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

Qin Yuan stood opposite him, his bone blade still sheathed. "Are you finished?"

Zhao Tianjiao drew his sword and thrust it forward. The sword energy was sharp, carrying the white light of Heavenly Profound Origin Power. Qin Yuan dodged to the side, the blade grazing his clothes, leaving a gash but not injuring his flesh. Zhao Tianjiao continued his attacks, each strike faster than the last. Qin Yuan only dodged, his movements seemingly slow, yet he always managed to avoid Zhao Tianjiao's attacks by just an inch, two inches, or three inches.

"All you can do is dodge?" Zhao Tianjiao roared, his swordplay becoming even more frantic and chaotic. Qin Yuan weaved through his sword light like a fish swimming in water. After fifty moves, Zhao Tianjiao was panting heavily, his swordplay beginning to falter. Qin Yuan drew his bone blade and slashed. The back of the blade struck Zhao Tianjiao's wrist, sending his sword flying from his hand. The back of the blade then struck Zhao Tianjiao's chest, sending him flying off the stage and crashing to the ground, unable to get up for a long time. The entire arena was silent for a moment, then erupted in cheers.

Qin Yuan sheathed his sword and stepped off the stage. Lin Qing'er was waiting for him below, handing him a handkerchief. He wiped the sweat from his forehead without saying anything.

Su Yao looked at Qin Yuan from the crowd, her expression complex. As she turned, her eyes met Lin Qing'er's. They stared at each other for a moment before Su Yao looked away first.

The sect leader of the Heavenly Profound Sect, Ancestor Xuantian, was an old woman with white hair and a kind face, but her eyes were as sharp as knives. She sat at the top of the main hall, with the ancestral tablets behind her. Qin Yuan knelt in the hall, with Elder Mo standing beside him.

"You are Qin Yuan?" The voice of the Xuan Tian Ancestor was not loud, but the whole hall was buzzing.

"Yes."

"Your bone blade carries the aura of the Origin God-King." Ancestor Xuantian remained silent for a moment. "You killed him?"

"Yes."

The elders in the hall whispered among themselves. Some were surprised, some were doubtful, and some remained expressionless. The Xuan Tian Ancestor raised his hand, and the murmurs ceased.

"The Origin God-King was no good man. He enslaved all races and slaughtered the innocent; he deserved to die. Killing him was not a sin, but a merit," Ancestor Xuantian said, looking at Qin Yuan. "But the Myriad Dao Sect won't see it that way. They want the inheritance you possess, and they will also hold the Heavenly Profound Sect accountable. Tell me, why should I accept you?"

Qin Yuan raised his head. "Because the Myriad Dao Sect won't stop causing you trouble just because you don't accept me. If you accept me, you'll have one more ally. If you don't, you'll have one more enemy. The choice is yours."

The main hall fell silent. The elders' expressions varied. Elder Mo's lips twitched.

The Xuan Tian Ancestor smiled. Her wrinkles deepened with her smile, but her eyes shone brightly. "Very well. I will accept you as my disciple. From this day forward, you are my personal disciple."

Emperor Taixu sat on his throne in the grand hall, where sunlight from outside couldn't penetrate, and the candlelight inside was nearly gone. He hadn't slept for three days, and every time he closed his eyes, he dreamt of Qin Yuan's blade striking down. His ministers knelt on the ground, arguing for three days without reaching a conclusion. Some advocated peace, proposing ceding territory and paying reparations to preserve their strength; others advocated war, urging them to concentrate all forces for a decisive battle; still others suggested fleeing, saying that as long as one survives, there's always hope. Emperor Taixu listened to round after round, each round only increasing his frustration.

"Enough," he said, his voice hoarse. The hall fell silent. "We sue for peace."

The envoy, carrying a letter of peace and ten chests of lavish gifts, knelt in the main hall of the Tianxuan Sect. The letter stated: Taixu Palace ceded three resource-rich cities, would pay annual tribute, and would never again invade the Tianxuan Sect. The condition was that Qin Yuan spare Taixu Palace. The envoy kowtowed, his forehead striking the stone slab until it bled.

