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

A pale silver starlight appeared on the surface of the skin, then penetrated deep into the bones, exuding an aura as weighty as mountains and as eternal as stars.

The three elders were all moved.

"This is……"

The elder in the middle suddenly stood up, staring intently at the starlight flowing on Qin Yuan's arm.

"An ancient body-refining technique! And he's at least reached the second level!"

For the first time, his voice showed a fluctuation.

The elder on the left also changed his expression, but he quickly suppressed his shock and said coldly, "Even if you've cultivated the ancient body-refining technique, the essence of the five elements isn't something you can easily use. If all five are unleashed at once, with your early-stage Void Refinement cultivation, you simply can't suppress them; you'll only be killed by the backlash of the five elements' power!"

Qin Yuan put away the starlight and said calmly, "This is my business."

"you--"

The elder on the left wanted to say something, but was stopped by the elder on the right who had been silent all along.

The elder on the right finally spoke.

His voice was very soft, like the wind rustling through bamboo leaves.

"You want the essence of the five elements, that's fine."

He paused.

"However, there is one rule—newly promoted Dao disciples must undergo questioning by the Elders' Council before exchanging for resources of grade seven or higher for the first time. Only after passing the questioning can they exchange them."

Upon hearing this, the elder on the left gave a cold smile.

The elder in the middle frowned slightly, but ultimately did not object.

Qin Yuan looked at the elder on the right.

"What kind of questioning?"

The elder on the right slowly rose to his feet.

He was emaciated, as if a gust of wind could blow him over. But the moment he stood up, the air on the entire third level of the treasure vault seemed to freeze.

An invisible pressure, like a towering mountain, slowly pressed down on Qin Yuan.

"Inquiry is—"

His voice remained very soft.

"Let me see if you are qualified to use these resources."

The moment the words fell, the oppressive aura surged!

That wasn't just a simple suppression of cultivation level; it was a kind of momentum that incorporated four thousand years of combat experience, countless life-and-death battles, and a profound understanding of the laws of power!

Pure momentum!

The elders on the left and in the middle simultaneously stepped back several steps, clearing the battlefield.

Qin Yuan stood still, motionless.

The oppressive aura that would have made an ordinary early-stage Void Refinement cultivator kneel down on the spot vanished without a trace when it landed on him, like a clay ox sinking into the sea.

A hint of surprise flashed in the eyes of the elder on the right.

"That's interesting."

He raised his right hand, extended his index finger, and pointed it in the air.

This may seem like a trivial matter, but in Qin Yuan's mind, it was as if he saw a ten-thousand-foot mountain crashing down!

This is not an illusion.

This is the ultimate crushing of the enemy's spirit and body after power has been condensed to its limit!

Qin Yuan's eyes narrowed.

He neither dodged nor used any magical artifacts.

He simply raised his right hand, extended his index finger, and pointed it in the air.

—Mysterious Origin Demon-Slaying Finger!

After incorporating the Heavenly Punishment Sword Intent, the power of this finger strike is more than twice as strong as it was in the War God Temple!

The pale golden finger energy collided violently with the invisible mountain!

"boom!"

With a muffled thud, the array patterns on the entire third level of the treasure vault lit up simultaneously, flashing wildly to offset the aftershocks. The three jade tables instantly turned to dust, and the array lights on the surrounding shelves shook violently, nearly shattering!

The elder on the right swayed slightly.

Qin Yuan took a step back.

The difference in skill was immediately apparent—Qin Yuan was at a disadvantage.

But a hint of genuine appreciation appeared in the eyes of the elder on the right.

"Good lad." He withdrew his finger. "I used thirty percent of my strength in that finger strike. In my four thousand years of life, I have never seen another early-stage Void Refinement cultivator who could withstand it head-on and only take a step back."

Qin Yuan cupped his hands in greeting: "Elder, you flatter me."

"It's not an overstatement," the elder on the right shook his head, "it's a statement."

He turned around and looked at the elder on his left.

