Seizing the Body!

This was no inheritance at all, but a body-seizing trap painstakingly laid over three thousand years!

The last intact wisp of Venerable Xuan Gu's remnant soul had long been attached to those three "treasures." Once blood was dripped to claim them, the remnant soul would follow the bloodline connection directly into the sea of consciousness, devour the original owner's divine soul, and take over the body!

The instant the ghostly blue light rushed into Qin Yuan's sea of consciousness, Venerable Xuan Gu saw that vast Spiritual Sense space, as boundless as a sea of stars.

"Good! Good! Good!" The remnant soul was overjoyed. "Such a broad and resilient sea of consciousness is practically a divine-soul hotbed born for body-seizing! Boy, go in peace. I will put your body to good use for you—hm?"

Its wild delight came to an abrupt halt.

Because the three "treasures" carrying its remnant soul suddenly... vanished the very moment they entered Qin Yuan's sea of consciousness.

They had not been refined, nor had they been blocked. It was as though some invisible force had directly erased them from existence, leaving not even the slightest trace behind.

Venerable Xuan Gu's remnant soul froze in place.

Where were those three items? Where were the vessels it had inhabited for three thousand years? Without vessels, this wisp of remnant soul was exposed within another person's sea of consciousness like duckweed without roots, liable to be crushed apart by its owner's Spiritual Sense at any moment!

"What is going on?!" it shrieked. "Where did you send my treasures?!"

Qin Yuan's consciousness condensed into form within his sea of consciousness. He calmly regarded the ball of ghostly blue remnant soul. "I sacrificed them."

"Sac... sacrificed?" Venerable Xuan Gu was dumbfounded.

It had spent three thousand years setting this trap, using the treasures it had collected throughout its life as bait, and had finally waited for a perfect body. Yet after obtaining the treasures, the other party had not even looked at them before sacrificing them outright?

Those were a Dao Integration stage cultivator's natal magic treasures and inheritance! Even Mahayana cultivators would be tempted upon seeing them! This brat had actually sacrificed them?!

"You... who did you sacrifice them to?!" Venerable Xuan Gu's voice trembled.

"That has nothing to do with you." Qin Yuan raised a hand. Endless Spiritual Sense power began to surge through the sea of consciousness, pressing down upon the remnant soul like a tidal wave.

"No—!!!" Venerable Xuan Gu's remnant soul screamed. "You cannot kill me! I am a Dao Integration stage great power! I possess countless secret arts and divine abilities! I can teach you—"

Before it could finish, the tide of Spiritual Sense had already completely submerged it.

A Dao Integration stage remnant soul was indeed powerful, but that had been while it was alive. Now, it was only a wisp of remnant soul, within Qin Yuan's home ground of a sea of consciousness, facing Spiritual Sense from a Nascent Soul Realm advanced by the Nine Revolutions Golden Core. It had no power to resist at all.

"Crack."

A faint sound of shattering.

The ghostly blue flames went out completely.

The final thought before the remnant soul dissipated was: Three thousand years... and this was the monster I ended up waiting for...

Outside, Qin Yuan opened his eyes.

The great hall had returned to normal. The skeleton still stood there, but the flames in its eye sockets had already gone out.

He looked toward the system panel.

The instant those three "treasures" had been sacrificed, system notifications had frantically flooded the screen:

[Sacrificed "Xuan Gu Ring" (Dao Integration stage storage magic treasure), Energy gained +50000]

[Sacrificed "Xuan Gu True Scripture" (Dao Integration stage cultivation art), Energy gained +80000]

[Sacrificed "Xuan Gu Sword" (Dao Integration stage natal magic treasure), Energy gained +60000]

A total of one hundred ninety thousand Energy!

The numbers on the system panel jumped wildly:

[A System That Gains Forty Years of Cultivation Per Day]

[Current Level: 3 (190000/100000)]

[Energy overflow. System upgrading...]

[Upgrade successful!]

