Liu Zhenshan's pressure crashed down like mountains collapsing and seas overturning, making the bluestone floor of the entire hall hum and tremble.
Qin Yuan stood where he was, his back ramrod straight, though his feet had already sunk half an inch into the ground. Spiritual power circulated madly within him, the power of the Thirteenth Layer of Qi Cultivation's "ultimate realm" fully unleashed, surging through his meridians like a raging river.
But the gap between Foundation Establishment Late Stage and the Qi Refining Stage was ultimately far too great.
"Puh—"
Qin Yuan spat out a mouthful of blood, his face turning pale in an instant, yet his gaze remained clear. He had forcibly endured pressure powerful enough to make an ordinary Qi Refining Stage cultivator faint on the spot.
A flicker of surprise crossed Liu Zhenshan's eyes.
He had indeed held back—using only thirty percent of his pressure. After all, killing a disciple before everyone would have a terrible influence. Yet even so, a Qi Refining Stage cultivator should have been kneeling helplessly on the ground. Not only was this brat still standing, he could even keep his mind clear?
There really is something strange about him. Liu Zhenshan's killing intent deepened. This child absolutely cannot be allowed to live!
Just as he prepared to increase the pressure and cripple Qin Yuan in one stroke—
"Elder Liu, what imposing prestige."
A lazy voice drifted in from outside the hall.
Liu Zhenshan's entire body stiffened, and the pressure vanished abruptly.
Everyone turned to see the Seventh Elder leaning against the hall entrance at some point, a wine gourd dangling from his hand as he took intermittent swigs. A half-smile hung on his face, but his eyes were as cold and clear as a Cold Pond.
"Se-Seventh Elder..." Cold sweat seeped onto Liu Zhenshan's forehead as he hurriedly bowed. "Why are you..."
"Why haven't I left yet?" The Seventh Elder cut him off. He strolled into the hall, his boots making soft taps against the bluestone. "Fortunately, I hadn't. Otherwise, how could I have witnessed such a fine show—Third Peak's Enforcement Elder, at Foundation Establishment Late Stage, using his full pressure against an outer sect disciple in the Qi Refining Stage."
He walked to Qin Yuan's side, glanced at the bloodstains on the floor, then looked toward Liu Zhenshan. "Liu Zhenshan, you've really become quite capable as an elder, haven't you?"
"Seventh Elder, please see clearly!" Liu Zhenshan said anxiously. "This child injured a Third Peak disciple first and then spoke disrespectfully to me. That was why I acted to discipline him..."
"I saw everything." The Seventh Elder spoke blandly. "From the moment you discussed outside how to snatch the credit, to that brat's sneak attack on Qin Yuan and getting sent flying instead—oh, right, and then you reversed black and white, claiming the reward ought to belong to Third Peak."
He paused and took a sip of wine. "Liu Zhenshan, a person like you is worthy of being an elder?"
Liu Zhenshan's face went deathly pale. His whole body trembled, but he did not dare utter a single word in rebuttal.
The Seventh Elder was a special existence within the Xuan Yuan Sect—he held no real authority and fought for no resources, yet his seniority was extremely high. Even the Sect Master had to address him as "Martial Uncle." More importantly, his cultivation was unfathomable. Fifty years ago, he had already reached the Nascent Soul Realm.
"Still, this old man can't be bothered to kill you." The Seventh Elder waved a hand as though shooing away a fly. "For someone like you to serve as this brat's stepping stone is not bad."
He turned to Qin Yuan and grinned. "Brat, remember this. This old thing will certainly think of every possible way to scheme against you in the future. But openly, he won't dare use his seniority to bully the junior anymore. Let me make this clear today: Liu Zhenshan, if you want to deal with Qin Yuan, you may only send disciples of the same generation, or suppress your own cultivation to the Qi Refining Stage and fight him yourself. If you dare play any other tricks..."
The Seventh Elder did not finish. He merely narrowed his eyes.
Liu Zhenshan felt as though he had fallen into an ice cellar. "I wouldn't dare! I wouldn't dare!"
"Get lost." The Seventh Elder waved his hand.
As if granted a pardon, Liu Zhenshan hastily retreated with the Third Peak disciples. Wang Chuan was carried away, while Zhao Qingwan, Sun Hai, and the others looked as pale as dirt. Before leaving, they did not even dare glance at Qin Yuan.