"I approve of his qualifications. What about you?"

The elder on the left had a livid face.

He could certainly see the significance of Qin Yuan's finger strike. To withstand a blow from a peak Void Refinement cultivator with only a step back after reaching the early stage of Void Refinement—this strength was enough to qualify him not only for exchanging for the essence of the Five Elements, but also for directly becoming an elder.

But he couldn't swallow his anger.

What makes a newly promoted Daoist disciple, from a lower sect, so special?

"I have one more question," he said in a deep voice. "Qin Yuan, when you exchanged for the essence of the five elements, did you report to the sect leader? Did you obtain approval from the sect's council hall? Did you—"

That's enough.

The elder in the middle finally spoke.

He looked at the elder on his left, a hint of helplessness in his eyes.

"Elder Li, I understand your intentions. But rules are rules. The questioning has been completed, and he did not violate any rules. If you continue to press the matter, you will be making trouble for no reason."

Elder Li opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing. He snorted coldly and turned to leave.

The elder in the middle sighed and looked at Qin Yuan.

"The essence of the Five Elements is found in the seventh row (Bing), the ninth row (Ding), the twelfth row (Jia), the fifteenth row (Yi), and the eighteenth row (Wu). One copy of each is required, totaling 48,000 contribution points."

Qin Yuan took out the Xuan Yu Dao Tablet.

As a Daoist disciple, he automatically possesses 10,000 initial contribution points. His outstanding performance in the War God Temple earned him a sect reward of 20,000 points. Adding to this his previous accumulated contribution points from completing missions—

"Exactly 48,000 points." The middle elder glanced at the number on the signpost, nodded, and said, "Take it."

He raised his hand and pointed, and five streams of light flew out from the shelves in different directions, falling into Qin Yuan's hand and turning into five fist-sized crystals of different colors.

Gold is sharp, green is warm, blue is deep, red is fiery, and yellow is rich.

The essence of the five elements is completely contained within it.

Qin Yuan put the five crystals into his storage ring and clasped his hands in a fist salute to the two elders again.

"Thank you for your kindness, Elder."

The elder in the middle waved his hand: "Go. Remember, the five elements are mutually generating and mutually restraining; a slight mistake can cause an imbalance and backlash. Be careful when refining them."

"I will remember this."

Qin Yuan turned and left.

His footsteps faded into the distance in the stairwell until they disappeared.

The elder on the right suddenly spoke up: "Do you think he can succeed?"

The elder in the middle remained silent for a moment.

"The Five Elements Body Refinement... that's the path of ancient body cultivators. Even now, you can't find many in the Southern Continent who dare to do that. He's just a beginner in the Void Refinement stage..."

"But he has a Nine-Turn Nascent Soul," the elder on the right said. "With the foundation of a Nine-Turn Nascent Soul, plus that ancient body-refining technique, plus the gains from the War God Temple... he might really succeed."

The middle elder did not refute this.

He simply stared in the direction Qin Yuan had disappeared, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

"Over the past four thousand years, I have witnessed too many prodigies. Some were exceptionally talented, some were blessed with good fortune, and some were resolute in their character... but in the end, very few could reach the top."

He paused.

"This kid... I can't see through him."

The elder on the right smiled slightly.

"It's good that you can't see through it. Those who can see through it can't achieve great things."

He closed his eyes again, sat back in his original position, as if he had never moved.

The elder in the middle shook his head and said nothing more.

The third level of the treasure vault returned to silence.

When Qin Yuan walked out of the treasure vault, it was nearly noon.

Sunlight filtered through the clouds and mist of the main peak, casting a faint golden hue upon him. He stood on the bluestone platform in front of the treasure vault, looking down at the layers of palaces and pavilions below, and the countless disciples moving among them.

The Taiyi Immortal Sect covers an area of ​​a thousand miles and has thirty thousand disciples.

He is one-third of the Daoist.

But he knew that this identity was just the beginning.

The real challenge lies in the South.