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

A figure in white landed beside him.

Ouyang Ming.

He was still dressed as a scholar, holding a folding fan, with a gentle smile.

"Fellow Daoist Qin, I apologize for being late."

Qin Yuan looked at him.

"you……"

Ouyang Ming waved his hand.

"Don't ask so many questions, just focus on getting out of here alive."

When the Netherworld Ancestor saw who it was, his face darkened.

"Ouyang Ming? How dare you ruin my plans!"

Ouyang Ming, fanning himself with a folding fan, laughed and said, "Old ghost of the Netherworld, I've long been fed up with the shady dealings of your Netherworld Sect. Today, I'm here to act on behalf of Heaven."

The Netherworld Ancestor snorted coldly.

"Acting on behalf of Heaven? You think you can do what a mere peak Void Refinement cultivator can?"

He raised his hand and slapped Ouyang Ming!

Ouyang Ming waved his folding fan, and a white sword light met the attack!

"boom!"

Both of them took a step back at the same time.

The Netherworld Ancestor's expression changed slightly.

"You're not at the peak of the Void Refinement stage!"

Ouyang Ming smiled.

"Who said I'm at the peak of the Void Refinement stage?"

His aura surged, and he instantly broke through the Void Refinement stage and entered the Dao Integration stage!

Early stage of Dao Integration!

Qin Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly.

This Ouyang Ming was more deeply hidden than he had imagined.

The Netherworld Ancestor's face grew even more gloomy.

"So what if you're in the early stages of the Dao Integration Realm? I'm in the middle stages; killing you is as easy as killing a chicken!"

He unleashed both hands simultaneously, and countless black palm prints rained down on Ouyang Ming!

Ouyang Ming no longer held back, unfolding his folding fan which transformed into a white longsword. The sword light was as white as snow; with a single strike, the heavens and earth changed color!

The two Dao-merging masters clashed fiercely, and the aftershocks swept across all directions!

The walls of the underground palace began to crack, and runes flickered wildly. The Netherworld Cult cultivators at the Void Refinement stage retreated, not daring to approach.

Qin Yuan did not move.

He stared at the ninth token at the top of the altar.

That's the key.

We must get it.

He gritted his teeth and, taking advantage of the fact that the Netherworld Ancestor was entangled, flashed towards the altar!

"Stop him!"

The Netherworld Ancestor roared.

Three Netherworld Sect elders at the peak of the Void Refinement stage attacked simultaneously, blocking Qin Yuan's path!

Qin Yuan's eyes turned cold.

He did not back down.

Eight tokens flew out again, forming an array in front of him!

At the center of the formation, the phantom of the Nine Heavens Palace reappeared!

Although it was just a phantom, the ancient pressure it exuded was enough to crush everything!

The three peak Void Refinement stage cultivators turned pale and retreated frantically!

But the oppressive aura of the phantom had already descended!

"puff!"

All three coughed up blood, flew backward, and crashed into the wall, their breaths fading!

Qin Yuan continued charging towards the altar!

On the altar, countless skeletons sensed his arrival and began to writhe, trying to stop him.

But Qin Yuan was too fast!

He stepped over the bones and leaped to the top of the altar!

The ninth token is within reach!

He reached out his hand—

Just as his hand was about to touch the token, a black light shot out from the token, piercing straight at his brow!

That was a backup plan left behind by the Netherworld Ancestor!

Qin Yuan's pupils contracted sharply, and he instinctively dodged to the side!

But we were still a step too late.

A black light grazed his forehead, leaving a deep wound! Blood streamed down his cheek!

Ignoring his injuries, Qin Yuan reached out again!

This time, he caught the token!

Ninth token acquired!

In an instant, all nine tokens glowed simultaneously!

They flew out of Qin Yuan's hand and slowly rotated above his head, forming a complete formation!

In the center of the formation, the phantom of a huge bronze door slowly emerged!

The gate to the Nine Heavens Palace!

"No--!"

The Netherworld Ancestor has gone mad!

He used all his strength to repel Ouyang Ming and then pounced on Qin Yuan madly!

"That belongs to me! It belongs to me!"

