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

Deep within the secret realm, the scenery is strikingly different from the vibrant life on the outside.

The sky here is a depressing leaden gray, and the earth is a dry, cracked, and scorched black. Huge spatial rifts, as if torn apart by sharp claws, are visible everywhere, from which wisps of chaotic energy spill out, emitting a heart-palpitating hissing sound.

Broken mountains, fallen giant trees, and all sorts of strange skeletons are scattered everywhere, silently telling the story of the tragedy that once took place here.

The air was still thick with spiritual energy, but it was mixed with a violent, decaying, and chaotic aura. Ordinary Golden Core cultivators would likely suffer mental and physical damage if they stayed here for too long. Only Nascent Soul cultivators with formidable strength and solid foundations could explore this place.

At the center of this area is an even more spectacular sight—a huge, semi-transparent, seven-colored light shield, like an inverted giant bowl, covers an area spanning dozens of miles.

Above the light shield, shimmering light emanated countless mysterious runes, faintly visible, exuding an ancient and powerful aura of restriction.

This is the outer barrier of the core area of ​​the secret realm, isolating the inside from the outside, and cannot be broken by brute force or specific methods.

Outside the barrier, on a relatively flat, scorched, open ground, stood four figures.

These were the four geniuses besides Chen Xingzi: Liao Chen, the Buddhist disciple of Dabei Temple; Xiang Tian, ​​the Little Tyrant of the Overlord Sect; Miao Yin Fairy of Tianyin Valley; and the Yin Bone Old Man of Wan Gui Cave.

Liao Chen, clad in a moon-white kasaya and holding a string of lustrous prayer beads, possessed a dignified and solemn appearance. A faint golden Buddhist light flowed around him, repelling the chaotic aura around him. He frowned slightly as he gazed at the barrier.

Xiang Tian, ​​growing impatient, slammed his jet-black spear, adorned with dark red patterns, heavily onto the ground with a dull thud. "What's Chen Xingzi up to? Weren't we supposed to meet here in an hour to break this ghostly barrier together? It's been almost two hours! Is he dawdling, holding back some treasure, trying to hoard it all?"

The Fairy of Wonderful Sound, clad in a seven-colored feathered robe, possessed an unparalleled beauty. At this moment, her delicate brows furrowed slightly, and her voice, like pearls falling on a jade plate, carried a hint of coldness: "Fellow Daoist Xiang, please calm down. Although Fellow Daoist Chen Xingzi is somewhat aloof, he is not someone who lacks common sense. Perhaps he has been delayed by something."

This "Myriad Manifestations Universe Shield" requires the five of us to simultaneously activate our sect's core cultivation technique in specific positions, drawing upon the mutually generating power of the five elements, in order to open a temporary portal. If even one person is missing, the formation cannot be completed.

The old man, shrouded in a wide black robe, revealed only a pair of green-glowing eyes. His voice was hoarse like that of a night owl: "Heh heh... Fairy is right. Without the power of the stars, the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth are missing one. Forcibly breaking the formation will only trigger a backlash from the restrictions. Waiting is fine; anyway, the things in this core area won't escape."

He kept saying "wait" while his gaze kept sweeping towards the faintly visible phantoms of pavilions and towers within the barrier, their green light flashing.

Xiang Tian snorted. Although he was impatient, he knew that what Miaoyin and the Yin Bone Elder said made sense.

Although the five of them were considered a group because of their respective sects' good relations, their friendship was superficial, and they mostly used and competed with each other.

Right now, opening the barrier and obtaining the opportunity in the core area is the top priority.

After waiting for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, just as Xiang Tian was about to have another outburst, a slightly dim starlight finally appeared on the distant horizon, flying crookedly and landing on the open ground, revealing Chen Xingzi's rather disheveled figure.

His once neat star robe was torn in several places, his face was pale, and his breathing was weak. In particular, there was a patch of still-wet blood on his right chest, indicating that he was seriously injured.

"Chen Xingzi, what happened to you?" Xiang Tian stared wide-eyed, his face full of surprise.

He knew Chen Xingzi's strength. Although he was only at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, with the help of the Starry Sky Secret Technique, even an ordinary early-stage Divine Transformation cultivator might not be able to cause him such a great loss.

Liao Chen and Fairy Miaoyin also showed surprise. The old man with the Yin Bone had his green eyes scanning Chen Xingzi thoughtfully.

Chen Xingzi took a few deep breaths, swallowed a pill, and his complexion improved slightly, but the fear and gloom in his eyes remained. He said in a hoarse voice, "I've run into a tough opponent."

"A tough nut to crack? Who? A Nascent Soul City Lord from another city? Which fool dares to attack us?" Xiang Tian raised an eyebrow, his killing intent surfacing.

"Not a Nascent Soul cultivator." Chen Xingzi shook his head, his voice low. "He's at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage."

"Peak Nascent Soul stage?" Xiang Tian was taken aback, then chuckled. "Chen Xingzi, you're not joking, are you? A peak Nascent Soul stage cultivator could injure you like this? Perhaps you fell into a trap, or were attacked by multiple people?"

Liao Chen and Fairy Miaoyin also showed disbelief. They themselves were geniuses who could contend with or even defeat ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators, and they knew the difficulty involved.

Chen Xingzi may not be the strongest among the five of them, but it is impossible for him to be injured to such an extent by a cultivator of the same level, unless the other party is also a peerless genius of the upper sect level, but how could they not know such a person?

Chen Xingzi knew they didn't believe him, and said with a wry smile, "At first, I didn't believe it either. This person's name is Qin Yuan, and he comes from a small affiliated sect called Xuan Yuan Sect. But his strength far exceeds our imagination."

His spiritual power was incredibly refined, his physical body was formidable, and what was even more terrifying was... he seemed to possess an extremely domineering explosive technique, the power he could unleash in an instant almost comparable to that of a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator! My 'Big Dipper God-Slaying Sword'... was shattered by a single punch from him.”

Even as he finished speaking, there was still lingering fear in his eyes.

"A single punch shattered the Big Dipper God-Slaying Sword?" Fairy Miaoyin was moved. She knew the power of Chen Xingzi's move; it was by no means weaker than a full-force attack from an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

"Xuan Yuan Sect? Never heard of it." Xiang Tian frowned, then waved his hand dismissively. "What sect! A peak Nascent Soul cultivator is a peak Nascent Soul cultivator; even the strongest has their limits. He probably used some forbidden technique with a huge cost to temporarily unleash this power. How many times can he use such a method? Next time I encounter him, I'll stab him to death!"

Liao Chen clasped his hands together and softly chanted a Buddhist prayer: "Amitabha. Fellow Daoist Xiang, you must not underestimate him. Since Fellow Daoist Chen Xingzi has personally experienced his abilities, this person must be extraordinary. However, the most urgent task is to activate the barrier. Fellow Daoist Chen Xingzi, will your injuries affect your actions?"

Chen Xingzi felt the still chaotic star power within his body and the stinging pain in his chest, and shook his head helplessly: "It's possible to use it with difficulty, but it's hard to sustain, and I can't guarantee that I won't make mistakes at crucial moments. Activating this 'Myriad Manifestations Universe Cover' requires precise control of power; the slightest mistake will render all previous efforts futile, or even backfire on oneself."

Everyone frowned. Chen Xingzi couldn't use his full strength; how could they open the barrier? Did they have to wait for the next secret realm opening cycle? And what about the treasures in the core area…?

"How about we try a direct attack on one point? With the combined strength of the four of us, we might be able to break through from a single point," Xiang Tian suggested, he couldn't wait any longer.