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

Zhou Qingxuan's gaze swept across the area below, lingering slightly on Qin Yuan, a barely perceptible hint of approval flashing in his eyes. He then announced loudly, "The opening time for the War God's Hall has arrived. Those who have not returned are considered fallen. Each of you should take stock of your spoils and rest for a day. Tomorrow, the return journey will open, allowing you to return to your sect."

Upon hearing this, some were overjoyed, while others were saddened. Every time the Temple of War opened, it meant that someone would perish within.

Qin Yuan sat quietly, pondering his next move. His trip to the Temple of the War God had greatly increased his strength and exposed him to higher-level secrets. Now, it was time to digest what he had learned and strive for a higher realm.

The Green Wood Sect, the Netherworld Palace, the Netherworld Cult... and that mysterious War God's Manual. The road ahead is still long.

But his gaze was firm, and his resolve was unwavering.

The path of cultivation should be like this: treading through thorns, slaying powerful enemies, seizing opportunities, and seeking immortality!

On the Qiankun Platform, the storm gradually subsided, but the legend of Qin Yuan had only just begun to unfold a new chapter.

Chapter 112 The Platform of Heaven and Earth

On the Qiankun Platform, the atmosphere was subtle. As the deadline for the War God Temple to close approached, more and more cultivators were teleported back. Some were beaming with joy, their storage bags bulging; some were covered in wounds, their auras weak; and some remained forever on that ancient battlefield.

Qin Yuan sat cross-legged on the edge of the Taiyi Immortal Sect camp, his eyes slightly closed, seemingly regulating his breathing, but in reality, he was focusing his mind on digesting the enormous gains from this trip to the Temple of War.

The second level of the "Undying Body of the Universe Stars" was steadily progressing towards perfection under the nourishment of the Battle Soul Core. Although the drop of War God's essence blood hadn't been refined, it pulsed steadily beside his dantian like a heart, its radiating intense battle intent subtly tempering his blood and will. The decisive killing intent of the Heavenly Punishment Sword Intent and the exorcising Daoist rhyme of the Profound Origin Demon-Slaying Finger were beginning to merge, adding an unstoppable sharpness to his finger strikes. Meanwhile, the tattered War God Token lay quietly in the corner of his storage ring, along with several other items obtained from the Battle Soul Commander, awaiting further exploration.

The system's beep codes clearly record the changes:

[Cultivation progress of the second level of "Undying Body of the Universe Stars": 82%...83%... (Slowly and continuously increasing)]

[Heavenly Punishment Sword Intent Fusion Level: 15%, increasing the host's offensive power by approximately 8%.]

[Detected War God's essence blood (unrefined), continuously emitting a battle intent tempering effect.]

[Current cultivation level: 6850 years (continuously increasing). Energy points: 11550.]

In a short time, his strength had improved again. Qin Yuan could feel that he was getting closer to the invisible barrier between the Nascent Soul stage and the Void Refinement stage. However, the Void Refinement stage could not be broken simply by accumulating spiritual power; it required a deeper understanding of the rules of heaven and earth, and the simultaneous transformation of the soul and body. It could not be rushed.

He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping across the platform.

On the Taiyi Immortal Sect's side, Liu Suifeng was conversing quietly with Wu Zhan and Wen Yuan, occasionally glancing towards other sects with a solemn expression. Wu Zhan bore several unhealed sword wounds, yet his aura was even more formidable, clearly having gained much from the fierce battle in the Sword Tomb Secret Realm. Wen Yuan, on the other hand, had an increasingly restrained aura, with a hint of righteousness emerging, suggesting he had also encountered some fortuitous events.

In the Wanjian Pavilion area, Jian Wuming stood alone, sword in hand, eyes closed in meditation. His sword aura was contained yet not unleashed, causing nearby cultivators to instinctively keep their distance. Leng Feng Jian Wuhen stood not far behind him, his face pale, seemingly suffering from internal injuries.

At the Xuan Tian Sect, Lei Dong was speaking in a loud and boisterous voice, drawing gasps from his fellow disciples. Ling Shuanghua remained aloof, standing quietly to the side, her gaze occasionally glancing towards the Taiyi Immortal Sect, lingering briefly on Qin Yuan.

