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

"With this technique, even against mid-stage or late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, I might not be without a fighting chance." Qin Yuan felt somewhat reassured.

But then another thought arose: the power was still not enough.

Although a fifth-stage Nascent Soul cultivator is powerful, the Hundred Sects Battlefield is full of hidden talents, and the Divine Transformation stage is not the pinnacle.

The energy deep within the battlefield that triggered the demonic frenzy helped him break through two stages, but such places are rare and extremely dangerous. He needed a more conventional and safer way to improve.

Just as he was pondering—

"Buzz—!!!"

A deep yet incredibly clear buzzing sound resounded without warning throughout the entire Lava City, even penetrating the defensive formation!

Qin Yuan suddenly looked up, and in a flash, he was already high in the sky outside the mansion.

Above Lava City, the dark red sky was now covered by a vast, translucent, white light curtain!

The light curtain rippled like water, flowing slowly, within which the faint shadows of mountains, rivers, palaces, and pavilions could be seen, both magnificent and mysterious.

"This is..." Qin Yuan frowned.

Wen Ruohai, Chu Wuyue, and the others also arrived one after another. Looking up at the sky, Wen Ruohai's face showed a mixture of shock and understanding: "The city lord's exclusive secret realm... has actually opened at this time!"

"A secret realm exclusively for the city lord?" Qin Yuan looked at him.

"It's a unique rule of the Hundred Battlefields," Wen Ruohai quickly explained. "Every so often, the battlefield rules gather power and randomly open a passage to a special secret realm above the occupied cities."

Only the lord of a city who possesses the "City Lord's Token" may enter. The secret realm is said to be part of the ruins of an ancient battlefield, filled with countless treasures, inheritances, and rare natural resources, and even... opportunities to break through the bottleneck of the Nascent Soul stage!

He paused, his tone grave: "But opportunity comes with great risk. Those who can enter are all city lords, at least in the late Nascent Soul stage, with many at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, and even... the early Divine Transformation stage!"

Furthermore, within the secret realm, the fighting is far more direct and brutal. Without the constraints of city rules, killing and looting are commonplace. In the past, when these realms opened, less than 70% of the city lords emerged alive.

Chu Wuyue and the others paled upon hearing this. Even someone at the early Nascent Soul stage could enter? While Junior Brother Qin was powerful, he was still only at the Core Formation stage…

Qin Yuan's eyes lit up. An opportunity to break through the bottleneck of the Nascent Soul stage? And countless secret treasures? This was like a godsend!

"When will it start? How long will it last?" Qin Yuan asked.

"The appearance of the light curtain is a sign. Usually, the light curtain will descend to guide the passage five days later. The opening time of the secret realm is uncertain, ranging from a few days to more than a month."

Wen Ruohai said, "Lord Qin, although you are exceptionally strong, there are many powerful figures in the secret realm, so you must be cautious. My Shujian Sect is also qualified to enter this time, and I will go personally, so we can support each other."

After a moment's thought, Qin Yuan made his decision: "I'll go." There were risks, but the opportunities were greater. With the "Heavenly Demon Disintegration Technique" at his disposal, he was confident that he could fight and even win against an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

Moreover, he needed such a place to find an opportunity to thoroughly consolidate his foundation as a fifth-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, and perhaps even... to peek into the threshold of the sixth stage!

"Five days from now...perfect." He felt the surging power within him and cast his gaze toward the vast, illusory light screen.

For the next five days, Qin Yuan stayed indoors, familiarizing himself with the operation of the "Heavenly Demon Disintegration Technique" while adjusting his state, refining his cultivation from the peak of the fifth-stage Nascent Soul realm to perfection.

The affairs of Lava City were left to Chu Wuyue, Yun Qingyao, and others, along with the deputies left behind by Wen Ruohai.

Five days passed in the blink of an eye.

At noon on the fifth day, the enormous light curtain that covered the sky suddenly trembled, and a milky white pillar of light with a diameter of a hundred feet descended from its center, like a ladder to heaven, directly connecting to the central square of Lava City! Within the pillar of light, space distorted, forming a stable vortex entrance.

