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

The fortress ruins were more bustling than Qin Yuan had imagined.

More than twenty people gathered in the hall, most of them dressed in various sect costumes, and huddled in groups of three or five in the corners.

Some were wiping their weapons, some were bandaging their wounds, and others were whispering among themselves around a simple map.

When Qin Yuan and Zi Ling walked in, several pairs of eyes swept over them.

"Two more have arrived." A middle-aged cultivator with a scar on his face glanced at them and lost interest. "Judging by their clothes, they're probably geniuses from some sect here for training."

"Since the secret realm has recently appeared, more and more young people are coming here." An old man with one eye shook his head, "They're courting death."

Clearly, these were all seasoned veterans who had fought on ancient battlefields for many years, and they were not impressed by Qin Yuan, a "young genius".

Zi Ling's shoulder wound had been simply bandaged. She whispered to Qin Yuan, "Thank you... If it weren't for you just now, I'm afraid..."

"Just something I did casually," Qin Yuan said calmly. "What were those things?"

"Otherworldly demons." Zi Ling's expression was grave. "These are demonic creatures left over from the ancient battlefield, immortal and indestructible, knowing only slaughter. However, they usually roam deep within the battlefield and rarely appear on the outskirts. This time..."

She paused, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes: "It looks like it was startled by something."

Just then, footsteps sounded outside again.

Chu Wuyue, Yun Qingyao, and Han Bing entered, all bearing injuries, though not serious. Ye Guying was the last to enter, his left arm torn open, his face grim.

Seeing Qin Yuan, the group breathed a sigh of relief.

"Junior Brother Qin!" Chu Wuyue's white pupils lit up. "You've arrived too!"

Zi Ling's expression changed slightly when she saw the group from Xuan Yuan Sect—she recognized them as the disciples from the "bottom-ranked sect" she had seen in the Dark City. But now, it seemed that although they were in a sorry state, they were still alive.

And her other four disciples from the Zixiao Sect...

"Senior Sister Ziling!" A shout suddenly came from outside.

Two blood-soaked youths in purple robes staggered into the fortress. Upon seeing Zi Ling, they almost burst into tears: "Senior Sister! Junior Brother Wang and Junior Sister Li... they're dead!"

Zi Ling swayed, her face turning deathly pale.

Qin Yuan glanced at it but didn't say anything.

The group gathered in the fortress hall to exchange information.

"The demons suddenly went berserk because a spacetime distortion occurred in the core area of ​​the battlefield," the one-eyed old man said in a deep voice. "A crack appeared there, revealing a secret realm. The demons are extremely sensitive to the aura of secret realms, and they were all drawn to it."

"A secret realm?" Chu Wuyue raised an eyebrow. "What's inside?"

"Who knows?" the scarred middle-aged man sneered. "But a secret realm that can cause spacetime distortion is definitely not simple. People from all sects are rushing there now, all wanting a piece of the pie."

Qin Yuan's heart stirred.

The secret realm... perhaps, this is the opportunity for him to break through to the Nascent Soul stage.

"We came at the wrong time," Yun Qingyao said softly. "We only came here to train, but we stumbled upon the emergence of the secret realm."

"So be it if we're going to collide." A fighting spirit gleamed in Chu Wuyue's white pupils. "With such an opportunity before me, how could I let it slip by?"

Han Bing and Ye Guying didn't speak, but their eyes flashed with interest.

Zi Ling bit her lip, looking at her two surviving junior brothers with a conflicted expression in her eyes—she wanted to go to the secret realm, but she was also afraid of losing more people.

Finally, she took a deep breath: "Go. Junior Brother Wang and Junior Sister Li cannot die in vain."

The group decided to set off tomorrow.

The next day, there were indeed far fewer demons on the battlefield.

Qin Yuan and his group of seven—five from the Xuan Yuan Sect and two from the Zi Xiao Sect—headed toward the core area.

Along the way, Qin Yuan occasionally encountered a few alien demons, which he dealt with casually. His movements were swift and decisive; often, the alien demons were shattered with a punch or exploded with a finger before they could even get close.

At first, Zi Ling and her two junior brothers were shocked, but later they became numb.

"Fellow Daoist Qin... what exactly is your cultivation level?" Zi Ling couldn't help but ask.

"Peak of the Golden Core stage," Qin Yuan replied calmly.

Zi Ling's lips twitched—they were both at the peak of the Golden Core stage, yet she could only deal with two or three alien demons by risking her life, while Qin Yuan could do it as easily as cutting melons and vegetables.

Chu Wuyue, however, was not surprised at all, and instead laughed and said, "Fairy Ziling, you'll get used to it. Our Junior Brother Qin cannot be judged by ordinary standards."

Yun Qingyao nodded slightly.

But Qin Yuan himself knew that such strength was not enough in the Hundred Sects War.

The Great Battle of a Hundred Sects brought together the most outstanding geniuses in the entire Qingzhou. The top thirty sects almost all had true disciples at the Nascent Soul stage. Even the strongest Golden Core cultivator was no match for a Nascent Soul cultivator.

Unless... he also breaks through to the Nascent Soul stage.

Three days later, the group arrived at the core area.

This is a vast basin, where the sandstorms are much less intense than on the outskirts. In the center of the basin, a spatial rift hundreds of feet high hangs in the air, its interior shimmering with light and the faint silhouettes of mountains and rivers visible within.

Hundreds of people have gathered below the crack.

They were dressed in various sect costumes, divided into more than a dozen small groups, maintaining a safe distance from each other. A tense atmosphere permeated the air, with glances frequently exchanged, filled with scrutiny and vigilance.

When Qin Yuan and his group appeared, several pairs of eyes swept over them.

"Someone else is here."

"Judging by the clothes... Xuan Yuan Sect? That bottom-ranked sect?"

"Tch, they dare to join in the fun?"

The murmurs were not loud, but they reached everyone's ears clearly.

Chu Wuyue's white pupils turned cold, Yun Qingyao's body was surrounded by swirling mist, and Han Bing and Ye Guying's expressions turned ugly.

Zi Ling, accompanied by her two junior brothers, headed towards the group belonging to the Zi Xiao Sect—there were already seven or eight purple-robed cultivators there, who rushed to greet her upon seeing her.

Qin Yuan remained calm, as if he hadn't heard the discussions.

Just then, a mocking voice rang out:

"Oh, aren't these the people from the Xuan Yuan Sect?"

Qin Yuan turned his head and saw Kongming, the young monk from Chen Temple, standing with disciples from two other sects. The people from those two sects showed disdain upon hearing the words "Xuanyuan Sect".

Kongming clasped his hands together and smiled, "How is Sect Leader Lu?"

These words, seemingly a greeting, were actually a veiled insult—the Xuan Yuan Sect Master personally led the team, yet only sent five Golden Core disciples, making them truly the bottom of the hundred sects.

Before Chu Wuyue could speak, Qin Yuan calmly replied, "Thank you for your concern, Master. I hope the Sect Leader is well."

A hint of surprise flashed in Kongming's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure: "That's good. The secret realm is dangerous, everyone... please be careful."

After he finished speaking, he ignored him and turned to continue talking to the person next to him.

"Those are people from the Vajra Sect and the Spirit Sword Sect," Yun Qingyao whispered. "They're all ranked in the top twenty of the hundred sects, and their strength is extremely high."

Qin Yuan nodded and stopped paying attention.

Time passed little by little.

The number of people gathered has increased to over two hundred. The members of the various sects are clearly divided and wary of each other.

Finally, as darkness fell, the spatial rift suddenly widened!