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

The War Spirit seemed surprised by the opponent's speed and directness, but it reacted quickly, moving its greatsword horizontally and holding the broad blade like a shield in front of its chest!

"clang--!!!"

The fist collided with the greatsword! A deafening, terrifying roar, like two mountains colliding, resounded!

A shockwave, visible to the naked eye, exploded in a ring, blowing away all the dust on the ground! Several cultivators who were nearby were pushed back by the shockwave!

Qin Yuan's fist struck the blade of the giant sword, and the massive sword, seemingly capable of cleaving mountains, was forced to bend backward in an astonishing arc by his punch! The War God and War Spirit wielding the sword, their enormous bodies also staggered back three steps under the impact of this incredible force! Each step left a deep footprint on the bronze ground!

The main hall was deathly silent.

Everyone stared wide-eyed at Qin Yuan, who stood tall and straight as a pine tree, still in his punching stance, and then at the War God War Spirit, who had retreated three steps and whose giant sword was bent. Their minds went blank.

Barehanded... he repelled a battle spirit whose pure strength was comparable to that of a Void Refinement cultivator?!

Is this even human?!

Qin Yuan slowly withdrew his fist, feeling the slight numbness on his knuckles and the surging blood and qi within his body, and was quite satisfied. He had used about 70% of his physical strength in that punch, and the effect was good.

He turned his head and looked at the twelve bronze pillars that were shimmering with light, and then at the War God and War Spirit who had steadied themselves and whose golden eyes seemed to hold a hint of astonishment (or perhaps it was just an illusion).

"It seems that lighting up the pillars might be simpler?" Qin Yuan muttered to himself, and moved again.

This time, he didn't charge at the War Spirit, but appeared like a ghost in front of the first bronze pillar carved with a bull pattern! He simply punched the pillar!

"Thump!"

A muffled thud, like a drumbeat! The bronze pillar trembled violently, and the bull-like image at its top roared silently, its light suddenly becoming dazzling, as if it had been completely activated!

Qin Yuan didn't stop for a moment, his figure flashing repeatedly.

"Thump!" "Thump!" "Thump!"...

One punch, one blow! The dull thuds of impact echoed through the hall!

Under the stunned gazes of the crowd, Qin Yuan strolled around the main hall as if taking a leisurely walk, and with his pure physical strength, he "lit up" each of the twelve bronze pillars! After each pillar was struck, its light surged, and the ferocious beast-like figures at the top seemed to come alive, roaring provocatively at the War God and War Spirit in the center!

As the last pillar was lit, the twelve pillars connected, forming a massive halo that enveloped the War God and War Spirit in the center! The War Spirit let out a defiant roar (silent, but its soul fire fluctuated violently), its enormous body began to blur and become transparent, eventually turning into specks of golden light and dissipating into the air. At the same time, the giant sword crashed to the base with a clang.

From the dome of the main hall, a majestic voice resounded once more:

"The Trial of Power has been passed. Granted: a drop of the God of War's essence blood and a share of the insights into power."

Two golden beams descended from the sky, landing in front of Qin Yuan. One, a drop of dark golden blood the size of a longan, radiating intense heat and ancient battle intent, hovered in mid-air. The other was a phantom mark composed of countless power runes, which slowly drifted towards Qin Yuan's brow.

Qin Yuan reached out and caught the drop of the God of War's essence blood. It was scalding hot to the touch, as if he were holding a burning flame. The pure blood energy and fighting spirit contained within it astonished him. The mark of power perception sank into his brow, and instantly, countless profound insights into the application, release, and control of power flooded his mind, elevating his understanding and control of his own power to a new level!

This harvest far exceeded expectations!

The other cultivators in the hall watched Qin Yuan easily pass the trial and receive such a precious gift, their eyes filled with envy and jealousy, yet none dared to step forward and snatch it. The terrifying power Qin Yuan had just displayed had completely terrified them.

Qin Yuan ignored them, put away the essence of the God of War, digested the insights gained from the power, and turned his gaze to the back of the God of War statue's base, where a new portal had appeared.

The exploration of the Temple of War had only just begun. He sensed something even more alluring deep within.

Chapter 110 Bloodbath in the Corridor

The War God's essence blood was burning hot in his hands, and the mark of power cultivation merged into his brow. Qin Yuan felt his control over his own power improve even further, and his internal energy resonated faintly with that drop of essence blood. Even the "Undying Body of the Universe Stars" was touched. He suppressed the urge to refine it immediately and sealed the essence blood in a jade bottle for safekeeping.

The newly appeared portal behind the statue's base is a narrow door that opens inwards, allowing only two people to walk side by side. Behind the door lies a deep, dark space where a gentle breeze seems to flow, carrying an even stronger sense of antiquity.

The remaining cultivators in the hall gazed at Qin Yuan with complex emotions—envy, apprehension, and awe. They struggled even to approach the battle spirit, while Qin Yuan had easily passed the test and received the gift. No one dared to approach or stop him; the difference in strength was as vast as an insurmountable chasm.

Qin Yuan didn't linger any longer and walked straight towards the narrow door, his figure disappearing into the darkness behind it.

Behind the door was a downward spiral staircase, made of some unknown material, with a cool touch. At intervals along the walls on both sides of the staircase were embedded eerie blue fluorescent stones, providing a faint illumination. A faint smell, like a mixture of metal and dust, filled the air.

Qin Yuan descended the steps, which seemed endless, spiraling downwards. He maintained a steady pace, his divine sense extending outwards, vigilant for any potential traps or ambushes. After descending for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the view ahead suddenly opened up.

At the end of the stairs, a vast and towering bronze corridor stretched as far as the eye could see! Thirty zhang wide and over twenty zhang high, its walls and ceiling were constructed of thick bronze, sculpted with even grander and more brutal war scenes: countless warriors clad in various armors, knights riding enormous war beasts, cultivators unleashing world-destroying divine powers, and grotesque demons, all clashing and falling in a dynamic and bloody spectacle, seemingly ready to come alive at any moment. The corridor floor was paved with smooth black stone slabs, and every hundred zhang stood a pair of bronze warrior statues, each about three zhang tall, clad in heavy armor and wielding massive weapons, like silent guardians.

The entire corridor exudes a suffocating sense of solemnity and heaviness, as if walking in the center of an ancient battlefield.

Qin Yuan stepped into the corridor, his footsteps echoing in the empty space. He could feel that the spatial pressure here was stronger, making the flow of spiritual energy slightly sluggish, and even flight seemed to be restricted.

He had only gone a few dozen feet when a sudden change occurred!

A hundred feet ahead, the first pair of bronze warrior statues suddenly shone with crimson light! At the same time, thick dust fell from their bodies, and their joints made a "crackling" grinding sound as they slowly began to move! Heavy footsteps pounded on the black stone slabs, producing muffled "thump, thump," and two fierce auras comparable to those of late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators locked onto Qin Yuan!