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

"Buzz—!!!"

Amidst a deafening roar, a dazzling beam of light shot out from the crack, piercing straight into the sky!

Within the pillar of light, a massive bronze portal slowly emerged, its surface covered with ancient runes.

"The gate to the secret realm has opened!"

Someone shouted, and everyone sprang into action instantly!

The bronze portal slowly opened, and a terrifying suction force erupted from it, sweeping everyone below the crack into it!

Qin Yuan felt a blur before his eyes, and his body was uncontrollably sucked into the door.

When Qin Yuan opened his eyes again, he found himself standing on a crimson earth.

The sky was ablaze with flames, the ground was molten lava, and the air was thick with the smell of sulfur.

Ahead, a lava river about ten zhang wide runs across the river, with the opposite bank being the only exit.

There was no bridge over the river, only a few floating black stone slabs, bobbing up and down in the lava.

"The first trial, the Trial of Flames." An aged voice echoed through the heavens and earth, "Cross the river on the stone slabs; those who fall will be eliminated."

Qin Yuan looked around and saw many familiar faces—Chu Wuyue, Yun Qingyao, Zi Ling, Kong Ming, and disciples from various sects. Everyone was scattered along the lava riverbank, far apart from each other.

Some people tried to fly over, but they were pressed back to the ground by an invisible force just three feet off the ground—flying is prohibited here.

"We can only cross by stepping on the stone slabs!"

A burly man from the Vajra Sect roared and leaped onto the first stone slab. The slab sank slightly, but remained relatively stable. He breathed a sigh of relief and was about to leap onto the second one—

"boom!"

Suddenly, a pillar of fire shot up from the lava river, heading straight for the burly man!

The burly man's expression changed drastically. He activated his protective technique with all his might, and golden light emanated from his body. The pillar of fire struck him, causing the golden light to flash violently. He groaned and nearly fell into the lava.

"The stone slabs will trigger fire pillar attacks!" someone exclaimed.

For a moment, everyone hesitated.

Qin Yuan looked at the river surface and extended his divine sense.

The black stone slabs appear to be randomly distributed, but in fact, they follow a hidden pattern. Each slab corresponds to a safe time point; missing this point will trigger a pillar of fire.

He moved swiftly and leaped onto the first stone slab.

Sure enough, the stone slab sank slightly, but no pillar of fire appeared.

Three breaths later, he leaped toward the second piece.

It is equally safe.

The third piece, the fourth piece, the fifth piece...

Qin Yuan's movements were fluid and graceful, each jump precise and accurate, as if he knew in advance where it was safe and when to jump.

On the other side of the river, people from other sects stared in disbelief as he crossed the lava river as if it were flat ground.

"Who is this person?!"

"From the Xuan Yuan Sect?! How is that possible?!"

Kongming's eyes narrowed, he clasped his hands together, and a Buddha-like light emanated from beneath his feet as he began to cross the river.

Although he was not as composed as Qin Yuan, he still made steady progress.

Zi Ling gritted her teeth and followed, her movements nimble, narrowly avoiding several pillars of fire.

Chu Wuyue simply used her physical body to withstand the pillars of fire, her white pupils blazing with fighting spirit as she charged forward recklessly.

Yun Qingyao was surrounded by clouds and mist, which automatically condensed into an ice shield to block the approaching pillar of fire.

Han Bing and Ye Guying also used their unique abilities to make progress with difficulty.

But many more were defeated by the fire pillars, screaming as they fell into the lava and vanished in white light—they had been teleported out of the secret realm.

Qin Yuan was the first to reach the other side.

Looking back, there were fewer than fifty people left on the lava river.

The scene in the second level is a void of starry sky.

Everyone stood on a suspended platform, with a bottomless abyss in front of them. On the other side of the abyss was the entrance to the next level.

"The second trial, the test of consciousness," the aged voice rang out again. "Use your divine sense to condense a staircase and step across the abyss. Those whose divine sense is insufficient will fall."

This test assesses the strength of one's spiritual consciousness.

If one's spiritual consciousness is insufficient, it is impossible to condense a complete staircase; one will fall into the abyss halfway down.

