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

Liu Zhenshan's oppressive aura was like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing, causing the entire bluestone floor of the main hall to vibrate and hum.

Qin Yuan stood rooted to the spot, his back ramrod straight, his feet already half an inch into the ground. His spiritual energy circulated wildly within him, the power of the thirteenth level of Qi Refining "Extreme Realm" was fully activated, surging like a raging river through his meridians.

However, the gap between the late Foundation Establishment stage and the Qi Refining stage is ultimately too large.

"puff--"

Qin Yuan coughed up a mouthful of blood, his face instantly turning pale, but his eyes remained clear. He had withstood the oppressive force that would have caused an ordinary Qi Refining stage cultivator to faint on the spot.

A look of surprise flashed across Liu Zhenshan's eyes.

He did hold back—only using thirty percent of his power, after all, killing a disciple in public would have a terrible impact. But even so, a Qi Refining cultivator should be kneeling and unable to get up. This kid not only stood up, but also remained conscious?

"Something's definitely fishy." Liu Zhenshan's killing intent intensified. "This kid must not be allowed to live!"

Just as he was about to intensify his pressure and cripple Qin Yuan in one fell swoop—

"Elder Liu is quite imposing."

A lazy voice came from outside the hall.

Liu Zhenshan froze, and the oppressive aura suddenly dissipated.

Everyone turned their heads and saw that the Seventh Elder had been leaning against the palace door at some point, holding a wine gourd in his hand and taking sips here and there. He had a half-smile on his face, but his eyes were as cold as an icy pool.

"Seventh Elder..." Liu Zhenshan's forehead was beaded with sweat as he quickly bowed, "How could you..."

"Why haven't I left yet?" The Seventh Elder interrupted him, strode into the hall, his boots making a soft sound on the bluestone. "Luckily I haven't left, otherwise I wouldn't have seen such a good show—the Third Peak's Enforcement Elder, late Foundation Establishment stage, using his full power to suppress an outer disciple in the Qi Refining stage."

He walked over to Qin Yuan, glanced at the bloodstains on the ground, and then looked at Liu Zhenshan: "Liu Zhenshan, you've done a good job as an elder."

"Seventh Elder, please understand!" Liu Zhenshan said urgently, "This boy injured my Third Peak disciple first, and then spoke rudely to me, so I had to teach him a lesson..."

"I saw it all," the Seventh Elder said calmly. "From you all outside discussing how to steal the credit, to that kid's sneak attack on Qin Yuan that backfired and sent him flying—oh right, you even twisted the truth, saying the reward should go to the Third Peak."

He paused, took a sip of his drink, and said, "Liu Zhenshan, do you think you're fit to be an elder?"

Liu Zhenshan's face turned ashen, and he trembled all over, but he dared not utter a single word in rebuttal.

The Seventh Elder is a special figure in the Xuan Yuan Sect—he doesn't wield real power or compete for resources, but his seniority is extremely high; even the sect leader addresses him as "Uncle-Master." More importantly, his cultivation is unfathomable; he had already reached the Nascent Soul stage fifty years ago.

"But I'm too lazy to kill you." The Seventh Elder waved his hand, as if shooing away a fly. "Someone like you is good as a stepping stone for this kid."

He turned to Qin Yuan, grinning, "Kid, remember this: this old bastard will definitely try to scheme against you in the future. But openly, he won't dare to bully the weak anymore—I'm telling you this now: Liu Zhenshan, if you want to deal with Qin Yuan, you can only send a disciple of the same generation, or you can suppress your cultivation to the Qi Refining stage and fight him yourself. If you dare to try anything else..."

The Seventh Elder didn't finish speaking; he just narrowed his eyes.

Liu Zhenshan felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, repeatedly saying, "I wouldn't dare! I wouldn't dare!"

"Get out of here." The Seventh Elder waved his hand.

Liu Zhenshan felt as if he had been granted a pardon and led the disciples of the Third Peak in a hasty retreat. Wang Chuan was carried away, while Zhao Qingwan, Sun Hai, and the others were ashen-faced and didn't even dare to look at Qin Yuan before leaving.

