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

The atmosphere in the entire hall suddenly changed.

"Li Han?!" someone exclaimed in a low voice, filled with disbelief.

"Why did he come?"

"I heard he never participates in these kinds of gatherings..."

Whispers arose as many eyes focused on the dark silver figure, a mixture of surprise, apprehension, and curiosity.

Even with Liu Mubai, ranked second, present, Li Han's sudden appearance was enough to send chills down everyone's spines. This prodigy from the Tianxuan Sect, privately known as "the number one person in the lower sects," had already reached the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm. His battle record was formidable; he had once defeated an older generation cultivator at the peak of the Nascent Soul realm head-on. He was widely recognized as one of the biggest favorites to win this prodigy tournament.

More importantly, he is aloof and rarely interacts with others, so his appearance here at this moment is truly unexpected.

Li Han seemed oblivious to the surrounding chatter. His gaze lingered briefly on Liu Mubai, who sat at the head of the table, before he gave a slight nod in greeting. Liu Mubai's smile remained unchanged as he rose to welcome him: "Brother Li, your presence is an honor to my humble abode."

"I heard it's lively here, so I came to check it out." Li Han's voice was flat, revealing no emotion. He walked straight to the front, naturally taking the other main seat next to Liu Mubai. His gaze swept over everyone in the hall, lingering briefly on the faint golden light remaining on the Enlightenment Stele before moving away. "What were you playing just now?"

Liu Mubai calmly sat down and briefly recounted the previous competition. Finally, he pointed to Qin Yuan and smiled, "It was this Fellow Daoist Qin Yuan of the Xuan Yuan Sect who set the record for half an hour."

Li Han gave an "Oh," and his gaze finally fell on Qin Yuan. He looked him over for a few moments, his brows twitching almost imperceptibly.

He possessed early-stage Nascent Soul cultivation, his aura was deep and his foundation was indeed solid, but that was all; in his eyes, he was nothing special. His appearance was outstanding, but for cultivators, physical appearance was utterly useless.

"I didn't expect you to have some skills." Li Han's tone was flat, making it impossible to tell whether he was praising or criticizing him.

Qin Yuan met Li Han's gaze without fear or flattery, and calmly said, "Fellow Daoist Li Han."

"Um?"

"Several months ago, on the outskirts of the Hundred Sects Battlefield, there was something in the Lava City's secret vault. Did you take it?"

The hall fell silent instantly. Everyone was stunned, their gazes towards Qin Yuan filled with suspicion and uncertainty. Was this... a question directed at Li Han?

The ghostly flame in You Wuying's eyes flickered, and a cold smile crept onto his lips. Interesting.

Liu Mubai's smile froze slightly as he looked at Qin Yuan thoughtfully.

Li Han narrowed his eyes, a hint of surprise flashing across his cold face, which quickly turned into a deeper indifference. He remembered that when he casually took that ancient piece of iron, there seemed to be a Nascent Soul stage city lord present, who even tried to stop him, but was easily shaken away. He never expected that it would be this person in front of him, and that in just a few months, he had actually advanced from the peak of the Nascent Soul stage to the Divine Transformation stage.

"I named it." Li Han's voice turned colder. "Are you the Lord of Lava City?"

"Yes." Qin Yuan nodded. "Those are from my city."

Li Han's lips curled into a cold smile: "What I, Li Han, set my sights on, I take. I've never failed, and I've never returned anything."

These words were spoken with an air of self-righteousness and domineering arrogance. Everyone present felt a chill run down their spines; this was the aloof and powerful Li Han they knew.

Qin Yuan's eyes remained calm, but a sharp glint was rising in their depths: "It seems you've made up your mind to seize it by force, fellow Daoist."

"To seize by force?" Li Han leaned forward slightly, an invisible sense of oppression spreading out, making the air in the hall seem heavier. "What belongs to the weak should be taken by the strong, it's only right. If you're not satisfied, you're welcome to take it."

Their gazes met in mid-air, sparks seemingly flying. The atmosphere instantly became extremely tense, with some of the weaker cultivators even feeling their breath catch in their throats. No one had expected that a small talent competition would escalate into a direct confrontation between two top prodigies.

Just at this critical moment, Liu Mubai's gentle voice rang in at the perfect time: "Gentlemen, please wait."

He raised his white jade wine cup, gently swirling it. The rich aroma of the wine spread, slightly masking the gunpowder in the air. "Brother Li, Fellow Daoist Qin, we have gathered in Tianxuan City for the grand gathering of prodigies in three days. At that time, there will be a fair chance to compete and settle old scores on the arena. To fight privately here now not only breaks the rules but also spoils everyone's enjoyment. How about we set it aside for now and settle our differences fairly at the grand gathering?"

His words were spoken calmly and deliberately, yet they possessed a persuasive power. He gave both sides a way out and guided the conflict towards a more compliant channel.

Li Han stared at Qin Yuan for a moment, then the oppressive aura around him slowly subsided. "Very well." He leaned back in his chair, his tone indifferent. "Then you can keep it for a few more days. If you can stand before me at the grand event, we can talk then."

Qin Yuan glanced at Liu Mubai, knowing that conflict here was not the best course of action. He said no more, only to Li Han, "I will certainly learn from you then."

The storm has been temporarily quelled. But everyone knows that a grudge has been formed, and a fierce battle is inevitable at the Grand Gathering of Talents three days later.

After this incident, the atmosphere at the gathering became much less lively. The group chatted for a few more moments before gradually taking their leave.

Situ Ming accompanied Qin Yuan out of the magnificent palace. Only when they were far away from the complex did he let out a long sigh of relief. His eyes were full of admiration, but also a hint of worry, as he looked at Qin Yuan: "Brother Qin, you... I really don't know what to say. First you crushed You Wuying, and then you faced Li Han head-on... Your courage is just too great."

"When it's time to fight, we must fight." Qin Yuan said calmly. "That piece of iron is useless to me, but it won't do if it injures anyone from my sect."

Situ Ming shook his head and sighed, "Li Han's strength is unfathomable, and his personality is domineering and unpredictable. You must be very careful." He paused, then said seriously, "However, Brother Qin's talent and strength displayed today are truly impressive. If you ever need my help in the future, or if you need to inquire about any information, just say the word. My Qingyun Sect may not have many other skills, but we are certainly well-informed."

Qin Yuan cupped his hands in thanks: "Thank you very much, Brother Situ. I will not trouble you again in the future."

The two exchanged a few more words, agreed to keep in touch during the event, and then parted ways.

Qin Yuan didn't linger outside and went straight back to the temporary residence arranged by the Xuan Yuan Sect in Tianxuan City. It was a relatively secluded courtyard, not luxurious, but quiet and protected by simple array formations.

Enter the quiet room and activate the isolation array.

Qin Yuan sat down cross-legged, and with a thought, the Enlightenment Stele, now only the size of a palm and radiant with inner light, appeared in his palm. Observing it up close now, he could better feel the immense Daoist charm and the aura of time and vicissitude contained within it.

"System, absorb this item."

[A special high-level Daoist carrier, the 'Fragmented Ancient Enlightenment Stele,' has been detected. It contains a large number of fragments of rules and primordial energy, which can be converted into resources for system upgrades. Confirm absorption?]

"confirm."