[A System That Gains Forty Years of Cultivation Per Day → A System That Gains Eighty Years of Cultivation Per Day]

[Current Level: 4 (90000/500000)]

[New function unlocked: Cultivation can be accumulated and stored. Maximum storage time: ten days]

[New function added: Energy Conversion—excess Energy can be converted into a temporary enlightenment state]

Eighty years a day!

Stored for ten days, that meant eight hundred years of cultivation!

And there was even the function of converting Energy into enlightenment!

A brilliant gleam flashed in Qin Yuan's eyes.

He had struck it rich this time!

Not only had he counter-killed the Dao Integration remnant soul attempting to seize his body, but he had also raised the system by an entire level. The cultivation he could extract each day had doubled, the storage time had doubled, and he had gained an enlightenment function as well—the capital he possessed to charge toward higher realms had never been more abundant.

He looked at the skeleton.

Though Venerable Xuan Gu had harbored ill intentions, what it left behind was genuine. Aside from the three treasures that had been sacrificed, the skeleton itself was also a treasure—the remains of a Dao Integration stage cultivator, imperishable after three thousand years. The essence and Dao resonance contained within would be of immense benefit to cultivation.

Qin Yuan walked before the skeleton and placed a hand on its skull.

"My apologies."

Spiritual power flowed in as he began refining it.

Three days later.

The skeleton had turned into a heap of white powder, its essence completely absorbed by Qin Yuan. He slowly opened his eyes, sensing the Nascent Soul spiritual power within him grow several degrees more robust, and nodded in satisfaction.

This skeleton had directly pushed his cultivation from the Nascent Soul Early Stage to the Nascent Soul Middle Stage!

Moreover, his foundation remained solid, without the slightest sense of instability.

"Time to leave."

Qin Yuan rose to his feet. A gate of light appeared at the end of the great hall.

He stepped inside.

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Ancient Battlefield, core region.

The spatial rift had shrunk to only ten zhang across. Only three days remained before it closed completely.

Outside the rift, disciples from the various sects emerged one after another.

Zi Ling of the Zi Xiao Sect emerged with two junior brothers. All three had improved their auras, and Zi Ling had even touched the threshold of the Nascent Soul Realm. The first thing she did after coming out was look toward the rift, seemingly waiting for someone.

Kong Ming of Dustless Temple emerged as well. His Buddhist light was more restrained than before, clearly showing that he had gained much. He pressed his palms together and silently stood to one side.

Chu Wuyue, Yun Qingyao, Han Bing, and Ye Guying emerged in succession. Though the four had not passed the fourth trial in the secret realm, they had gained considerable benefits from the first three. Chu Wuyue's aura had grown more violent, Yun Qingyao's clouds and mist more ethereal, while Han Bing and Ye Guying had each made their own progress.

Yet none of them left. Instead, they remained outside the rift, their gazes fixed on the gradually shrinking opening.

They were waiting for Qin Yuan.

On the seventh day, the rift was only three zhang wide.

On the eighth day, only one zhang remained.

On the ninth day, only three chi remained.

"He... has not run into trouble, has he?" Zi Ling could not help asking softly.

Chu Wuyue's white pupils stared at the rift. "He will not die."

Yun Qingyao said softly, "Let us wait a little longer."

At the very last instant before the rift completely closed—

A gray-robed figure stepped out of the rift.

Qin Yuan.

The instant he emerged, the rift completely closed and vanished without a trace.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, then all their gazes fell upon him at once.

Nascent Soul Middle Stage!

And his aura was deep and solid, stronger by several times than an ordinary Nascent Soul Middle Stage cultivator!

"Junior Brother Qin!" Chu Wuyue was the first to step forward. His white pupils swept over Qin Yuan. "You broke through again?!"

Qin Yuan nodded. "By luck."

Kong Ming pressed his palms together, his expression complicated. "Fellow Daoist Qin possesses talent bestowed by heaven. This little monk admires you."

Zi Ling bit her lip, then finally stepped forward and gave him a deep bow. "Fellow Daoist Qin, thank you for your help in the secret realm. Before... I failed to recognize Mount Tai."

Qin Yuan waved a hand. "What is past need not be mentioned again."

