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

He suppressed his thoughts and turned to continue towards Meteor Lake. Rescuing Mu Qingyu was just a side story; his primary goal remained the Star Essence.

After traversing the misty swamp and crossing the rugged "Sword Bone Wasteland," Qin Yuan encountered several dangerous situations along the way. Some of them kept their distance, while others subtly observed him, seemingly recognizing his status as a prospective Daoist disciple of the Taiyi Immortal Sect, and thus refrained from easily provoking him.

Several days later, Qin Yuan finally arrived at the Meteor Lake area.

This is a vast basin, and in its center lies a deep blue lake, nearly a thousand miles in circumference. The lake water is crystal clear, yet its bottom is unseen; the surface is calm and still, reflecting the bluish-gray sky. But most peculiar is the sky above the lake, which is not an ordinary sky, but a deep, seemingly close-up starry sky! Countless stars twinkle within it, some bright, some dim, and tiny shooting stars occasionally streak across the water, falling into the lake and creating ripples of silver light.

The entire Meteor Lake area is permeated with a rich stellar energy, and the air carries a slight coolness. Some peculiar plants grow along the lakeshore, their leaves seemingly adorned with starlight.

"This is it." Qin Yuan felt a faint tremor from the "Undying Body of the Universe Stars" within his body, confirming that this place was the perfect location for cultivating the second level.

He did not approach the center of the lake rashly. According to intelligence, powerful star beasts inhabit Meteor Lake, feeding on fragments of fallen stars and creatures in the lake imbued with star power. Their strength is at least at the Nascent Soul stage, and they often appear in groups. There may also be dangers at the bottom of the lake.

Qin Yuan chose to land on a high cliff by the lake to observe carefully. He released his divine sense to carefully perceive the energy fluctuations and life force in the lake.

The concentration of stellar energy beneath the lake's surface was extremely high and unevenly distributed, forming vortexes of stellar energy in certain areas. At the same time, he also sensed at least five or six powerful life auras swimming in the depths of the lake, each comparable to or above the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm. One of them was particularly profound, probably reaching the peak of the Nascent Soul realm or even touching the edge of the Void Refinement realm.

"It's unwise to force our way in," Qin Yuan pondered. His target was the essence of stars, which was usually found alongside large meteors or in the core areas where stellar power was extremely concentrated. Searching directly in the lake would not only involve facing star beasts but also navigating the complex underwater environment, making it far too inefficient.

He looked up at the "starry sky" so close to the lake. It wasn't the real cosmic sky, but a special celestial phenomenon formed by the combination of the rules of the Small Universe Realm and the power of stars. The shooting stars that streaked across the sky weren't actual celestial bodies either, but highly condensed streams of stellar energy.

"Perhaps... we can start from the 'sky'." A thought arose in Qin Yuan's mind. Directly capture falling "meteors," or search for those highly condensed clusters of stellar energy that haven't yet fallen?

He looked up at the deep "starry sky," trying to find the patterns of its energy flow.

Just then, several streaks of light of different colors broke through the sky in the distance, making quite a splash, heading straight for Meteor Lake!

Qin Yuan frowned slightly, concealed his aura, and hid in the shadows of the cliff.

As the light descended, five figures appeared. The leader, dressed in a dark blue robe, possessed a handsome face with a hint of effeminacy, arrogant eyes, and a faint aura of ghostly coldness surrounding him. His cultivation was clearly at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage! He was none other than the leader of the Netherworld Palace who had entered the Lesser Universe Realm—Young Master Youquan!

Behind him were four people, three men and one woman, all of whom were at the early or middle stages of the Nascent Soul realm, clearly elite disciples of the Netherworld Palace.

"Senior Brother Youquan, this is Meteor Lake. It is said that the inner cores of star beasts and the essence of stars in the lake are rare treasures," a disciple said respectfully.

Young Master Youquan's gaze swept across the vast lake, a cold smile playing on his lips. "Star Essence? This young master wants far more than just those odds and ends." His gaze fell upon a particularly bright area in the "starry sky" above the center of the lake, an area that seemed to have nebulae slowly rotating within it. "See that? That's where the true 'Star Core' is! If I could obtain even a trace of the 'Star Core Origin,' it would be enough to advance my 'Nine Nether Profound Nether Technique' to another level, perhaps even allowing me to condense the 'Profound Nether True Body'!"

Star Core Origin? Qin Yuan's heart stirred. That was probably a higher level of existence than ordinary star essence.

"But senior brother," the female disciple said with some worry, "the energy in the star core area is violent, and it is protected by powerful star beasts. It is also the core of the entire Meteor Lake Formation. If we rashly activate it, I'm afraid..."

"What are you afraid of?" Young Master Youquan glanced at her, his tone chilling. "I have my own preparations. This time I brought the 'Nine Nether Soul-Locking Chains' and the 'Mysterious Netherworld-Breaking Cone,' enough to temporarily suppress the star core's riot and hold back the guardian star beast. The four of you, as planned, will set up the 'Mysterious Yin Spirit-Eroding Array' in all four directions to interfere with other potential rivals and to provide support for me. After it's done, you'll be well rewarded."

"Yes!" the four answered in unison, their eyes gleaming with excitement.

Without another word, Young Master Youquan moved, transforming into a streak of dark blue light and flying directly towards the nebula region above the center of the lake! At the same time, he flicked his sleeve, and nine jet-black chains covered with strange runes roared out like nine venomous snakes, shooting towards the nebula first!

"roar--!"

Almost the instant the chains appeared, a deafening roar echoed from the depths of the lake! The lake water exploded, and an enormous star beast, covered in silver scales, with wings on its back, resembling a dragon but with a single horn on its head, burst forth from the water! Its aura had reached the limit of the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, only a hair's breadth away from the Void Refinement stage! It was none other than the overlord of Meteor Lake—the Silver-Winged Star Dragon!

The Star Dragon's crimson eyes locked onto Young Master Youquan and the nine chains, clearly viewing this as a provocation against its territory and throne (Star Core)! It opened its mouth and spewed out a thick silver beam of light, composed of highly condensed stellar power, carrying an aura of destruction, straight towards Young Master Youquan!

Young Master Youquan snorted coldly, neither dodging nor avoiding, and made hand seals. The nine chains intertwined and coiled as if they were alive, instantly forming a pitch-black net in front of him! The net was filled with the churning of ghostly energy, and countless vengeful spirits could be faintly heard wailing.

"The Nine Netherworlds lock the soul, all spirits scatter!"

The silver beam of light slammed into the black net!

"boom--!!!"

A deafening explosion echoed across Meteor Lake! A violent energy storm swept out, towering waves surged across the lake, and rocks on the shore crumbled! The black net trembled violently, its eerie light flickering, and it actually managed to block the silver pillar of light, though its radiance dimmed considerably.

Young Master Youquan was also pushed back dozens of feet by the recoil, his face slightly pale, but the ferocity in his eyes intensified: "You beast, you do have some skill! But today, this star core origin is mine!"

While continuing to fight the Silverwing Star Dragon with the Soul-Locking Chains, he also summoned a jet-black cone with a tip that gleamed with an eerie, cold light—the Xuanming Boundary-Breaking Cone! The cone transformed into a streak of black light, bypassing the Star Dragon and piercing straight towards the swirling nebula behind him!