I gain ten years' worth of cultivation every day, and even geniuses will only see my doorstep!

Qin Yuan, dressed in an ordinary blue Daoist robe, stood calmly at the front of the crowd. He didn't deliberately reveal his aura, but his peak Nascent Soul cultivation, coupled with his recent achievements at the Flowing Cloud Sect, naturally attracted a lot of attention. There was curiosity, inquiry, and also an implicit sense of competition.

Liu Suifeng was not far from him, dressed in white, with a gentle smile, talking quietly with several familiar disciples. When he saw Qin Yuan approaching, he nodded in greeting. Qin Yuan also saw the other captains of the Sky Patrol Guards, including the two veterans at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, all of whom cast friendly glances at him—strength and merit are always valuable assets.

"The time has come."

A deep, aged voice resounded, seemingly echoing deep within everyone's soul. Above the clouds, three figures slowly emerged. In the center was Elder Zhou Qingxuan. To his left was a withered old man in black robes, his eyes shining like stars; to his right was a white-robed Daoist with a whisk in hand and an air of otherworldly grace. All three possessed unfathomable auras, far surpassing the Refinement stage, at least at the Integration stage!

"Greetings, Elder!" All the disciples on the platform bowed in unison.

Zhou Qingxuan's gaze swept across the audience, lingering slightly on Qin Yuan before he spoke: "The Lesser Universe Realm is an auxiliary secret realm opened by our Taiyi Immortal Sect's patriarch using great supernatural powers. It contains both opportunities and dangers. The rules within the realm are special; those over a hundred years old and above the Dao Integration stage cannot enter. This opening will last for three months. Within the realm, spiritual herbs, minerals, and even the legacies of our predecessors will be acquired through one's own abilities. There is only one thing to remember—"

His tone turned stern: "Among fellow disciples, we may fight, but we must not kill. Those who violate this rule will be severely punished. If you encounter someone from another sect..." A sharp glint flashed in his eyes, "We, the disciples of Taiyi, neither provoke trouble nor fear it. In the struggle for opportunities, each person must rely on their own methods, but if anyone dares to kill, or bully the few with numbers, the sect will be your backing!"

"Understood!" the crowd replied in unison, their eyes gleaming with fighting spirit.

"Furthermore," the old man in black interjected, his voice sharp as metal scraping, "there have been unusual spatial fluctuations within the realm recently, suggesting the emergence of an unknown ancient domain or secret realm. If you encounter such a place, you must be extra careful and act within your capabilities. Any information you obtain must be reported in detail after you leave the realm, and the sect will reward you handsomely."

The white-robed Taoist priest waved his whisk and said calmly, "Opening the passage and maintaining it for three months will require a great deal of effort. You all should take care of yourselves, not wasting this opportunity, and also not forgetting your own safety. Go."

The three elders said no more, exchanged a glance, and simultaneously raised their hands, casting three profound and mysterious spells at an inconspicuous blue stone tablet in the center of the Qiankun Platform.

Om-!

The stone tablet suddenly emitted a dazzling blue light, and countless intricate silver runes emerged and flowed from its surface, quickly combining to form a circular light gate about three zhang in diameter. Inside the light gate, light and shadow distorted, emanating a rich spatial fluctuation and an ancient, desolate aura.

"Enter the realm!"

At Zhou Qingxuan's command, the disciples, who were already prepared, either rode in their escape lights or used their magical treasures to enter in single file, their figures disappearing into the light gate.

Qin Yuan took a deep breath, and with a swift movement, he transformed into a streak of azure light, following closely behind the others as he entered the portal.

A slight dizziness and a feeling of being pulled apart came over me, and the light and shadows shifted before my eyes. But in the blink of an eye, my feet were firmly planted on the ground.

The view before me suddenly opened up.

