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

However, Qin Yuan's expression remained unchanged. He didn't even look at the pile of spirit stone powder on the table, but simply stared calmly back at You Wuying.

Then, he also extended his hand.

His movements were equally casual; the tip of his index finger lightly tapped on another, higher-quality, low-grade spirit stone that Qin Yuan himself had taken out. This spirit stone was brimming with spiritual energy, and a faint halo of light flowed within it.

Qin Yuan's fingers did not exert any force.

One second, two seconds, three seconds...

Just when some people thought Qin Yuan was about to back down, or that he was unable to imitate You Wuying's exquisite methods—

A faint, chaotic halo seemed to flash across Qin Yuan's fingertips, so fast that it seemed like an illusion.

Then, something happened that left everyone speechless!

The high-grade spirit stone, brimming with spiritual energy, neither shattered nor turned into powder.

It was as if all its "substance" and "impurities" were instantly drained away, and the spirit stone itself vanished silently like a dream bubble!

No, it didn't completely disappear.

Where the spirit stone once stood, a small wisp of extremely pure, rich, milky-white spirit mist, radiating a faint glow, remained!

The spiritual mist condensed and did not dissipate, drifting slowly. The purity of the spiritual energy contained within it was more than ten times that of the previous spirit stones! It even caused the spiritual power within the bodies of several nearby cultivators to stir slightly, wanting to absorb it!

Turn stone into mist! Transform reality into illusion! Extract the essence!

This is no longer just a contest of power control; it involves a deeper understanding and manipulation of the essence of matter and the origin of spiritual energy! Its difficulty and the level of mastery it demonstrates are on a completely different level compared to You Wuying's "shattering spirits into powder" technique!

"This...how is this possible?!" A knowledgeable late-stage Nascent Soul elder suddenly stood up, his eyes wide open, and exclaimed in disbelief.

"The spirit stone... transformed into the most primordial spirit mist? This... what kind of divine power is this?!"

"My God! His understanding and control over spiritual energy has reached such a level?!"

"While the Netherworld Young Master's powder is potent, this spiritual mist... it's simply divine!"

The hall erupted in chaos! Exclamations, doubts, and praises filled the air! Everyone's eyes were fixed on the floating wisp of spiritual mist, their faces filled with disbelief and shock!

The elegant yet sinister smile on You Wuying's face finally froze completely.

In that instant, his pupils contracted sharply to the size of pinpoints! For the first time, shock and horror were clearly reflected in his deep eyes, and even a trace of... apprehension that he himself was unaware of!

He stared intently at the wisp of spiritual mist, then suddenly looked up at Qin Yuan's still calm and expressionless face.

This Qin Yuan of the Xuan Yuan Sect... how did he do that?! This is definitely not a skill that an ordinary early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator could possess! Even many mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators might not have such refined and profound control over spiritual energy!

Qin Yuan slowly withdrew his finger, as if he had only done something insignificant. He didn't even look at You Wuying's fascinating expression; he simply picked up his teacup, took another sip, and his gaze returned to the jade slip's light screen. He said calmly:

"The tea has gone cold."

Three words, light and airy.

But it was like an invisible slap, landing hard on You Wuying's face, which had instantly turned ashen.

The entire first floor of the "Guests from All Directions" inn was deathly silent. Only the milky-white spiritual mist still drifted quietly and mockingly above the table.

The ashen color on You Wuying's face lasted for less than a breath.

Immediately, that sinister smile bloomed on his lips again, even more intense than before, but the smile did not reach his eyes at all; instead, it made his deep eyes appear even colder and more piercing.

"Good, good, good." He clapped his hands gently, his voice still soft, yet carrying a chilling, venomous edge. "Qin Yuan... I'll remember that name. You are indeed very capable, more interesting than I imagined..."

He paused, his gaze like a tangible icicle scraping across Qin Yuan's calm face: "I'm becoming more and more interested in you."

Qin Yuan finally shifted his gaze from the jade slip and looked at You Wuying again, his eyes still calm and indifferent, as if he were watching a clumsy performance that had nothing to do with him.

"Unfortunately," Qin Yuan's voice was flat, "I have no interest in you."

These words were extremely blunt, leaving no room for negotiation, and even carrying a condescending disdain.

"Crack." A very slight popping sound came from the knuckles of You Wuying's fingers hanging at his sides. Behind him, the fawning smile on the face of the Yin Bone Elder froze, and his eyes turned extremely sinister. The masked guard instantly unleashed an almost tangible bloody killing intent, locking onto Qin Yuan, as if he were about to launch an attack at any moment!

The air inside the inn seemed to freeze into millennia-old ice. All the cultivators held their breath, their hearts pounding like drums.

They sensed that an even more intense conflict might erupt within the "Guests from All Directions" inn! What kind of status and temperament did the Netherworld Young Master possess? How could he possibly let this humiliation go unpunished?

However, to everyone's surprise, the icy killing intent that was almost overflowing around You Wuying receded as quickly as the tide.

He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, his elegant yet hypocritical smile returning to his face, but the cold glint in his eyes was so intense it was almost tangible.

"Very good." He gave Qin Yuan a deep look, his eyes complex and unfathomable, containing killing intent, fear, and even the excitement of discovering prey. "I hope you can maintain this 'disinterest' on the arena of the Grand Gathering of Prodigies."

Having said that, he didn't linger and turned to leave. His black robe brushed the ground without making a sound. The skeletal old man and the masked guard immediately followed, the three of them like three ghostly shadows, quickly disappearing outside the inn and merging into the crowd on the street.

It wasn't until quite some time after they left that the tense atmosphere in the inn slowly began to ease.

"Phew—" Many people breathed a sigh of relief, only to find that their backs were soaked with cold sweat. The pressure emanating from the Netherworld Young Master just now was truly terrifying.

"My God... just who is this Qin Yuan? How dare he speak to the Young Master of the Netherworld like that?"

"The key point is that he said the young master of the Netherworld actually... tolerated it?"

"Didn't you see the look in the Netherworld Young Master's eyes at the end? This is definitely not over! A fierce battle is likely brewing at the Grand Gathering of Prodigies!"

"But Qin Yuan's strength... that ability to turn stone into mist is simply divine! No wonder he's so confident!"

The buzz of discussion resumed, and this time, the focus was undoubtedly on Qin Yuan. Countless gazes, some open and some covert, were cast upon him, filled with curiosity, inquiry, awe, and even a hint of schadenfreude—offending the young master of the Netherworld was hardly a wise move.