Just then, the sound of something slicing through the air came from afar.

Several figures flew over through the sky. They were none other than Xuan Yuan Sect Master Lu Xuanfeng and elders from several other sects.

Lu Xuanfeng landed and swept his gaze over his five disciples. Delight instantly burst from his eyes. "Nascent Soul! All of them are Nascent Soul cultivators!"

Though Chu Wuyue, Yun Qingyao, Han Bing, and Ye Guying had not broken through in the secret realm, they had accumulated enough. After emerging, nourished by the Spiritual Energy of the battlefield, they had actually condensed Nascent Souls in succession!

All five members of Xuan Yuan Sect had reached the Nascent Soul Realm!

This was something that had never happened in the preparatory trials before any previous Hundred Sects Battle!

The elders of the other sects all changed expression.

Especially the elders of the Zi Xiao Sect and Dustless Temple. Looking at their own disciples—only Zi Ling of the Zi Xiao Sect had touched the Nascent Soul threshold, while Dustless Temple had only Kong Ming in the Nascent Soul Realm. The rest were still lingering at the peak of the Golden Core Realm.

"Sect Master Lu, congratulations." The Zi Xiao Sect elder forced out a smile.

The Dustless Temple elder also pressed his palms together. "Xuan Yuan Sect produces talented people in abundance. Congratulations indeed."

Lu Xuanfeng grinned so broadly that he could not close his mouth. "Congratulations to us all, congratulations to us all!"

He looked at Qin Yuan, his eyes full of gratification. "Qin Yuan, you have done very well."

Qin Yuan bowed. "Sect Master overpraises me."

On the Flying Boat back, the atmosphere was much more relaxed.

The five sat in a circle, exchanging their gains from the secret realm. Chu Wuyue spoke of how he had battled his mirror image bitterly for three days and three nights. Yun Qingyao spoke of her advancement in cloud-and-mist arts, while Han Bing and Ye Guying, too, were uncharacteristically more talkative.

Qin Yuan listened quietly, occasionally responding with a few words.

Just as the Flying Boat was about to leave the bounds of the City of Gloom, several streaks of light chased after it from behind.

They were Zi Ling of the Zi Xiao Sect, Kong Ming of Dustless Temple, and two talented disciples from other sects.

"Fellow Daoist Qin!" Zi Ling landed on the Flying Boat's deck, her face slightly flushed. "The Hundred Sects Battle is at hand. I... I wish to form an alliance with you."

Kong Ming also pressed his palms together. "This little monk shares that intention."

The other two also voiced their positions.

They had witnessed Qin Yuan's strength, and they had seen his monstrous performance of forming a Nascent Soul in three days and counter-killing someone attempting to seize his body. A person like him would undoubtedly be a dark horse in the Hundred Sects Battle. Forming an alliance in advance would bring nothing but benefits.

Qin Yuan looked at the four of them and said calmly, "In the Hundred Sects Battle, everyone relies on their own abilities. If an opportunity truly arises, cooperation is not out of the question."

He neither agreed nor refused.

The four let out sighs of relief, left behind their methods of communication, and only then took their leave.

The Flying Boat continued onward.

Lu Xuanfeng walked to Qin Yuan's side and gazed at the sea of clouds in the distance. Slowly, he said, "Qin Yuan, do you know what level the strongest opponents in the Hundred Sects Battle are at?"

Qin Yuan looked at him.

"Nascent Soul Peak." Lu Xuanfeng spoke each word distinctly. "And they are not ordinary Nascent Soul Peak cultivators—they are geniuses known even among the superior sects, monsters capable of challenging those above their realm. Though you are strong, there is still a gap between you and them."

Qin Yuan fell silent for a moment. "There are still two months."

Lu Xuanfeng turned to look at him, a complicated glint passing through his eyes. "Two months... for you, that truly is enough."

He patted Qin Yuan's shoulder. "Prepare well. Whether Xuan Yuan Sect can turn things around this time depends on you."

The Flying Boat pierced through the clouds, speeding toward Xuan Yuan Sect.