New Cultivation Art, Invitation

Corpses littered the city walls.

Some belonged to Abyssal Demons, others to cultivators.

By rough estimate, at least fifty disciples from various sects had died that night. Those who remained alive were likewise covered in wounds and utterly exhausted.

Qin Yuan stood at the edge of the wall, a few specks of blood staining his gray robe, yet his aura remained as steady as ever. He glanced at his token:

Points: 9780

Over the course of one night, he had gained four thousand points.

Chu Wuyue walked over, panting heavily. He looked at Qin Yuan's token and gave a bitter grin. "I fought with my life on the line and only gained two thousand... Junior Brother Qin, you kill far too quickly."

Yun Qingyao and Zi Ling also gathered around. Both of them had around four thousand points.

"Fellow Daoist Qin..." Zi Ling hesitated before finally asking, "You... are you truly only at the Nascent Soul Early Stage?"

Qin Yuan did not answer. He looked toward the center of the city wall.

There, Yan Lie was coldly sweeping his gaze across the survivors.

"Those who survived have some skill, at least." His voice remained icy. "Rest and recover today. Tomorrow night, the Abyssal Demon Tide will be even fiercer. If you do not want to die, seize the time to heal your wounds and improve your strength."

With that, he turned and left with his two companions.

At the center of Yellow Earth City stood a special building.

It was a three-story stone tower, with a plaque hanging above its entrance that read: "War Merit Pavilion."

During the Hundred Sects Battle, all points earned on the battlefield could be exchanged for resources here. This was a rule established by the superior sects, intended to spur the disciples of every sect to fight bravely and slaughter enemies.

When Qin Yuan entered the War Merit Pavilion, quite a few people were already inside.

The first-floor hall had jade slips hanging across all four walls. Each one listed the points required and a brief introduction to the item.

"High-grade Profound-rank flying sword, 'Flowing Fire,' requires 5000 points."

"Low-grade Earth-rank cultivation art, Blazing Sun Art, requires 8000 points."

"Fifth-grade medicinal pill, Nine Revolutions Soul Returning Pill, requires 12000 points."

There were plenty of good items, but their point requirements were frighteningly high.

Most people hovered between one and three thousand points. Seeing those prices, they could only gaze at the ocean and sigh.

Qin Yuan's nine thousand-plus points made him enormously wealthy here.

He examined the offerings one by one, his brows faintly furrowing.

Flying swords, magical treasures, pills, talismans... all of them were decent, but of limited use to him.

He had the system and lacked no cultivation. He had the Nine Revolutions Profound Origin Art and lacked no cultivation arts. As for magical treasures—he had even sacrificed the Profound Bone Three Treasures of the Dao Integration stage. He truly could not be bothered to look at anything below the Earth rank.

Not until he reached the third floor.

There were very few people on the third floor, only a handful of experts with more than ten thousand points wandering about.

The items here were even more precious.

"Low-grade Heaven-rank defensive treasure, Mystic Turtle Shield, requires 30000 points."

"Sixth-grade medicinal pill, Nascent Soul Pill. Increases the chance of forming a Nascent Soul by thirty percent. Requires 25000 points."

Qin Yuan's gaze swept over them, then abruptly stopped on a black jade slip in the corner.

There was no light whatsoever on the jade slip's surface. It looked utterly ordinary. Yet its description made his pupils contract slightly:

Nine Deaths Nascent Soul Art

Rank: Unknown

Description: An ancient incomplete tome. Cultivating this art to form a Nascent Soul requires enduring nine life-and-death temperings, taking ten times longer than ordinary cultivation arts. Yet once mastered, the Nascent Soul's strength, total spiritual power, and Spiritual Sense range will all vastly surpass those of cultivators at the same stage.

Warning: Those without great perseverance and great fortune must not cultivate it.

Required points: 9000

Nine Deaths Nascent Soul Art.

Ten times the time, in exchange for strength far beyond others at the same stage.

To others, it was chicken ribs—on the road of cultivation, time was life. Who would be willing to spend ten times the time cultivating a single realm?

But to Qin Yuan...

"I have no shortage of time," he murmured.

One day gave him eighty years of cultivation. Ten days gave him eight hundred years. Ten times the time? Even a hundredfold, he could afford it.

He removed the jade slip and walked to the counter.

Behind the counter sat an expressionless old man. He glanced at the jade slip, then at Qin Yuan's token. "Nine thousand points. Are you sure you wish to exchange it?"

