "Senior Brother Qin is in seclusion and cannot receive visitors. If you have urgent business, could you come another day?"

"In seclusion?" Duan Tianlang sneered. "More like he was scared out of his wits and hid away, wasn't he?"

He swept his gaze over Zhou Ming and the others, his eyes filled with contempt. "A bunch of Foundation Establishment Realm trash, and you think you can stop me? Move aside!"

As soon as the words fell, he casually waved a hand. A surging wave of spiritual power burst forth, sending Zhou De and the others staggering back again and again. Lin Qing'er, whose cultivation was the weakest, let out a muffled groan, blood seeping from the corner of her lips.

"Duan Tianlang! You've gone too far!" Zhao Tiezhu roared. He was about to rush forward and fight for his life, but Zhou De held him back with all his strength.

"What? Not convinced?" Duan Tianlang grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. "Then tell that turtle-headed coward of a senior brother of yours to come out! Hiding in the mountains like a turtle—what kind of ability is that?"

His lackeys burst into laughter behind him.

Gritting his teeth, Zhou De said, "Senior Brother Duan, there are rules for challenges between True Disciples. If you wish to challenge Senior Brother Qin, you can submit a challenge letter and set a date according to the rules. Why insult him here?"

"Rules?" Duan Tianlang spat. "I am the rules! Tell Qin Yuan that I'll be back tomorrow. If he's still a man, he can get out here and fight me. If he keeps acting like a turtle-headed coward... heh heh, then don't blame me for coming to your Blazing Peak as a 'guest' every day!"

With that, he swaggered off with his men.

Before the mountain gate, Zhou De and the others wore livid expressions.

Lin Qing'er wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, tears welling in her eyes. "When will Brother Qin Yuan... leave seclusion?"

"Three days," Zhou De said in a deep voice. "We have to hold out for these three days."

The second day.

Duan Tianlang indeed returned.

This time, he did not merely hurl verbal insults. He attacked directly.

"Qin Yuan! Get out here!"

Amid his roar, he drove a fist into the protective formation before the mountain gate.

Boom—!!!

The formation shook violently, its light flickering erratically. Several Inner Sect disciples maintaining the formation were jolted into vomiting blood and collapsing, while cracks appeared across the formation.

"Duan Tianlang! You dare damage the mountain-protecting formation?!" Zhou De was both shocked and furious.

"Damage it?" Duan Tianlang gave a savage grin. "Today, I'm tearing down this worthless mountain of yours!"

He threw out both fists, bombarding the formation again and again. With every strike, the cracks in the formation widened by another fraction, and another disciple maintaining it suffered injury.

Zhao Tiezhu's eyes nearly split with rage. He was about to charge out and fight for his life when Lin Qing'er grabbed him tightly.

"Don't go! You're no match for him!"

"Are we just supposed to watch him act so arrogantly?!"

"Wait for Brother Qin Yuan to leave seclusion!" Lin Qing'er gritted her teeth. "Once he comes out, he'll definitely seek justice for us!"

Duan Tianlang attacked for a full half hour. Only when the formation was on the verge of collapse did he finally stop.

"Qin Yuan, you really can endure." He spat toward the mountain peak. "Fine. I'll come again tomorrow. I want to see just how many days you can keep playing the turtle-headed coward!"

The third day.

Duan Tianlang did not come alone.

Several dozen True Disciples followed behind him, all here to watch the spectacle.

"Everyone!" Duan Tianlang stood before the mountain gate of Blazing Peak, his voice loud and clear. "You've all seen it, haven't you? Qin Yuan of the Fifth Peak, who claims to be some genius that broke through Golden Core in three days and defeated Lei Ba with one punch—what happened in the end? I cursed him for three straight days, and he didn't even dare let out a fart! He's hiding in the mountains like a turtle. This is the so-called genius?"

The observing True Disciples discussed among themselves. Some sneered, some shook their heads, while others looked thoughtful.

Wen Ruofeng and Jian Wuhen were also among the crowd, their expressions complicated.

"Duan Tianlang has gone too far," Wen Ruofeng said quietly.

Jian Wuhen said nothing. He merely watched the tightly shut mountain gate, his gaze profound.

Inside the mountain gate, Zhou De and the others listened to the insults outside. Every one of them clenched their fists so tightly that their nails dug into their flesh.

Lin Qing'er's eyes were red-rimmed, yet she stubbornly held her head high. "Brother Qin Yuan will definitely come out... definitely..."

On the night of the third day.

Inside Blazing Peak's main hall, Qin Yuan slowly opened his eyes.

Over three days, he had stored sixty years of cultivation.

"Extract."

Boom—!!!

A vast torrent of spiritual power erupted within his body. The Nine Revolutions Profound Origin Art revolved madly, while the Nine Revolutions Golden Core devoured that power with ravenous hunger.

The barrier of mid-stage Golden Core began to loosen and shatter beneath the impact of sixty years of cultivation.

Who knew how much time passed.

Crack—

It was like the faint sound of glazed glass breaking.

The Nine Revolutions Golden Core suddenly swelled. Its color shifted from pure gold to dark gold, and the nine patterns upon its surface intertwined into a profound design, radiating a vast pressure like a sea of stars.

Late-stage Golden Core, achieved!

Qin Yuan opened his eyes, golden light flowing through them. The aura around him was more than five times stronger than it had been three days ago!

His Spiritual Sense expanded to ten thousand zhang, nearly covering the entire area occupied by the True Disciples. He could even "see" the observing disciples outside Blazing Peak's mountain gate, who had only recently dispersed; he could "hear" the suppressed anger and grievance of Zhou De and the others.

"Three days..." He slowly rose to his feet, a cold gleam flashing through his eyes. "It's time to settle the score."