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

But Qin Yuan simply stopped and turned around.

His gaze pierced through the ghostly mist and precisely locked onto Li Wanhun.

"I've been waiting for you for a long time."

The moment he finished speaking, a dazzling pale golden light suddenly burst forth from his body!

—Mysterious Origin Demon-Slaying Finger!

Not one finger, but four fingers in a row!

Four condensed, tangible, pale golden finger strikes, like four heaven-piercing divine swords, instantly pierced through the ghostly mist and accurately struck the four shadowy figures!

"ah--!"

Three screams rang out at the same time!

The protective ghost mist of the three black-robed cultivators was pierced by a single finger, leaving a bloody hole the size of a bowl in their chests. Their life force rapidly drained away, and they fell from the sky!

Only Li Wanhun managed to shift several feet at the last moment, avoiding a fatal blow, but his left shoulder was pierced by the finger strike.

He clutched his wound, his face deathly pale, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"You...you knew all along?!"

Qin Yuan did not answer.

He simply raised his right hand slowly, his index finger pointing at Li Wanhun once again.

A pale golden light condensed at his fingertips, more refined and sharper than the previous four fingers.

—The Profound Origin Demon-Slaying Finger, which incorporates the intent of the Heavenly Punishment Sword.

Li Wanhun trembled all over.

He had experienced the power of that finger strike before. If he hadn't dodged quickly, he would have been a corpse like his three companions.

"Qin Yuan!" he roared, "You dare kill me? I am the personal disciple of the Netherworld Palace Master! If you kill me, the Netherworld Palace will not let you off!"

Qin Yuan looked at him.

"Do you think I would care about that?"

Li Wanhun's face turned even paler.

He knew Qin Yuan wouldn't care.

He realized it in the Temple of War – this kid was a madman who didn't care about background or power; if you messed with him, he'd beat you to death.

"Wait!" he exclaimed urgently. "I can give you things! I have many good things! The spoils of the Temple of War, the cultivation techniques of the Netherworld Temple, and... and the secrets of the Netherworld Cult! I can tell you all of them!"

Qin Yuan's fingers paused slightly.

Thinking he had a chance, Li Wanhun quickly said, "You know the Netherworld Sect, right? They've been plotting in Qingzhou for years, with grand schemes! I accidentally learned that their real target isn't Qingzhou, but Nanzhou! They're going to do something big in Nanzhou! Spare my life, and I'll tell you everything I know!"

Qin Yuan remained silent for a moment.

Then he said, "No need."

Li Wanhun's pupils suddenly contracted.

"What did you say?"

Qin Yuan said, "What you want to say, I will investigate myself. What you don't want to say, I will kill you, and someone will naturally tell me."

The light at his fingertips surged.

Li Wanhun has gone mad!

He desperately circulated his cultivation, channeling all his power into his feet, transforming into a streak of black light as he fled madly!

But the next second, a pale golden finger strike arrived first, precisely piercing his back!

Li Wanhun looked down at the fist-sized blood hole in his chest, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"You...how could you...so fast..."

His consciousness quickly faded, and his body fell from the sky.

Qin Yuan withdrew his finger, not even glancing at the four corpses, and turned to continue flying eastward.

Behind them, the night deepened.

The four corpses fell into the wilderness and were quickly devoured by monsters that came attracted by the smell of blood.

The "Ghost King" of the Underworld Palace thus perished.

Three days later, at the Taiyi Immortal Sect.

Qin Yuan sat cross-legged in his residence, with five crystals of different colors floating in front of him.

The essence of Geng metal is golden in color.

The marrow of Yi Wood is green.

The mother of Gui water is blue.

Crystal of Fire, red.

The core of Earth (戊土) is yellow.

Five colors of light intertwined and reflected each other, enveloping him in a dazzling halo.

He had finished taking inventory of the spoils. Indeed, there were quite a few good things in Li Wanhun's storage ring—cultivation manuals from the Netherworld Palace, some rare refining materials, and a secret letter that had not yet been sent.