"I'm sure."

The old man took the token and brushed a hand over it.

The points changed from 9780 to 780.

The restriction on the jade slip was lifted. Qin Yuan sent his Spiritual Sense inside, and a flood of information poured into his mind.

The Nine Deaths Nascent Soul Art truly lived up to its name. During the Nascent Soul Realm, one had to undergo nine life-and-death temperings. Each tempering was an ultimate refinement of the Nascent Soul. A single misstep would shatter the Nascent Soul and result in death and the dissipation of the Dao.

Yet if one succeeded, after nine temperings, the Nascent Soul would reach an almost perfect state. Not only would its strength far surpass that of others at the same stage, it would also possess all manner of unimaginable divine abilities.

"Exactly what I wanted." Qin Yuan put away the jade slip.

Just as he was about to leave, a voice suddenly sounded from behind him.

"Fellow Daoist, please wait."

Qin Yuan turned around and saw a young man dressed in a moon-white robe.

The young man had handsome features and an elegant, scholarly air. A scroll rested in his hand. He looked less like a cultivator than a learned scholar. Yet his aura had reached the peak of the Nascent Soul Middle Stage, and it was exceptionally solid.

"I am Li Qingfeng of the Book Sword Sect." The young man cupped his hands with a smile. "I saw Fellow Daoist exchange for the Nine Deaths Nascent Soul Art just now, and my curiosity was stirred. This cultivation art is extraordinarily dangerous and takes an extremely long time. Over the past century, only three people have exchanged for it, and none managed to cultivate it successfully. Fellow Daoist... are you truly confident?"

The Book Sword Sect ranked fifteenth among the Hundred Sects and was renowned for cultivating both the scholarly path and the Dao.

Qin Yuan answered calmly, "I'm merely giving it a try."

A trace of surprise flashed through Li Qingfeng's eyes, and his smile grew broader. "Fellow Daoist bears himself remarkably. To be honest, I came here this time to invite you to explore a secret realm with me."

"A secret realm?"

"Indeed." Li Qingfeng lowered his voice. "According to my sect's ancient records, deep within this battlefield lies an Ancient Cultivator's Cave Mansion left behind by an ancient great expert. The cave mansion is guarded by formations and requires at least five cultivators at the Nascent Soul Middle Stage or above to join forces before it can be opened. I have currently found three people. I am still short one."

He looked at Qin Yuan, his eyes sincere. "Fellow Daoist is at the Nascent Soul Middle Stage, and your combat strength far surpasses those at the same stage. You are more than qualified. If you are willing to join, the gains from the cave mansion will be distributed according to each person's contribution."

Qin Yuan fell silent for a moment.

An Ancient Cultivator's Cave Mansion... perhaps it contained something he needed.

"When do we leave?"

Li Qingfeng's eyes lit up. "Three days from now. We will meet outside the city. This is the map and the token."

He handed over a jade slip and a jade pendant.

Qin Yuan accepted them. "See you in three days."

By the time Qin Yuan left the War Merit Pavilion, dusk was already approaching.

He returned to his room at the inn and sat down cross-legged.

He took out the jade slip containing the Nine Deaths Nascent Soul Art and studied it once more.

"Nine temperings... It would be best to use Earth Core Flame Fire for the refinement."

Earth Core Flame Fire was a natural strange flame that even Deity Transformation Stage cultivators did not dare touch lightly. Using it to burn one's Nascent Soul was practically suicide.

Yet excitement flashed through Qin Yuan's eyes.

"Perfect. I can test the system's Energy Conversion Enlightenment function."

He closed his eyes and silently recited in his heart:

"System, convert ten thousand energy and activate the enlightenment state."

[Energy conversion in progress...]

[Enlightenment state activated. Duration: twelve hours.]

In an instant, Qin Yuan felt his thinking speed surge a hundredfold!

The many mysteries of the Nine Deaths Nascent Soul Art, originally obscure and difficult to understand, now became as clear as examining palm lines. The properties of Earth Core Flame Fire, the key points of burning the Nascent Soul, the secret methods for protecting it... everything raced through his mind in rapid deduction and refinement.

Twelve hours later.

Qin Yuan opened his eyes, a glimmer of understanding flashing within them.

"So that was the secret..."

He looked out the window.

The night deepened.

The second wave of the Abyssal Demon Tide was about to arrive.