Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

But his legendary status pales in comparison to the two sitting here.

One of them was the late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, True Lord Beichen, who was also the host of this competition.

The person opposite him was Qingyuan Zhenjun, the sect's Daodao Hall Master and a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. He looked to be in his early twenties, very young and handsome, and was sitting casually in a chair.

But Yan Feng dared not underestimate him in the slightest—because True Lord Beichen respected him greatly.

Yes, with respect.

There were rumors in the sect that True Monarch Qingyuan was the oldest True Monarch in the sect, without exception, and that half of the Nascent Soul True Monarchs in the sect treated him as a disciple.

It now seems that the rumors underestimated his lifespan. True Monarch Beichen lived for over two thousand years, and few in the sect lived longer than him. Even he respectfully performed the disciple's salute, not to mention the other Nascent Soul cultivators.

The two weren't chatting about cultivation, but rather gossiping about other Nascent Soul cultivators in the sect.

Most of the time, it was True Monarch Qingyuan who spoke and True Monarch Beichen who echoed, which is how Yan Feng learned a lot about the other two late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators.

"That kid Xuan Yang has recently taken in two more."

Qingyuan Zhenjun held his teacup, his tone as if he were remarking on the nice weather, "His lineage must have gathered ten Nascent Soul cultivators by now."

Beichen Zhenjun nodded. "Eleven."

"Ten Nascent Soul cultivators following one late-stage cultivator—that's quite a show of force."

Qingyuan Zhenjun smiled and said, "That makes sense. He is the master of this generation's sect leader and has immense power. He is the one in this generation of the sect with the best chance of becoming a Nascent Soul cultivator."

Upon hearing this, Yan Feng wished he could plug his ears. Xuan Yang Zhenjun—one of the three late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators in the sect, and also the youngest.

But True Lord Qingyuan clearly didn't care. He changed his posture and crossed his legs.

"What has Yu Shu been up to lately? I haven't seen him in ages."

Beichen Zhenjun said, "Regarding the affairs of the Heavenly Mystery Hall, he set up a scheme over the past hundred years, causing chaos in a celestial city and using a borrowed knife to kill a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator."

"Oh, that."

Qingyuan Zhenjun nodded, then seemed to remember something. "The methods are quite dirty. But that's the kind of dirty work the Tianji Hall does."

Yan Feng felt his ears starting to go numb.

Jade Pivot True Lord is the last of the three late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators. He is in charge of the sect's Heavenly Secrets Hall and is responsible for all the sect's intelligence and shady affairs.

Setting up a trap to kill a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator—could someone say such a thing in front of a Foundation Establishment disciple?

Beichen Zhenjun's face remained expressionless; in his eyes, those matters were not a big deal.

He was a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, and also in charge of the sect's killing and fighting. Ordinary mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators couldn't cause much trouble in his hands.

Of course, the one mentioned earlier is an exception.

Although True Monarch Qingyuan is only at the mid-Nascent Soul stage—at least on the surface—anyone who knows a little about the inside story knows that his strength cannot be measured by his cultivation level.

Qingyuan Zhenjun's lifespan exceeds three thousand years.

The Foundation Establishment stage lasts three hundred years, the Core Formation stage eight hundred years, and the Nascent Soul stage three thousand years. This is the rule of heaven and earth.

There are indeed some special methods in the cultivation world that allow Nascent Soul cultivators to continue living, such as sealing, slumber, and soul transfer, but those methods have many limitations and do not count as truly living for more than three thousand years.

Even the Celestial Lord of the Transformation Realm cannot help others break through this limitation unless that person breaks through a major realm on their own.

As far as Yan Feng knew, among the seven dominant forces, only Qingyuan Zhenjun was an exception; he was completely unaffected.

If it weren't for the fact that the sect's Nascent Soul Heavenly Lord had personally confirmed that True Lord Qingyuan was a Nascent Soul cultivator, he would have suspected that True Lord Qingyuan had already reached the Nascent Soul stage. However, he usually interacted with the Nascent Soul Heavenly Lords of the various overlords on an equal footing.

After speaking for a while, True Lord Qingyuan found it boring that True Lord Beichen didn't respond much. He turned his head and glanced at Yan Feng.

