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

Qin Yuan stood atop the Guixu Palace, the light of nine suns pouring down from the chaotic sky, casting a long shadow over him. Lately, he'd had a strange feeling, as if something from beyond the myriad realms was calling to him. It wasn't a sound, nor a sight, but a deep, bone-deep stirring. Every time he closed his eyes, he could see a golden world, with nine suns, spiritual energy a hundred times richer than the Source of All Dao, and an aura of power he'd never seen before.

Su Yao carried the teapot up and sat down beside him. "Staring blankly again?"

Qin Yuan took the teacup and took a sip. "I might have to go somewhere."

"Where to?"

"Above all realms," Qin Yuan gazed at the distant sea of ​​clouds. "There lies even greater power, and also greater danger."

Su Yao was silent for a moment, then took the teacup from his hand, poured out the cold tea, and refilled it. "Wherever you go, we'll go."

Qin Yuan shook his head. "This time is different. The laws of heaven and earth in that place will suppress cultivation, and you might not be able to protect your strength. I'll go alone, find out the situation, and then come back to pick you up."

Su Yao looked at him without speaking. Yan Lingji jumped down from the railing and sheathed her longsword. "You're always alone. If we don't come, you won't take us. If you do take us, we won't be a burden." Qin Yuan looked at the seven women and didn't insist any further.

The sky cracked. Not slowly, but a golden fissure suddenly appeared in the sky, as if ripped apart by an invisible giant hand. Seven-colored light poured down from the crack, illuminating the entire Guixu Palace. Qin Yuan drew his bone blade, ten thousand golden patterns lighting up simultaneously. He looked up and saw a gigantic golden hand emerge from the crack. The hand blotted out the sky, its five fingers spread wide, the lines on its palm clearly visible. It didn't strike down, but gently grasped.

Su Yao's teapot slipped from her hand, smashing to the ground. Yan Lingji's longsword flew from her grasp, hovering in mid-air. Mu Hongyi's ancient book closed by itself and flew away. Jian Wushuang's sword leaped from his knees, embedding itself in the stone slab of the plaza. The frost beneath Bing Ji's feet instantly melted into water. Hong Yue's spear was pinned to the ground, its shaft trembling violently. The flowers Yue Yao had picked scattered across the ground, their petals blown away by the wind. The seven women were simultaneously enveloped in golden light, their bodies rising into the air like seven leaves blown away by the wind.

Qin Yuan slashed at the golden palm with his blade. The blade struck the palm, sparks flying, but the palm remained unmoved. The golden palm retaliated, sending Qin Yuan flying like a kite with a broken string, crashing through the wall of the Guixu Palace and rolling onto the plaza outside. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, three ribs were broken, and the patterns on his bone blade had faded considerably.

A deep, resonant voice echoed from the crack, as if it came from eternity ago. "The seven women possess extraordinary physiques—the Chaos Saint Body, the Heavenly Fire Saint Body, the Limitless Sword Body, the Profound Ice Saint Body, the Purple Thunder Saint Body, the Azure Wood Saint Body, and the Taiyin Saint Body. I will take them; they will be of great use. If you wish to save them, come to the Chaos Origin Realm." Qin Yuan rose from the ruins, wiped the blood from his mouth, and looked up at the crack. "Where is the Chaos Origin Realm?" the voice asked. "You don't even know the Chaos Origin Realm? Truly a person from a lowly world. The Dao Ancestor here is merely the beginning." The crack closed. The seven-colored light dissipated. The seven women vanished.

Qin Yuan stood there, looking at where they had just been. Shards of Su Yao's teapot were scattered everywhere, tea seeping into the cracks in the stones. Yan Lingji's longsword was stuck in a distant stone slab, its blade trembling slightly. Mu Hongyi's ancient book lay on the garden path, rustling in the wind. Jian Wushuang's sword was still stuck in the plaza. The water stains where Bingji had stood had dried. Hongyue's spear was embedded in the ground, its shaft swaying gently in the wind. Yueyao's petals were scattered everywhere. Qin Yuan walked over, pulled out Jian Wushuang's sword, and hung it at his waist. He pulled out Hongyue's spear and stood it by the palace gate. He picked up Mu Hongyi's ancient book, closed it, and put it in his robes. He put away Yan Lingji's sword and wrapped it in red silk. He picked up each shard of Su Yao's teapot and wrapped it in cloth. He picked up the most intact petal from Yueyao's book and tucked it between the pages. He went into the palace and began packing his belongings. The Elder of Ten Thousand Paths stood at the entrance of the hall, his white hair fluttering in the wind. "The myriad realms need you." Qin Yuan didn't look at him. "Without them, the myriad realms mean nothing to me." The Elder of Ten Thousand Paths remained silent for a long time before stepping aside to make way. Qin Yuan stepped into the crevice.

The crack closed behind him. Qin Yuan landed on a golden wasteland, the sand beneath his feet soft and yielding. Above him was a chaotic sky, with nine suns lined up in a row, each a different color and temperature—red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple, black, and white. The red sun was the hottest, the black sun the coldest. The air was thick with primal energy, so dense it seemed to condense into liquid; each breath felt like drinking soup. But soon, Qin Yuan felt the suppression. His cultivation level was compressed from Dao Ancestor to only the first level of Chaos Heavenly Monarch. The patterns on his bone blade dimmed from ten thousand to only five hundred, their light as faint as a dying candle.

A young man approached from afar. He wore a blue Taoist robe, a long sword at his waist, and a contemptuous smile on his face. He saw Qin Yuan, sized him up, and sneered. "A first-level Chaos Heavenly Lord? This kind of trash dares to come to the Chaos Origin Realm?" He reached out to slap Qin Yuan's face. Qin Yuan didn't dodge. The hand struck Qin Yuan's face with a crisp sound. The young man laughed even harder, drew his long sword, and thrust it towards Qin Yuan's throat. Qin Yuan drew his bone blade. The first strike severed the young man's sword. The blade flew out and embedded itself in the ground, buzzing. The second strike severed the young man's right arm. The severed arm lay on the ground, the fingers still twitching. The third strike placed the blade against the young man's neck. The young man's face turned deathly pale, his knees buckled, and he knelt on the ground. "Spare...spare my life..." Qin Yuan asked, "Where is this?" The young man said, "The Chaos Origin Realm...the Desolate Region..." Qin Yuan asked again, "Where is the Heavenly Mystery Divine Sect?" The young man shook his head. "The Heavenly Mystery Sect is in the Divine Realm... I don't know the way... I'm just a lowly cultivator..." Qin Yuan killed him with a single slash, searching his divine consciousness.

The Desolate Domain is the weakest of the Nine Domains. It is dominated by three major powers: the Myriad Beasts Manor, the Heavenly Sword Sect, and the Netherworld Valley. The Heavenly Mystery Sect resides in the Divine Domain, countless miles away from the Desolate Domain. To enter the Divine Domain, one must first achieve a ranking in the "Genius Tournament" of each domain. The seven women were captured by the Heavenly Mystery Sect and are currently undergoing the "Goddess Trial." Qin Yuan stood up and walked towards the nearest city.

The city walls of the desolate city were black, hundreds of feet high. Two rows of guards stood at the city gate, dressed in black armor and wielding long halberds. "Identity token," one guard said, extending his hand. Qin Yuan had no token. The guard's eyes narrowed. "No token, no entry." Qin Yuan drew his sword. With a single stroke, he decapitated the guard. The head flew up, landed on the ground, and rolled to a corner. The other guards rushed forward, their halberds thrusting. Qin Yuan swept his bone blade across, and three heads fell to the ground. The remaining guards scattered and ran into the city.