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

When Lei Ba was taken away by the elders of the Seventh Peak, he was as if he had lost his parents.

The fist mark on his chest was so deep that bone was visible, and the crack in his Golden Core was difficult to heal. His cultivation level had fallen from the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm back to the early stage. Even if it could be repaired in the future, it would be difficult for him to return to his peak.

Even more fatal is that being stripped of his status as a true disciple means he will have to move out of Thunder Peak, a place brimming with spiritual energy, lose his generous monthly resource supply, and lose his retinue of followers.

"Qin Yuan... Qin Yuan..." Lei Ba's eyes were filled with resentment, but even more so with a deep-seated fear.

That punch shattered not only his sternum and golden core, but also his pride as the seventh peak's prodigy.

In the square, Wang Lin, Zhang Hai, and Li Mo slumped to the ground, their faces ashen.

As they watched Lei Ba being taken away, as Qin Yuan turned and left, and as they looked at the mocking glances cast by the surrounding disciples, a wave of regret overwhelmed their hearts.

"We...we were wrong..." Wang Lin murmured.

"What's the use of saying all this now?" Zhang Hai laughed bitterly. "Senior Brother Qin won't want us anymore, Lei Ba is crippled, we... we have nothing left."

Li Mo burst into tears: "If only I had known... if only I hadn't been so greedy for those spirit crystals..."

Unfortunately, there's no going back.

The disciples who had gathered in front of the stone tablet bearing the true teachings had not yet dispersed.

The words on the stone tablet, "Sixteenth place: Qin Yuan, true disciple of the Fifth Peak, mid-stage Golden Core," seemed to possess some kind of magic, firmly attracting everyone's attention.

"Three days..." a disciple murmured. "It's only been three days since the True Disciple Competition. From the twenty-seventh to the sixteenth, from the early to the middle stage of the Golden Core realm... This cultivation speed is simply unbelievable."

"Did you notice? Senior Brother Qin defeated Lei Ba with the same punch. Simple, straightforward, and unassuming, but it was unstoppable."

"Lei Ba's 'Heavenly Thunder Summoning' is a low-grade Xuan-level technique! Even late-stage Golden Core cultivators wouldn't dare to take it head-on! Yet Senior Brother Qin crushed it with a mere flick of his wrist..."

"A prodigy...this is the real prodigy..."

Amidst the murmurs, Wen Ruofeng and Jian Wuhen quietly departed.

Back at Wen Yuanfeng's place, the two sat facing each other in a quiet room, remaining silent for a long time.

"Brother Swordsman, what do you think now?" Wen Ruofeng broke the silence, shaking his folding fan.

Jian Wuhen held his sword, his eyes filled with complex emotions: "Before, I said 'it has nothing to do with me,' but now... I'm afraid that's no longer the case."

Wen Ruofeng smiled wryly: "Yes. Qin Yuan's rise is unstoppable. Although Lei Ba is reckless, he is not weak. He was able to defeat him with one punch. Qin Yuan's true combat strength is probably close to the late stage of the Golden Core realm."

"It's not just approaching," Jian Wuhen said slowly, "it's already reached that level."

He paused, then added, "I could tell that he didn't use his full strength in that punch."

Wen Ruofeng paused, his folding fan still in his hand: "You mean...?"

"He still has energy to spare." A hint of apprehension flashed in Jian Wuhen's eyes. "Moreover, the timing of his breakthrough to the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm is too coincidental."

The two exchanged a glance and both saw the seriousness in each other's eyes.

Qin Yuan only stayed at Crimson Flame Peak for one day before breaking through to the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm. Was it due to prior preparation, or... was there some secret they were unaware of?

Regardless of the interpretation, it means that this young man, who has only been in the lineage of true disciples for less than three days, already possesses the strength to threaten them, the veteran true disciples.

"It seems we need to choose sides again," Wen Ruofeng sighed.

In Elder Li's meditation room on the Seventh Peak, the atmosphere was so oppressive it was suffocating.

Elder Li's face was ashen, with Wen Ruofeng and Jian Wuhen standing in front of him.

"You two..." He stared at them, his voice icy, "Lei Ba has lost, and you're happy about it?"

Wen Ruofeng bowed and said, "Elder, please calm down. Senior Brother Lei's defeat was truly unexpected. Who could have imagined that Qin Yuan would break through to the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm in just one day? This is not a matter of poor performance."

"Not a fault of war?" Elder Li sneered. "Then what is it? Is it that the fate of my Seventh Peak has run its course? Or have you true disciples all become spineless cowards?"

Jian Wuhen raised his eyes and said calmly, "If the elders think we are spineless, they are free to replace us."

"You!" Elder Li was furious, but seeing Jian Wuhen's indifferent eyes, he finally suppressed his anger.

Jian Wuhen was the eleventh disciple, possessing unfathomable strength and holding an extraordinary position on the Seventh Peak. Even as an elder, he was not someone to be easily offended.

"Enough." Elder Li waved his hand, took a deep breath, and said, "Let's leave Lei Ba's matter aside for now. But Qin Yuan must be suppressed. Otherwise, my Seventh Peak will have no place in the line of true disciples."

Wen Ruofeng frowned: "Elder, Qin Yuan is now in the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, and his strength is considerable. If we make a move again, what if..."

"There's no 'what if'," Elder Li interrupted him. "This time, we won't be looking for you."

Wen Ruofeng and Jian Wuhen were taken aback.

"Seventh place, Duan Tianlang," Elder Li said slowly, "that madman from the Eighth Peak who 'takes money to do things'."

Their pupils contracted.

Duan Tianlang, the seventh-ranked disciple, possesses advanced Golden Core cultivation and hails from the Eighth Peak. He is known for his eccentric personality and ruthless behavior, willing to take on any dirty work for enough spirit crystals. Within the true disciple hierarchy, he is a formidable figure whom everyone avoids at all costs.

"The elder wants to ask Duan Tianlang for help?" Wen Ruofeng asked hesitantly, "The price will probably be quite high."

"No matter the cost, we must pay it." Elder Li's eyes flashed with ruthlessness. "Qin Yuan is growing too fast. If we don't nip him in the bud now, he will surely become a major threat in the future."

He looked at the two men and said, "Go to Duan Tianlang and deliver his message. As for the terms... let him name them."

Wen Ruofeng and Jian Wuhen exchanged a glance, both seeing the helplessness in each other's eyes.

"Elder," Wen Ruofeng finally advised, "is it going too far to use someone like Duan Tianlang just to suppress Qin Yuan...?"

"Too much?" Elder Li slammed his hand on the table. "What do you know?! The Fifth Peak has been dormant for a century, and now Qin Yuan has emerged. If he gains a foothold, the Fifth Peak will surely rise again! At that time, the resources and status of my Seventh Peak will be threatened! This is not a personal grudge, but a struggle between two peaks!"

He stared at the two of them and said, word by word, "To go, or not to go?"

Wen Ruofeng remained silent for a moment, then finally bowed: "...Yes, sir."

Jian Wuhen didn't say anything, he just turned and left.

Inside the main hall of Crimson Flame Peak.

Qin Yuan sat cross-legged in the spirit-gathering array, with the system panel floating in front of him:

[System that Increases Cultivation by Twenty Years in a Day]

Current level: 2 (3478/5000)

[Cultivation Points Storage: 0/60 years]

[Cultivation points not extracted today]

After defeating Lei Ba, he obtained some of Lei Ba's resources—as the victor of the challenge, he had the right to confiscate 30% of the loser's wealth. Lei Ba had scavenged quite a few good items from the True Inheritance Sequence over the years; although most had been consumed, the remaining amount was still considerable.