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

He saw—

A pair of eyes.

Those eyes pierced through time and space, meeting his gaze.

"Yet another... successor..."

An aged voice echoed in my mind.

"You've made it this far, so you've passed the test."

"Here, take this token."

"But remember, you need to collect all nine to unlock the Nine Heavens Palace. Don't die before that."

The image disappeared.

Qin Yuan suddenly came to his senses and found himself kneeling on the ground, his body soaked in sweat and blood.

He held the jet-black token in his hand.

The fourth fragment of the God of War Order.

He struggled to his feet and looked back.

The enormous corpse still lay sprawled on the ground, but the broken sword had turned to ashes and vanished in the wind.

Qin Yuan remained silent for a moment, then bowed deeply in the direction of the corpse.

Then, he put away the token and turned to walk towards the portal.

When Qin Yuan stepped out of the portal, he almost lost his balance.

Ling Shuangyin quickly stepped forward to support him, her expression changing drastically.

"Qin Daozi! How...how did you get injured like this?"

Qin Yuan waved his hand without saying a word, took out a pill and swallowed it, then sat cross-legged to regulate his breathing.

Ling Shuangyin stood guard to the side, not daring to disturb them.

Four Xuantian Sect disciples stood at a distance, their eyes filled with awe.

An hour later, Qin Yuan opened his eyes.

His condition has stabilized, and although he still needs time to recover, at least his life is not in danger.

He stood up and looked at Ling Shuangyin.

How did you get here?

Ling Shuangyin said, "My sister sent me. She said something big is going to happen in Nanzhou soon, and she asked me to come to the Bloodbone Wasteland in advance to scout ahead and find some things."

She paused, then whispered, "My sister said she had a promise with Qin Daozi to go to the Ice and Fire Extremes Realm together in six months. But she received news that the opening time of the Ice and Fire Extremes Realm has been moved up to three months later."

Qin Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly.

Three months.

It happened three months earlier than he expected.

"What else did she say?"

Ling Shuangyin hesitated for a moment, then said, "My sister said that if you encounter Qin Daozi, she asked me to tell you—the Netherworld Sect has already laid a trap in Nanzhou, specifically waiting for you. She warned you to be extremely careful. Also…"

Her voice was even lower.

"The Heavenly Sword Sect is also investigating you. Ye Wuhen is just a pawn on the surface; the person behind him is the real trouble."

Qin Yuan remained silent for a moment.

Where is your sister now?

Ling Shuangyin shook her head: "My sister's whereabouts are uncertain, I don't know either. But she said that if everything goes well, she will come to meet Qin Daozi before the Ice and Fire Dual Realm opens."

Qin Yuan nodded.

"What are your plans next?"

Ling Shuangyin said, "I have found what I need and am preparing to return to the sect to report. If Qin Daozi doesn't mind, you can travel with us, so we can look after each other on the way."

Qin Yuan shook his head.

"You guys go first. I have something to do."

Ling Shuangyin hesitated, then ultimately didn't ask any further questions.

She clasped her hands in a gesture of respect.

"I will forever remember Qin Daozi's life-saving grace. If there is ever a need for me in the future, I will go through fire and water without hesitation."

Qin Yuan nodded.

Ling Shuangyin, along with her four junior brothers, turned and left.

After walking quite a distance, she suddenly turned back and glanced at Qin Yuan.

The figure in the green robe remained standing in the same spot, his back to her, gazing at the giant wall covered with runes.

The afterglow of the setting sun bathed him in a soft golden light.

Ling Shuangyin withdrew her gaze and continued walking.

She knew that from now on, this man's path and her path would no longer be parallel lines.

Three days later, on the edge of the Bloodbone Wasteland, in an abandoned town.

Qin Yuan sat cross-legged in a dilapidated house, with three tokens floating silently in front of him.

Two were obtained from the Temple of War God, one from the gray-robed elder, and one from beside the corpse of that ancient powerhouse.

The four fragments of the War God's Token have come together.

The resonance between them was stronger than before, faintly forming a complete formation. Qin Yuan could sense that if all nine were collected, this formation would be fully activated, opening the door to the Nine Heavens Palace.

But now, there are only four.

Five more are needed.

Qin Yuan closed his eyes and pondered.

Based on the clues we have so far, fragments of the War God's Token are scattered in various places—the War God's Temple has them, various major forces in the Southern Continent may also have them, and even the mysterious Cloud Guest has one.

But where do we find the next one?

As he was thinking, he suddenly frowned.

Divine senses detected a slight abnormal fluctuation.

Someone is coming.

And it wasn't just one person.

He opened his eyes, put away the three tokens, got up and walked out of the dilapidated house.

At the entrance of the town, a dozen or so figures were filing in.

The leader was a middle-aged man with a sinister face and a deep aura—a peak Void Refinement cultivator. The dozen or so people following behind him were at least late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, with three others at the early Void Refinement stage.

People of the Netherworld Cult.

Qin Yuan's eyes turned slightly cold.

It really is a persistent ghost.

The sinister-looking man also saw Qin Yuan, his gaze falling on him, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

"Qin Yuan? It's really not easy to find you."

Qin Yuan remained silent.

The sinister-looking man slowly approached, sizing him up.

"You killed members of my Netherworld Sect and still dare to roam around Southern Continent. I must say, you have quite the nerve."

He paused.

"But being bold doesn't mean you're lucky. Today, I'll take your life."

As soon as he finished speaking, more than a dozen people behind him dispersed and surrounded Qin Yuan.

Qin Yuan remained calm.

"Who is Li Wanhun to you?"

The sinister-looking man's eyes flashed with a sharp glint.

"My son."

Qin Yuan nodded.

"That's right."

He raised his right hand, pointing his index finger at the sinister-looking man.

The sinister-looking man let out a cold laugh.

"A mere early-stage Void Refinement cultivator dares to be arrogant in front of me? Do you think my son, that good-for-nothing, can compare to me?"

His aura surged, and the pressure of a peak Void Refinement Realm expert surged out like a tidal wave, causing the surrounding dilapidated houses to tremble.

Qin Yuan remained silent.

He simply extended his right hand and made a grasping motion in mid-air.

Four fragments of the War God's Token flew out simultaneously, slowly rotating above his palm, forming a strange array.

At the center of the formation, a hazy gray light shone, faintly resonating with a certain void.

The sinister-looking man's expression changed drastically.

"This is--"

Qin Yuan didn't give him time to react.

He activated his spiritual power to activate the formation!

A beam of light shot into the sky, tearing the heavens apart!

Within the pillar of light, the phantom of a massive bronze door slowly emerged, its surface engraved with countless ancient patterns, radiating a chilling aura that sent shivers down one's spine!

A phantom image of the Nine Heavens Palace!

Although it was just a phantom, its oppressive aura was enough to crush everything!

The sinister-looking man turned deathly pale and retreated frantically!

"Retreat! Retreat now!"

But it was too late for his men.

As the illusory image of the Nine Heavens Palace descended, more than a dozen Netherworld Sect cultivators coughed up blood and collapsed to the ground, their auras weakened!

Only the sinister-looking man, with his peak Void Refinement cultivation, managed to escape a hundred feet, but he was also pale-faced and seriously injured!

Qin Yuan withdrew his spiritual power, and the illusory image dissipated.

He looked in the direction the sinister man had fled, but did not give chase.

It's not that I don't want to, but I can't.

That attack just now almost drained seventy percent of his spiritual power. With his current cultivation level, forcibly activating the formation of four War God Tokens is still too much of a strain.

But the desired effect has been achieved.

He glanced coldly at the Netherworld Cult cultivators lying scattered on the ground, then turned and left.