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

The demonic beast was called the "Three-Eyed Poison Crocodile." It had thick skin and immense strength, and could spew highly corrosive venom. Even more troublesome was its third eye, which emitted a mind-altering red light. It was a common ferocious creature in the Misty Swamp. The beasts attacking the three were all between the late and peak Nascent Soul stages.

Three disciples of the Green Wood Sect, two men and one woman. The two men, both at the late Nascent Soul stage, were now in dire straits, bearing multiple wounds and their protective spiritual light dimming. The woman, with the highest cultivation, had reached the early Deity Transformation stage. A vibrant green spiritual energy surrounded her, and she wielded a slender, willow-leaf-shaped sword with lightning speed. The sword energy, though brimming with vitality, couldn't inflict fatal damage on the thick-skinned venomous crocodile; she could only barely hold her own and protect her two fellow disciples. Her face was beautiful, but her eyes held anxiety; she was Mu Qingyu, the younger of the Wood Spirit Twins.

"Senior brother, this can't go on! There are more and more venomous crocodiles!" A male disciple swung his sword to parry the attack of a venomous crocodile, but was grazed on the shoulder by the venom of another crocodile. His skin was torn open, black smoke rose from the wound, and he cried out in pain.

"Senior Sister Qingyu, you go first! We'll hold them off!" another male disciple roared, attempting to unleash some kind of secret technique, his aura becoming violent.

Mu Qingyu gritted her teeth: "No! We'll go together!" Her swordplay changed, becoming even more ferocious, attempting to force back the two poisonous crocodiles directly in front of her and create an opening. However, the poisonous crocodiles cooperated seamlessly and were fearless; as soon as an opening appeared, another poisonous crocodile immediately filled it.

Just as the three were growing increasingly desperate, a calm voice suddenly rang out:

"Do you need any help?"

The three were startled and looked in the direction of the sound. They saw a figure in a green robe standing silently in the mist not far away, watching them quietly. The newcomer had a calm and collected aura, a young face, and a jade token of the Taiyi Immortal Sect hanging at his waist.

"A senior brother from the Taiyi Immortal Sect?" Mu Qingyu was initially delighted, but then became wary. Within the Small Universe Realm, it was common for disciples of various sects to compete for resources, and killing to seize treasures was not uncommon. She couldn't discern the other party's cultivation level, but it was at least at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm. His appearance at this time made it difficult to determine whether he was friend or foe.

Qin Yuan noticed her wariness but didn't care. He glanced at the ferocious three-eyed crocodiles and said indifferently, "They all belong to the five great sects. It was just a casual matter."

Before he finished speaking, he had already made his move. Without even using his spiritual power, he simply moved and appeared like a ghost beside a poisonous crocodile that was pouncing on the injured male disciple, and threw a simple punch!

"Bang!"

With a muffled thud, the three-eyed crocodile, which was several meters long and weighed over ten thousand kilograms, was struck on the side of its head as if by a meteorite. A large chunk of its hard skull caved in instantly, its scarlet eyeballs burst, and its massive body flew out, crashing into a patch of dead wood. It twitched a few times and then fell silent.

One punch and he's dead!

Mu Qingyu and the other two stared wide-eyed, utterly incredulous. They knew all too well the crocodile's defenses; even flying swords couldn't harm it. This person had actually blasted it apart with a single punch?!

The remaining few crocodiles seemed to be stunned by this sudden and terrifying attack, and their offensive faltered.

Qin Yuan didn't stop at all, his figure moving again, like a tiger entering a flock of sheep. He didn't use any fancy moves, just the simplest fists, palms, and fingers, each strike precisely hitting the crocodile's vital points—its third eye, the soft flesh of its jaw, and the junction of its spine.

"Pfft!" "Crack!" "Thump!"

The dull thuds of blows and the cracking of bones rang out one after another. In just two or three breaths, the remaining seven ferocious three-eyed crocodiles were all dead! Some had their heads exploded, some had their spines broken, and their deaths were gruesome.

The whole process was as fast as lightning. Before Mu Qingyu and the other two could even fully react, the battle was already over.

Qin Yuan stopped, flicking away imaginary blood from his hands as if he had done something trivial. He looked at the three stunned people, his gaze lingering on Mu Qingyu's face for a moment, and asked, "Are you disciples of the Azure Wood Sect?"

Mu Qingyu finally came to her senses, quickly sheathed her slender sword, and stepped forward with her two still-shaken junior brothers, bowing deeply: "Mu Qingyu of the Qingmu Sect thanks the senior brother of the Taiyi Immortal Sect for saving my life! May I ask your honorable name, senior brother?"

"Qin Yuan." Qin Yuan introduced himself, observing the other person's reaction. Mu Qingyu, one of the Muling Twins, was Lin Qing'er's fellow disciple.

Upon hearing the name, Mu Qingyu was first taken aback, then a mixture of surprise and complex emotions flashed in her eyes. Qin Yuan! The legendary figure who broke through three realms and won the championship at the Heavenly Pride Gathering, only to fail to enter the Qingmu Sect and be snatched away by the Taiyi Immortal Sect instead! Of course, she had heard of this name; there was even considerable private discussion about it within the sect. She never expected to encounter him here, and even more so, that he would save them.

"So it's Senior Brother Qin!" Mu Qingyu's attitude became even more respectful, even carrying a hint of barely perceptible shame. "I've long admired your name! Meeting you today, I can see it's truly well-deserved!"

"Junior Sister Mu, you're too kind." Qin Yuan said calmly, "Why are you here, and why did you provoke these poisonous crocodiles?"

A bitter expression appeared on Mu Qingyu's face: "We were there to collect a 'Nine-Heart Jade Lotus' that grows deep in the swamp. This lotus is extremely useful for healing an elder of our sect. Unexpectedly, we disturbed the lair of these poisonous crocodiles and were chased all the way here… If it weren't for Senior Brother Qin's timely intervention, the consequences would have been unimaginable." As she spoke, she bowed solemnly, "I will never forget your life-saving grace! If you ever need my help in the future, as long as it doesn't violate my principles, I will definitely do my utmost!"

"It was nothing," Qin Yuan waved his hand. "This place is not safe to stay any longer; the stench of blood might attract more trouble. You should leave as soon as possible."

"Yes! Senior Brother Qin, please be careful too!" Mu Qingyu thanked him again, and quickly packed up with his two junior brothers before leaving.

After taking a couple of steps, Mu Qingyu suddenly stopped, turned around, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Senior Brother Qin, I... I have a junior sister in my sect named Lin Qing'er, she... she often mentions you."

Qin Yuan's eyes flickered slightly: "How is Qing'er doing in your sect?"

Mu Qingyu nodded: "Junior Sister Qing'er has exceptional talent, possessing an innate wood spirit body, and is highly valued by the sect. However... she is simple-minded and stubborn, and because... because of certain things, she may not be having a very smooth time in the sect." She seemed somewhat reluctant to speak, clearly knowing some of the inside stories about Mu Sangzi suppressing Qin Yuan and the resulting involvement of Lin Qing'er.

A hint of coldness flashed in Qin Yuan's eyes, but his expression remained calm: "Thank you for informing me."

Mu Qingyu bit her lip, seemingly wanting to say something more, but in the end only said, "Senior Brother Qin, the Lesser Universe Realm is fraught with danger, please take care. Farewell."

After saying that, she didn't linger and quickly disappeared into the mist with her junior brother.

Qin Yuan stood there, gazing in the direction they had left, his eyes deep. Qing'er was indeed in trouble at the Qingmu Sect... Mu Sangzi's faction had probably given her no shortage of obstacles.