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

From the moment Qin Yuan left home to the end of the battle, no more than ten breaths had passed.

Inside the inn, Chu Wuyue, Yun Qingyao, and the others stared dumbfounded at the carnage outside the door, then at the figure standing on the steps with his hands behind his back, his gray robe spotless. For a moment, they were speechless.

A mid-stage Nascent Soul leader, and fifteen elite early-stage Nascent Soul warriors... vanished in the blink of an eye?

Is this really a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator? No, this pressure... Yun Qingyao felt it most deeply. She had felt something similar from Sect Master Lu Xuanfeng, but it seemed... Junior Brother Qin's aura was even more condensed and vast at this moment?

"Junior Brother Qin...you've broken through to the...late stage?" Chu Wuyue swallowed hard and asked.

"Peak Nascent Soul stage." Qin Yuan turned to look at everyone. "How are your injuries?"

Nascent Soul...Peak?!

Everyone gasped in shock, then overjoyed! In their dire situation, their side had actually produced a Nascent Soul Peak expert!

"It's just a superficial wound, nothing serious!" Tuoba Shan exclaimed excitedly, his face flushed.

"We can still fight!" Su Meier's eyes gleamed with admiration.

Qin Yuan nodded: "We shouldn't stay here any longer. The main force of the Crimson Flame Sect should be attacking the City Lord's Mansion and seizing control of the core of the formation. We must take advantage of the fact that they haven't completely taken control of the city and disrupt their plans."

His gaze swept over the crowd: "Are you brave enough to come with me and storm the City Lord's Mansion?"

"What is there to be afraid of!" Chu Wuyue's white pupils rekindled with fighting spirit.

"We are willing to follow Senior Brother Qin (Fellow Daoist Qin)!" the crowd responded in unison, their morale soaring.

Qin Yuan said no more, waved his hand to collect the storage bags of the Crimson Flame Sect cultivators on the ground, identified the direction, and took the lead towards the central area of ​​the city where the City Lord's Mansion was located. Chu Wuyue and the others followed closely behind.

All that could be seen along the way was chaos and slaughter. Crimson Flame Sect cultivators were systematically wiping out the remaining disciples and rebels of the Book Sword Sect, and attempting to control key array nodes. Demonic creatures were also rampaging through the city, indiscriminately attacking all living things. The streets were ablaze with fire and littered with corpses, resembling a scene from hell.

Although Qin Yuan's group was small, they had a clear objective and acted swiftly. When encountering small groups of Crimson Flame Sect cultivators or scattered demons, Qin Yuan would often take the lead, striking with lightning speed and decisively. His peak Nascent Soul strength was on full display; ordinary mid-Nascent Soul cultivators couldn't last three moves against him, and early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators were instantly killed. Chu Wuyue and the others were responsible for eliminating any who slipped through their fingers, their teamwork becoming increasingly seamless.

Soon, they approached the City Lord's Mansion. The fighting was fiercest there, the shouts of battle deafening. Chi Rong and the red-haired old woman were locked in a fierce battle with Wen Ruohai. Although Wen Ruohai was at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm, he seemed to have been ambushed or exhausted earlier; now, fighting two against one, he was at a disadvantage, his spiritual light dimming, and blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. Below, a large number of Chi Yan Sect elites were engaged in a bloody battle with the disciples of the Shu Jian Sect who were desperately defending the mansion gates, along with some of their supporters; both sides suffered heavy casualties.

The appearance of Qin Yuan and his group immediately attracted the attention of both sides in the conflict.

Amidst his busy schedule, Chi Rong caught a glimpse of Qin Yuan. He was taken aback at first, then recognized him and shouted sharply, "It's that brat from the Xuan Yuan Sect! He's still alive? Elder Liu, send someone to kill him!" He thought Qin Yuan was still in the mid-Nascent Soul stage.

The red-haired old woman—Elder Liu—gave Qin Yuan a cold glance and said to a late-stage Nascent Soul Crimson Flame Sect elder beside her, "Chi Yan, go and finish this quickly."