"I'll go first!" A disciple of the Spirit Sword Sect snorted, a light shining from between his brows, his divine sense transforming into a three-foot-wide transparent staircase that extended towards the other side of the abyss.

He stepped onto the stairs and proceeded cautiously.

When he reached one-third of the way up, the stairs began to sway. When he reached the halfway point, the edges of the stairs began to crumble. His face turned pale, and he desperately tried to activate his divine sense, but in the end, he couldn't hold on any longer. The stairs shattered completely, and he screamed as he fell into the abyss.

Another person has been eliminated.

Next, disciples from various sects began to try it out.

The Vajra Sect cultivators generally had weak spiritual senses, and most failed halfway through. The Spirit Sword Sect fared slightly better, but only a few managed to pass. Zi Ling from the Purple Cloud Sect barely made it through, while her two junior brothers both failed.

Kongming from Liaochen Temple performed exceptionally well; his spiritual ladder was solid and stable, allowing him to steadily walk to the other side.

It was Xuan Yuan Sect's turn.

Chu Wuyue possessed a powerful divine sense, and although the steps were not as clear and solid as the void, she still passed through them smoothly.

Yun Qingyao's divine sense was ethereal, and the steps seemed to condense like clouds and mist, allowing her to pass the test as well.

Han Bing and Ye Guying faced much greater difficulties, teetering on the brink of collapse when they reached three-quarters of the way, but ultimately gritted their teeth and persevered.

Finally, there's Qin Yuan.

He did not act immediately, but instead observed the width of the abyss—about a hundred feet.

Ordinary Golden Core cultivators can only project their divine sense outwards to a maximum of thirty feet. To condense a hundred-foot staircase, one must be at least at the peak of the Golden Core stage and possess exceptional talent in divine sense.

Qin Yuan slowly closed his eyes.

A pale golden light shone from between his brows.

The next moment, a staircase ten feet wide and solid as white jade extended from the edge of the platform, firmly supporting the other side of the abyss!

The surface of the steps even shows fine lines, as if they were really carved from jade.

The entire room fell silent.

"What... what level of spiritual power is this?!"

"How could someone at the Golden Core stage possess such a solid divine sense?!"

For the first time, a look of horror appeared in Kongming's eyes.

Qin Yuan stepped onto the stairs, his steps steady and as if walking on flat ground. When he reached the other side, he even had the energy to look back—the stairs remained stable, showing no signs of crumbling.

The second round eliminated most of them again.

Only twenty people remained.

The third challenge is a mirrored space.

In front of each person stands a figure exactly like themselves.

"The third trial is a test of self," the aged voice said. "Defeat the mirror image to pass."

The mirror image possesses the same cultivation level, techniques, and combat awareness as the original body. The only difference is that it is a pure fighting machine, devoid of emotions and without any weaknesses.

Almost the instant the sound fell, the mirror image moved!

"Bang!"

Chu Wuyue and his mirror image exchanged a punch, both staggered back. His white pupils burned with fighting spirit: "Interesting! Fighting yourself is the most exciting!"

On the other side, Yun Qingyao and the mirror image simultaneously cast a cloud and mist spell, enveloping the entire space in mist.

Han Bing and the mirror image engaged in an ice-based battle, with chilling energy spreading everywhere.

Ye Guying and his mirror image transformed into two black shadows, frantically chasing and fighting each other in the space.

Zi Ling clashed with the Mirror Dagger, their purple light flashing, creating a perilous situation.

The void and the mirror image then engage in a contest of Buddhist supernatural powers, with the Buddha's light shining everywhere.

Everyone was caught in a tough battle.

The mirror image knows itself too well; every attack can be predicted, and every defense can be broken. This is a war of attrition, a contest of who makes the first mistake and who exhausts themselves first.

Qin Yuan looked at the mirror image in front of him.

The mirror image also looked at him, its eyes empty yet filled with a chilling killing intent.

"You can copy the techniques, you can copy the cultivation level," Qin Yuan said slowly, "but there are some things you can't copy."

As soon as he finished speaking, he moved.

There were no fancy moves, no probing, just a simple punch.