Only Qin Yuan and the Seventh Elder remained in the main hall.

"Thank you for your help, Elder." Qin Yuan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and bowed.

The Seventh Elder scrutinized him, then suddenly asked, "When you withstood his oppressive aura just now, you used the power of the thirteenth level of Qi Refining?"

Qin Yuan's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained impassive: "This disciple does not understand the elder's meaning."

"Keep pretending." The Seventh Elder sneered. "The Great Perfection of the twelfth level of Qi Refining is the normal limit, but the quality and quantity of spiritual power in your body far exceed the twelfth level—it's the legendary 'Extreme Realm,' isn't it?"

Qin Yuan remained silent.

"Don't worry, I have no interest in uncovering your secrets." The Seventh Elder took another sip of wine. "In this world, everyone has their share of opportunities. But kid, remember this: the tallest tree in the forest is the first to be felled. You showed too much brilliance today, so Liu Zhenshan doesn't dare to act openly, but he'll certainly use his underhanded methods."

He tossed over a jade talisman: "If you face a life-or-death crisis, crush it, and I might be able to save your life in time—maybe."

After saying that, he vanished outside the hall in a flash.

Qin Yuan held the warm jade talisman, feeling the faint spatial fluctuations contained within it, took a deep breath, and put the jade talisman into his pocket.

Back in the cabin, I closed the door tightly.

Qin Yuan laid out all his gains for the day on the table: five hundred mid-grade spirit crystals gleaming brightly, a bottle containing three Foundation Establishment pills with an intoxicating fragrance, and a dark iron sword that gleamed coldly in his hand.

Just as he was about to regulate his breathing and heal his injuries, a system panel suddenly appeared before his eyes:

[An absorbable energy source was detected]

[Feeding? Current system upgrade progress: 0%]

Qin Yuan was taken aback.

Feeding? Can the system absorb these?

He had a sudden thought: "Feed it a mid-grade spirit crystal."

Feeding successful. Level-up progress +0.1%

Only 0.1%? Qin Yuan frowned and fed all five hundred spirit crystals to the baby.

Feeding successful. Level-up progress +50%

The panel value jumped to 50%.

He picked up the Foundation Building Pills and fed them to his child one after another.

Feeding successful. Upgrade progress +9%... [+9%]... [+9%]

The progress bar has reached 77%.

Finally, there is the Xuan Tie Sword.

Feeding successful. Level-up progress +3%

The final result was 80%.

Qin Yuan was stunned. All the rewards had been used up, and he was only at 80%? He was still 20% short of leveling up.

He stared intently at the panel:

[A System That Increases Cultivation by Ten Years in a Single Day]

Upgrade progress: 80%

[Next level feature: Not yet unlocked]

So... the system can indeed be upgraded, but the energy required is far beyond imagination. A mid-grade spirit crystal only requires 0.1%, and a precious Foundation Establishment Pill only requires 9%. Where can we find that last 20%?

Qin Yuan's gaze fell on the corner of the wall—where some low-grade ores and herbs left over from his days as a laborer were piled up, worth little money. He tried feeding them a piece of iron ore.

Feeding successful. Level-up progress +0.001%

Minimal.

"We need more resources..." Qin Yuan murmured.

Mission. Sect mission.

The Xuan Yuan Sect's Mission Hall regularly posts various missions, which outer disciples can exchange for resources based on their contribution points. Previously, due to his low cultivation level, he could only take on menial tasks like mining and gathering herbs. But now…

He looked out the window at the night sky. Tomorrow he would go and take on missions, specifically challenging ones with high rewards.

Not only do we need to gather this 20%, but we also need to prepare for future system upgrades.

Qin Yuan sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing. The spiritual power of the thirteenth level of Qi Refining, the "Extreme Realm," flowed slowly within his body, and the minor injuries he had suffered from withstanding the pressure today gradually healed.

As midnight approaches, the ten years of cultivation for the new day will be infused.