The sky was not the familiar azure, but a pale bluish-gray, with three "suns" of different sizes hanging high, radiating a soft yet strange light. Beneath one's feet was soft, damp, dark red soil, and the air was filled with an intense, almost palpable spiritual energy, as well as a peculiar scent that mingled with the fragrance of grass and trees and the ancient, decaying aroma.

Looking out, in the distance, rolling mountains of various shapes and sizes stretch out; some are lush and verdant, some fiery red, some are covered in snow, and several peaks pierce the clouds, disappearing into the gray-blue sky. Closer by, ancient trees reach for the sky, vines entwine, and exotic flowers and herbs abound; many plants radiate a spiritual light, clearly not ordinary. Further away, lakes gleam like mirrors, and great rivers rush by.

What a wonderful secret realm, brimming with spiritual energy and forming its own world!

At this moment, Qin Yuan appeared to be in a clearing in the forest. Most of the disciples who had entered at the same time as him had already dispersed, each choosing their own direction to leave. A few others had gathered together, clearly having arranged to team up beforehand. Liu Suifeng cupped his hands in greeting to him from afar, pointed to the east, and then transformed into streaks of light and disappeared with his two companions.

Qin Yuan didn't act immediately, but first sensed the environment of this realm. The concentration of spiritual energy was far greater than outside, and its attributes seemed more active, making it easier to absorb and refine. The space was also more stable, and flying and using supernatural powers seemed to encounter greater resistance. He tried to release his divine sense and found that its coverage area was significantly suppressed, only about 70% of that outside.

"Environmental suppression, but it's the same for everyone." Qin Yuan understood. He took out the jade slip given to him by Liu Suifeng, compared it with the surrounding terrain, and quickly determined his location—the southeastern region of the Lesser Universe Realm, the edge of a place called "Crimson Blood Forest".

"Meteor Lake is in the northwest, about 30,000 miles from here." Qin Yuan looked to the northwest, where the sky seemed to be a deeper color, with faint starlight twinkling. "On the way, we will pass through several dangerous areas such as the 'Mist Swamp' and the 'Sword Bone Wasteland,' as well as several marked resource points."

He hesitated for a moment, then decided to head straight for Meteor Lake. Star Essence was his primary objective; other resources could be acquired along the way.

Having chosen a direction, Qin Yuan moved swiftly, not flying conspicuously, but instead choosing to skim low through the forest at a considerable speed, which also allowed him to better observe the environment and avoid potential dangers.

The Lesser Universe Realm truly lived up to its reputation as a meticulously cultivated secret realm by the Taiyi Immortal Sect. Along the way, most of the spiritual herbs were of considerable age, with many hundreds of years old, and occasionally even thousand-year-old herbs, attracting the attention of low-level demonic beasts. Qin Yuan's goal was clear: unless he encountered something exceptionally precious or easily obtainable, he generally ignored it.

After traveling about a thousand miles, a vast swamp shrouded in a thick, grayish-white fog appeared ahead, emanating a faint, foul stench—this was the "Mist Swamp." The jade slip recorded that the fog here could interfere with divine sense, and that various poisonous insects and strange beasts lurked within the swamp; one could even sink into an invisible quagmire.

Qin Yuan became more vigilant and was about to find a relatively safe path to pass through when he suddenly heard fierce fighting sounds and spiritual energy fluctuations coming from the depths of the fog on his left. These sounds were mixed with a woman's delicate shouts and the roars of some kind of demonic beast.

He didn't want to meddle, but when he scanned the woman's spiritual energy fluctuations, he discovered that they faintly carried a trace of the vitality unique to the Qingmu Sect's techniques.

A disciple of the Qingmu Sect?

Qin Yuan raised an eyebrow, changed direction, and quietly approached the fighting area.

After passing through a thick fog, the view ahead became clear. On a slightly dry, hardened clearing of the swamp, three young cultivators dressed in the robes of the Green Wood Sect were being attacked by seven or eight dark-colored, crocodile-like monsters with three scarlet eyes!