The letter mentioned words such as "Southern Continent," "sacrifice," and "the realm of ice and fire."

Qin Yuan didn't delve into it further. These things could be investigated later; the most urgent task was to refine the essence of the five elements to prepare for the next stage of breakthrough.

He took a deep breath and began to circulate his cultivation technique according to the system's instructions.

The essence of the five elements slowly rotated, and the five-colored light gradually merged, transforming into a five-colored, flowing pillar of light that enveloped his entire body.

The Qi of Geng Metal enters the Lungs, the Qi of Yi Wood enters the Liver, the Qi of Gui Water enters the Kidneys, the Qi of Li Fire enters the Heart, and the Qi of Wu Earth enters the Spleen.

My internal organs trembled simultaneously!

Qin Yuan frowned slightly, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

The five elements interact with each other, generating and restraining each other; a slight mishap can lead to imbalance. Once imbalanced, the consequences can range from minor damage to internal organs to immediate death!

But he didn't stop.

The Nine Revolutions Profound Origin Technique was running wildly, and the Nine Revolutions Nascent Soul sat firmly in the Purple Mansion, releasing a vast amount of spiritual power to suppress the restlessness of the Five Elements.

The "Undying Body of the Universe Stars" was also operating spontaneously, with pale silver starlight surging from the depths of its bones and muscles, protecting the internal organs and gradually guiding the power of the five elements into it.

Time passes little by little.

one day.

Two days.

Three days.

On the morning of the fifth day, Qin Yuan opened his eyes.

The five essences of the five elements have disappeared, replaced by five-colored light spots faintly emerging from the depths of the five internal organs.

The essence of the five elements has been initially refined.

Next, all that's needed is to find the Wind Spirit Feather and the Profound Ice Soul to refine the Star Seed and attempt to break through to the third level of the "Universal Star Undying Body".

The Soul of the Mystic Ice has been obtained.

Wind Spirit Feathers —

Qin Yuan took out the secret letter he had seized from Li Wanhun's storage ring, his gaze falling on one line of text:

"...The Wind Spirit Feather has appeared in the Southern Continent and has been added to the Wind Spirit Merchant Guild's main treasury, scheduled for auction in March..."

Nanzhou.

It's Nanzhou again.

Qin Yuan put away the secret letter and looked out the window at the gradually brightening sky.

The matter in Qingzhou should be settled.

As for Lin Qing'er, with the care of Mu Changchun and his sister, plus the resources he left behind, she should be fine. No matter how bold Mu Sangzi is, he wouldn't dare to openly attack a disciple protected by the Taiyi Sect's Daoist.

With Li Wanhun dead, the Netherworld Palace will not make any major moves for the time being. As for the person behind Li Wanhun—the secret letter points to the Netherworld Sect, but that's a matter for the Southern Continent; we can investigate it once we get there.

On the Taiyi Sect's side, the Daoist's identity has been established, the resources he deserved have been obtained, and the tasks that needed to be done have been completed.

Next-

It's time to go to Nanzhou.

Qin Yuan got up, pushed open the door, and went out.

Outside the door, the morning light was just right.

He took a deep breath of fresh air and strode towards the main peak.

Three days later, at the Taiyi Immortal Sect, in the Taiyi Hall.

The Qingwei Sect Leader was still sitting in that simple quiet room, with a pot of tea and two white porcelain cups still on the low table in front of him.

Qin Yuan sat opposite him.

"Have you made a decision?" asked the Qingwei Sect Leader.

"It's decided," Qin Yuan replied.

The Qingwei Sect Leader picked up his teacup and took a sip.

"Nanzhou is not Qingzhou. The geniuses there have truly fought their way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Someone like you, at the early stage of the Void Refinement realm, can walk around with impunity in Qingzhou, but in Nanzhou, you can only be considered a beginner."

Qin Yuan said, "This disciple understands."

The Qingwei Sect Leader looked at him.

"Are you still going?"

Qin Yuan nodded.

The Qingwei Sect Leader remained silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

"it is good."

He took out a jade slip from his sleeve and placed it in front of Qin Yuan.