Qin Yuan picked up the letter of peace and read it twice. Su Yao stood to his left, Hong Yue to his right, and Yue Yao stood outside the hall.

"Don't trust him," Su Yao said. "Emperor Taixu is fickle; he'll sue for peace today and renege on it tomorrow." Hongyue gripped her spear tightly. "Attack! Strike while the iron is hot!"

Qin Yuan placed the peace request on the table and looked at the envoy. "Go back and tell Emperor Taixu, ten years of peace? What I want is for Taixu Palace to never dare to offend my Tianxuan Sect again."

The envoy, pale-faced, scrambled out of the hall. Su Yao's lips curled into a smile, her crimson spear poised, signaling her to battle. Qin Yuan stood up. "Gather three thousand elite troops. We will depart tonight."

Sunset City, the first city on the outskirts of Mount Taixu. The guards on the city walls were still sleepy, their torches flickering in the night wind. Qin Yuan stood a hundred feet outside the city, his bone blade drawn, and slashed out. Golden blade energy tore through the night sky, striking the protective array's light barrier. The barrier trembled violently, cracks appearing. A second strike widened the cracks. A third strike shattered the barrier. The city gate exploded, sending splinters of wood flying.

Qin Yuan led his men into the city. The city's defenders, roused from their sleep, were disheveled and hastily engaged in battle. The defending general of Sunset City, a Void Sovereign at the second level, met them with a long halberd. Twenty golden lines lit up on Qin Yuan's bone blade; the first strike severed the halberd shaft, the second severed an arm, and the third decapitated him. Hong Yue led her cavalry into the city, their spears cutting down fleeing soldiers. Su Yao and her men secured the city walls, planting the Heavenly Profound Sect's banner. Before dawn, Sunset City had already changed hands.

Qin Yuan stood on the city wall, gazing towards the direction of Mount Taixu. "Next city, Cold Iron City."

Cold Iron City was the strongest fortress surrounding the Taixu Palace. The city walls were covered in defensive runes, and giant crossbows were mounted on the ramparts. The commander was no ordinary general, but Yue Yao, the Holy Maiden of the Taixu Palace. Yue Yao was a fourth-level Void Sovereign, dressed in snow-white robes, with a slender sword hanging at her waist. She stood before the city gate, which remained tightly shut behind her.

Qin Yuan's army besieged the city, and Yueyao went out to meet them in battle. The two faced off on the battlefield.

"To surrender or not to surrender?" Qin Yuan asked. Yue Yao didn't speak, but drew her sword. She activated the Tai Xu Palm technique, her palm force as vast as a mountain and as boundless as the sea. Qin Yuan parried with his bone blade, but was forced back several steps, his tiger's mouth splitting open. He was only at the ninth level of the Void God Emperor realm, the difference in cultivation was too great. But he did not retreat. Burning a portion of his lifespan, twenty patterns lit up on his bone blade, and he charged forward.

The two fought fiercely, swords clashing. Qin Yuan didn't seek a quick victory, only to stall her. He didn't speak, only fought. Yue Yao became increasingly distracted as the fight progressed; her swordplay slowed, and the struggle in her eyes grew more and more apparent. Qin Yuan seized an opening, placing his bone blade against her neck.

"The Grand Void Emperor is not a wise ruler; why should you risk your life for him?"

Yueyao paused for a moment. "You don't understand."

"I understand. He's just using you. You're his tool, never his daughter."

Yueyao's sword fell. She thought of Emperor Taixu—adopted and trained from childhood, she had never been truly treated. She killed for him, fought for him, did everything for him. He gave her orders, not care. She knelt down and planted her sword in the ground. "I surrender."

The city gates swung open. The garrison of Cold Iron City surrendered, and the Tianxuan Sect army entered the city without losing a single soldier. Yueyao knelt before Qin Yuan, offering him her sword. Qin Yuan helped her up. "From now on, you belong to the Tianxuan Sect, not anyone's tool." Yueyao looked up at him, her eyes shining.