At the Qingmu Sect camp, Mu Changchun and Mu Wanqiu had stabilized the injuries of their seriously wounded fellow disciple. They were currently surrounded by several Qingmu Sect elders, who seemed to be questioning them about their experiences in the secret realm. Mu Wanqiu's gaze occasionally drifted towards Qin Yuan, filled with gratitude and a hint of complexity.

Most noticeable was the scene at the Netherworld Palace. Li Wanhun stood alone in the shadows, shrouded in ghostly mist, his expression obscured. The temperature seemed to drop several degrees around him, and no one approached. Young Master Youquan was absent, clearly severely injured, perhaps having already withdrawn from the Lesser Universe Realm through other means.

Besides the five major sects, other affiliated sects and independent cultivators also have their own settlements, experiencing joy and sorrow, and witnessing all walks of life.

Qin Yuan withdrew his gaze and noticed two figures walking towards him not far away.

They are the Wood Spirit Twins, Mu Changchun and Mu Wanqiu.

The two approached Qin Yuan. Mu Changchun cupped his hands in greeting, his tone sincere: "Senior Brother Qin, my junior brother's injuries have stabilized, thanks to your earlier gift of medicine. We are deeply grateful, and the Qingmu Sect will remember this kindness." He handed over a jade-green storage bag, saying, "These are some spiritual herbs and local specialties that my sister and I obtained in the Qingmu Garden. Although they are not as precious as the Life-Creating Pill, they are still a small token of the Qingmu Sect's appreciation. We hope you will not refuse, Senior Brother."

Qin Yuan didn't stand on ceremony. He took the storage bag and scanned it with his divine sense. Sure enough, there were many wood-attribute spiritual herbs of extremely high age inside, and some of them were even rare in the outside world. They wouldn't be of much use to him, but he could exchange them for resources or give them away. "Senior Brother Mu, you're too kind."

Mu Wanqiu said softly, "Senior Brother Qin, regarding Junior Sister Qing'er's matter... we will try our best to mediate when we return. Although Elder Mu Sangzi is powerful, he doesn't have absolute power within the sect. The Holy Son and I will inform our master about the assistance from the senior brothers in the Flowing Cloud Sect and the War God Hall, which may improve Junior Sister Qing'er's situation." She paused, her voice even lower, "Also, regarding the 'War God Token'... I will consult the sect's oldest records when I return, and if I find any clues, I will definitely try to inform you, Senior Brother."

This can be seen as a reciprocation of kindness, and also as a show of sincerity in further forging an alliance.

Qin Yuan nodded: "Thank you for your trouble, Senior Sister Mu." He thought for a moment, then took out a snow-white, lingzhi-shaped spiritual herb with seven crystal-clear leaves from the storage bag he had just received, and handed it to Mu Wanqiu. "This is useless to me, but it may be of some benefit to wood-type cultivation techniques. Please accept it, Senior Sister."

This was a "Seven-Star Snow Jade Mushroom" that he had casually picked earlier. Although it was not as precious as the thousand-year-old Snow Jade Mushroom, it was still a rare ice-attribute wood-type spiritual object. Mu Wanqiu's eyes brightened slightly. Her cultivation technique required such spiritual objects to harmonize yin and yang, so she did not refuse and accepted it, thanking him solemnly.

After exchanging a few more words, the Wood Spirit Twins took their leave and returned to the Green Wood Sect's camp. They needed to reunite with the sect elders as soon as possible to report the situation.

At that moment, a sudden change occurred!

A chilling, viscous, and terrifying aura, seemingly capable of freezing the soul, suddenly spread out from the direction of the Netherworld Palace like a tidal wave, instantly enveloping a large portion of the Qiankun Platform! Many cultivators with lower cultivation levels were caught off guard, their faces turning pale, their bodies trembling, as if they had fallen into an ice cave!

"Li Wanhun, what do you want to do?!" Liu Suifeng shouted sharply. The Taiyi Immortal Sect members instantly formed an array, their spiritual power surging to resist this sinister pressure.

Li Wanhun was surrounded by swirling ghostly mist as he slowly took a step forward. He remained hidden in the shadows of his hood, but the two points of scarlet light, like venomous snakes, were locked onto Qin Yuan.