Qin Yuan looked at him with icy eyes.

He raised his hand, and all nine tokens lit up simultaneously, sending a gray beam of light soaring into the sky!

Within the beam of light, the bronze door slowly opened a crack!

An ancient pressure poured down from the crack in the door!

The Netherworld Ancestor was halfway there when he was suppressed by that oppressive force, and he was frozen in place, unable to move!

"No...it's impossible..." he murmured, "How could you...how could you obtain the token so quickly..."

Qin Yuan did not answer.

He just stared at the door.

Through the crack in the door, a hazy, gray world could be vaguely seen.

The Nine Heavens Palace.

There, the complete legacy of the God of War, Xing, is found.

There lies the true power to fight against the Otherworldly Demons.

Just then, an old voice rang in my mind.

"Whoever collects all nine tokens may enter the Nine Heavens Palace."

"But remember, those who enter the Heavenly Palace must endure the final test of the God of War."

"Those who pass the test will receive the complete inheritance."

"If you don't pass, you die."

Qin Yuan took a deep breath.

He withdrew his gaze and looked at the Netherworld Ancestor.

The old man who almost unleashed the demon was now staring at him with a look of terror on his face.

"What...what do you want to do?"

Qin Yuan did not answer.

He simply raised his hand, and the nine tokens moved at his will, transforming into a gray sword light that slashed towards the Netherworld Ancestor!

The Netherworld Ancestor struggled frantically, desperately trying to break free from the oppressive force, and met the attack with a palm strike!

"boom--!"

The gray sword light collided with the black palm print, unleashing a deafening roar!

The entire underground palace began to collapse!

Stones rained down, runes shattered, and bones flew everywhere!

A figure was sent flying backward through the smoke!

It's the Netherworld Ancestor!

He had a deep, bone-revealing wound on his chest, from which blood gushed out, and he was barely breathing!

He lost!

The Netherworld Ancestor, who was at the mid-stage of the Dao Integration Realm, was defeated by the nine tokens!

"I... am not reconciled..."

He murmured, the eerie green flame in his eyes gradually dying out.

His body went limp and he fell silent.

Qin Yuan stood there, panting heavily.

Forcibly activating nine tokens was extremely taxing. His spiritual energy was almost completely drained, his meridians ached, and he could barely stand.

But he did not fall.

He walked to the corpse of the Netherworld Ancestor, raised his hand, and a storage ring fell into his hand.

Divine sense probed in.

It contains countless spirit stones, elixirs, cultivation manuals, and more—

A secret letter.

The letter read:

"Three years from now, the seal will shatter. At that time, the Netherworld Cult's main altar will lead a large army to welcome our lord's arrival. The Southern Continent branch must be prepared. —Netherworld"

Qin Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly.

The headquarters of the Netherworld Cult.

Welcome the coming of our Lord.

It seems that the threat posed by the Otherworldly Demons is greater than he imagined.

"Fellow Daoist Qin."

Ouyang Ming's voice rang out.

Qin Yuan looked up at him.

Ouyang Ming was no longer the carefree person he used to be; instead, his face was full of seriousness.

Are you alright?

Qin Yuan shook his head.

"Who exactly are you?"

Ouyang Ming remained silent for a moment.

"The seventh guardian of the Temple of War."

Qin Yuan's eyes flickered slightly.

The temple guard?

Ouyang Ming said, "The Temple of War God has had guardians in every generation, responsible for protecting the legacy left by the God of War and waiting for the destined person to appear. I am the guardian of this generation."

He looked at Qin Yuan.

"I've been watching you ever since you obtained your first token at the Temple of War. Later, when you came to Nanzhou, I deliberately approached you to observe and test you."

"In the realm of ice and fire, you didn't covet Ling Shuangyin's token; instead, you saved her. At the Wanfa Sect's Dao Inquiry Conference, you didn't bully the weak; instead, you helped Ling Shuanghua out of a predicament. Just now, facing the Netherworld Ancestor, you didn't back down and risked your life to obtain the ninth token."

"I've seen it all."

He bowed deeply.

"You are the one I've been waiting for."

Qin Yuan remained silent.