At the same time, the City Lord's Token in Qin Yuan's arms was slightly warm and had a clear pulling sensation.

"They've arrived." Qin Yuan stood up and walked out of the quiet room. In the square, Chu Wuyue, Yun Qingyao, Han Bing, Ye Guying, and others were already waiting, their eyes filled with worry and anticipation.

Wen Ruohai had also arrived. He had changed into a simple blue robe, and his aura was much more solid than a few days ago, indicating that his injuries had recovered well.

"Lord Qin, are you ready?" Wen Ruohai asked.

Qin Yuan nodded, his gaze sweeping over the crowd: "Defend the city well."

"Don't worry, Junior Brother Qin!" everyone responded in unison.

Qin Yuan said no more, exchanged a glance with Wen Ruohai, and at the same time activated the City Lord's Token in his hand.

Two beams of light enveloped them, soaring into the sky along the guiding beams and disappearing into the vortex entrance.

After a brief distortion in spacetime, my feet felt solid beneath my feet.

The view before me suddenly opened up.

This is not the enclosed space you might imagine, but a vast and boundless world!

The sky was a clear azure blue, dotted with fluffy white clouds, and the sun shone warmly.

On the earth, mountains rise and fall, rivers flow, vegetation flourishes, and the spiritual energy is so rich that it cannot be dispersed, even condensing into a faint spiritual mist that lingers among the mountains.

If it weren't for the few shattered spatial cracks and floating, dilapidated palaces faintly visible on the distant horizon, one would almost think they had returned to a blessed land in the outside world.

"What a hidden realm!" Wen Ruohai took a deep breath, his expression invigorated. "The spiritual energy here is more than ten times richer than outside! No wonder it can nurture those legendary rare treasures."

They were now standing on a giant platform paved with white jade, its edges shrouded in mist, obscuring the view below. Dozens of figures were already on the platform.

These people, some standing and some sitting, had varying auras, but even the weakest among them was at the late Nascent Soul stage. Each of them possessed an extraordinary bearing and sharp eyes, clearly indicating that they were all city lords who had long held high positions.

The arrival of Qin Yuan and Wen Ruohai attracted a lot of attention. When they saw Qin Yuan's excessively young face and the absence of the divine aura unique to the Nascent Soul stage, many glances showed a hint of disdain. However, when they sensed the unfathomable and subtly oppressive aura emanating from him, their expressions turned to surprise and uncertainty.

Wen Ruohai quickly introduced in a low voice: "Look over there, that young monk wearing a kasaya and with a solemn appearance is Liaochen, a Buddhist disciple of Dabei Temple. It is said that he has already cultivated the golden body of an Arhat, and his strength is unfathomable. He is in the early stage of the Nascent Soul stage."

The young man carrying a long spear and exuding an arrogant and domineering aura was Xiang Tian of the Overlord Sect, known as the Little Overlord. He was also in the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm and his combat strength was among the top in his level.

And that woman in the seven-colored feathered robe, with an unparalleled beauty, is the "Wonderful Sound Fairy" of "Heavenly Sound Valley," an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, skilled in musical magic, capable of killing without a trace...

Following his direction, Qin Yuan indeed saw five striking figures in the center of the platform.

Besides the three people introduced by Wen Ruohai, there was also a young man wearing a star-patterned robe with a cold face, and an old man shrouded in a black robe with a sinister aura.

The five of them subtly formed a circle, and the other city lords around them consciously kept their distance from them, their eyes filled with awe.

"That young man in the star-patterned robe is Chen Xingzi of the Starfall Pavilion. He is at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, but it is said that he has mastered the Starfall Secret Technique and can fight against opponents of higher levels."

The old man in black robes is the "Old Man of Yin Bones" from the "Cave of Ten Thousand Ghosts," a peak Nascent Soul cultivator whose ghost-controlling techniques are unpredictable and difficult to defend against. Wen Ruohai added, "These five are recognized as the strongest among those entering the secret realm this time, and also their biggest competitors. They seem to have already... divided up the spoils."