Chi Yan, a taciturn, dark-faced giant, nodded upon hearing this, broke away from the battle, and transformed into a streak of crimson light, rushing straight towards Qin Yuan. Before he even arrived, a giant hand burning with dark red flames slammed down from the air, with rolling heat waves and astonishing power. It was none other than the Crimson Flame Sect's ultimate technique, "Lava Handprint"!

Chu Wuyue and the others' expressions changed. A late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator was no easy opponent!

Qin Yuan remained calm, advancing instead of retreating, and met the giant dark red palm with his own palm. This palm strike lacked dazzling brilliance and imposing power; it merely gleamed with a faint dark golden hue, as if casually unleashed.

"Bang—!!!"

The palms clashed! The expected earth-shattering roar didn't occur; only a muffled explosion followed. The instant the crimson flame palm made contact with the dark gold palm, it melted and dissipated rapidly, like ice and snow meeting the blazing sun! Chi Yan's sinister smile froze instantly, replaced by horror. He felt an indescribable, immense force surge through his palm, utterly destroying his palm strike, shattering his arm bones, and slamming into his chest!

"puff--!!!"

Chiyan flew backward like a kite with a broken string, spitting out blood, his chest visibly caved in, and life quickly draining from his eyes. He crashed heavily into a pile of broken walls in the distance and remained motionless.

One palm strike, and the late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator is dead!

The entire room fell silent.

Both the Crimson Flame Sect and the Sword and Book Sect were stunned into stopping their actions by this shocking scene. Wen Ruohai's eyes shone with surprise. Chi Rong and Elder Liu, on the other hand, were filled with disbelief, even a hint of fear.

"Nascent Soul...Peak?!" Chi Rong exclaimed in a shrill voice.

Qin Yuan withdrew his palm and fixed his gaze on Chi Rong and Elder Liu: "Now, it's your turn."

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure vanished. The next instant, he appeared in front of Chi Rong, pointing a finger at his brow. Dark golden light gathered at his fingertip, seemingly slow, yet it seemed to lock onto space, giving Chi Rong a suffocating feeling of inescapable suffocation.

Crimson Roar erupted simultaneously with Elder Liu, its crimson flames and dark red poisonous fire intertwining to form two raging dragons that swept towards Qin Yuan.

Qin Yuan neither dodged nor evaded, a layer of solidified dark golden light emanating from his body. The two fiery dragons crashed into the light, bursting forth with dazzling light, yet they could not shake it in the slightest. And his finger had already pierced through the flames, striking the fiery crystal shield that Chi Rong had hastily condensed between his brows.

"Snap—Pfft!"

The crystal shield shattered, and the force of the finger pierced through the skull. Chi Rong's body stiffened, his eyes lost their light, a bloody hole appeared between his brows, and his body slumped to the ground.

Elder Liu was terrified upon seeing this and turned to flee. Qin Yuan didn't even look, and with a backhand grab, a dark golden hand spanned dozens of feet and firmly grasped him.

"No! I surrender! I am willing..." Elder Liu screamed.

The large hand closed. The scream abruptly stopped.

Two peak late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators perished in just a few moves against Qin Yuan, who had broken through to the peak of the Nascent Soul stage!

The disciples of the Crimson Flame Sect completely collapsed, letting out a shout before scattering and fleeing in all directions. The morale of the Book Sword Sect surged, and under Wen Ruohai's command, they began a counterattack and mopping-up operation.

Qin Yuan did not participate in the pursuit. He hovered in mid-air, his dark golden, peak Nascent Soul aura slowly spreading and enveloping the entire city. His cold voice, amplified by spiritual energy, resounded in every corner:

"The Crimson Flame Sect has been defeated! Those who surrender will not be killed! Those who resist will be executed on the spot!"

The voice was like rolling thunder, carrying an undeniable majesty and a murderous aura. Many of the Crimson Flame Sect's affiliated cultivators, who were still resisting or hesitating, were terrified upon hearing it and dropped their weapons to surrender. The rampaging demons were also intimidated by this powerful aura, and their offensive slowed down.