"Tell me, what's the deal with that secret realm?"

Beichen Zhenjun looked serious.

"That secret realm originated from the Luo Tian Sect, a Nascent Soul Peak sect ten thousand years ago. After ten thousand years of accumulation, the Luo Tian Sect was fortunate enough to cultivate its sect's fourth-grade top-quality magic treasure, the Luo Tian Umbrella, into a fifth-grade spiritual treasure."

He paused for a moment, then said, "After advancing to the next level, disaster naturally followed. The Luo Tian Sect was destroyed, and the last Nascent Soul cultivator sealed the spiritual treasure Luo Tian Umbrella and other treasures from the sect's foundation into a secret realm and banished them into the void until recently when they reappeared in the world."

Yan Feng clenched his fist.

Only after he became a disciple of True Lord Beichen did he learn that his ancestors were core family members of the Luo Tian Sect.

His so-called spiritual body is a return to one's ancestral origins, inheriting the bloodline of the Luo Tian Sect. The power contained in that bloodline can guide the location of the secret realm.

This is also the real reason why he was targeted by a Nascent Soul cultivator in another continent, and why the other party planned to refine him into a Dharma Body.

In a sense, when True Lord Beichen took him as a disciple, he was also using him to obtain a fifth-tier spiritual treasure and the sect's resources.

But he was helpless.

With his talent, even with the normal help of the sect, he could only achieve a basic Core Formation, and he had no confidence in achieving a high-grade Golden Core, let alone a Nascent Soul.

He hopes to go further and reach greater heights.

So when True Lord Beichen approached him, he naturally cooperated.

Moreover, during this trip to the secret realm, he also had the opportunity to enter and obtain the sect's fourth-tier treasure.

Beichen Zhenjun glanced at Yan Feng. Normally, Yan Feng was not qualified to be his disciple, not even a nominal one.

However, because it was related to a fifth-tier spiritual treasure, he was willing to give Yan Feng a chance. Yan Feng also gained a lot of benefits from him, and his treatment was no less than that of a true disciple of a sect. His cultivation also reached the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage.

He believed he had done right by Yan Feng.

Qingyuan Zhenjun casually said, "I'll go there too."

Beichen Zhenjun frowned. He wasn't worried about Qingyuan Zhenjun competing with him for a fifth-tier spiritual treasure.

Given Qingyuan Zhenjun's status in the sect, if he wanted a fifth-tier spiritual treasure, he could simply apply to the sect. The sect had more than ten fifth-tier spiritual treasures, and even Beichen Zhenjun himself had one.

He frowned, worried that there might be other variables in the secret realm. Qingyuan Zhenjun was with him, most likely because he had sensed something.

After all, the two dominant forces vying for the spiritual treasure this time are the Myriad Beasts Spirit Lord's Mansion and the Hundred Arts Immortal Alliance.

The foundations of dominant forces are unfathomable, and the bloodline of the Luo Tian Sect, passed down for thousands of years, naturally includes more than just Yan Feng.

It's only recently, with the secret realm about to be revealed, that it has come to the attention of various overlords.

This is also the real reason why the sect held the grand competition ahead of schedule.

Qingyuan Zhenjun glanced at him. "Don't worry, I won't interfere with the affairs of the secret realm. It won't affect your opportunity to exchange spiritual treasures for the Nascent Soul stage."

Beichen Zhenjun remained silent.

He seized the fifth-tier spiritual treasure, not for his own use.

He himself possesses a fifth-tier spiritual treasure, and when he goes out on missions, he can apply for support from a fifth-tier spiritual treasure.

Although spiritual treasures are valuable, they are not necessities for him. What he wants is to use spiritual treasures to exchange for a chance to become a Nascent Soul cultivator in his sect.

The step from the late Nascent Soul stage to the Deity Transformation stage is more difficult than all the previous stages combined.

Sects offer opportunities to reach the Nascent Soul stage, but these opportunities are rarely granted except during Nascent Soul transitions. Exchanging a fifth-tier spiritual treasure for such an opportunity is the most direct approach.

Qingyuan Zhenjun spoke again.

"There's this little guy who's kind of interesting, so I thought I'd go out for a walk to clear my head."