Only Qin Yuan and the Seventh Elder remained in the hall.
"Thank you for your assistance, Elder." Qin Yuan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and bowed.
The Seventh Elder studied him, then suddenly asked, "When you endured his pressure just now, did you use the power of the Thirteenth Layer of Qi Cultivation?"
Qin Yuan's heart jolted, but his expression did not change. "This disciple does not understand what the Elder means."
"Keep pretending. Go on." The Seventh Elder snorted. "Great Perfection of the Twelfth Layer of Qi Cultivation is already the ordinary limit, yet both the quality and quantity of the spiritual power in your body far exceed the Twelfth Layer—is it the legendary 'ultimate realm'?"
Qin Yuan fell silent.
"Don't worry. This old man has no interest in probing your secrets." The Seventh Elder took another gulp of wine. "In this world, who doesn't have a few fortuitous opportunities? But brat, remember this saying: the tree that rises above the forest is sure to be broken by the wind. You revealed too much sharpness today. Liu Zhenshan may not dare come at you openly, but there will be no shortage of underhanded methods in the shadows."
He tossed over a Jade Talisman. "If you encounter a life-or-death crisis, crush it. This old man may be able to make it in time to save your life—or may not."
After saying that, his figure flickered, and he had already vanished beyond the hall.
Qin Yuan held the warm, lustrous Jade Talisman, sensing the faint spatial fluctuations within it. He took a deep breath and tucked it into his robes.
He returned to his small hut and shut the door tightly.
Qin Yuan spread all of today's gains across the table: five hundred Mid-grade Spirit Crystals gleamed brightly, a bottle containing three Foundation Establishment Pills gave off a refreshing fragrance, and a Mysterious Iron Sword sat heavily in his hand, its cold edge glinting.
Just as he was about to regulate his breathing and tend to his injuries, a system panel suddenly appeared before his eyes:
[Detected an absorbable energy source] [Would you like to "feed" it? Current system upgrade progress: 0%]
Qin Yuan was stunned.
Feed it? The system could absorb these things?
With a thought, he said, "Feed it one Mid-grade Spirit Crystal."
[Feeding successful. Upgrade progress +0.1%]
Only 0.1%? Qin Yuan frowned and fed all five hundred Spirit Crystals to it.
[Feeding successful. Upgrade progress +50%]
The value on the panel jumped to 50%.
He picked up the Foundation Establishment Pills and fed them to it one after another.
[Feeding successful. Upgrade progress +9%]...[+9%]...[+9%]
The progress bar rose to 77%.
Last was the Mysterious Iron Sword.
[Feeding successful. Upgrade progress +3%]
It finally stopped at 80%.
Qin Yuan was dumbfounded. Every reward had been exhausted, yet it had only reached 80%? It still needed 20% before it could upgrade.
He stared carefully at the panel:
[Ten Years Cultivation Per Day System] [Upgrade progress: 80%] [Next-level function: Locked]
So... the system truly could upgrade, but the energy it required far exceeded his imagination. One Mid-grade Spirit Crystal only gave 0.1%, while even one precious Foundation Establishment Pill only gave 9%. Where was he supposed to find that final 20%?
Qin Yuan's gaze fell on the corner of the room—there were some low-grade ores and herbs left over from his days as a Labor Disciple, not worth much at all. He tried feeding it a piece of Iron Ore.
[Feeding successful. Upgrade progress +0.001%]
It was negligible.
"I need more resources..." Qin Yuan muttered.
Missions. Sect missions.
The Xuan Yuan Sect's mission hall issued all kinds of missions year-round, and outer sect disciples could exchange contribution points for resources. In the past, his cultivation had been too low, so he could only take on grueling jobs like mining and gathering herbs. But now...
He looked out at the night beyond the window. Tomorrow, he would go accept missions, specifically choosing difficult ones with generous rewards.
He not only needed to gather that 20%, but also had to prepare for the system's future upgrades.
Qin Yuan sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing. The spiritual power of the Thirteenth Layer of Qi Cultivation's "ultimate realm" flowed slowly within him, and the minor injuries he had sustained while forcefully enduring the pressure gradually healed.
Midnight was approaching. The cultivation of another ten years from a new day was about to pour into him.
Before you continue