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

"There's no one left alive in this city." Mu Hongyi sheathed her sword, her voice indifferent. "We're too late."

Qin Yuan remained silent.

He raised his head and looked up at the sky. The altar of the Heavenly Mystery Cult, ancient demonic energy, seventeen corrupted worlds... These fragments pieced together in his mind, gradually forming a blurry picture.

Someone is collecting something.

Or perhaps, it's waking something up.

"Let's go." Qin Yuan withdrew his gaze. "To the Chaos Origin Realm."

"Now?" Hongyue asked.

"The sooner the better." Qin Yuan tore open space again with his fingers. "If this drags on any longer, I'm afraid it won't just be a problem of seventeen worlds."

Meanwhile, in the Eternal Heaven.

Heavenly Sword Holy Land, Holy Lord's Hall.

Sword Maniac stood at the highest point of the main hall, gazing at the strange, dark red clouds on the distant horizon. Those clouds had suddenly appeared three days ago and had not yet dispersed, like a scar across the sky.

"Your Majesty, we've found it."

A figure appeared silently behind the sword fanatic, kneeling on one knee.

"explain."

"The source of that crack is in the direction of the ruins of the Heavenly Secrets Sect's headquarters. According to the last message sent back by our moles planted in the sect, the Heavenly Secrets Sect leader sent people to dig deep into the ruins three months ago and unearthed something."

"What is it?"

"A door."

The sword fanatic's fingers tightened suddenly as he gripped the sword.

"Is there anything else?"

"That's all. The spy lost contact after sending out that message; they were probably silenced. Also..." The voice paused, "Seven of the thirty-six holy lands and twelve of the seventy-two divine races have been operating in secret recently, and their target seems to be that ruin as well."

"Are they insane?" For the first time, a hint of anger appeared in the Sword Maniac's voice. "Wasn't the Heavenly Mystery Sect's mess big enough back then? Do they want to follow in their footsteps?"

No one answered him.

Sword fanatic took a deep breath and slowly closed his eyes. A moment later, he opened his eyes, his gaze filled with determination.

"Pass down the order: Heavenly Sword Holy Land is to enter maximum alert. All disciples currently training outside the Holy Land must return within three days. Furthermore…"

He paused.

"Send someone to the capital to request an audience with the Ninth Princess."

The fastest way to maintain contact between the Guixu Palace and the Eternal Heaven Domain is through the Ninth Princess, Yan Yue. She once gave Qin Yuan a communication token, but that token hasn't been lit up in a long time.

Sword Maniac didn't know if Qin Yuan would come.

But he had a premonition—this time, without Qin Yuan, no one could handle it.

At the edge of the Xuanhuang Great World, a spatial rift opened, and Qin Yuan and the seven women emerged from it.

Before them stretched a dense, black sea of ​​fog, its vapors churning as if alive. Deep within the fog, the faint outlines of dilapidated buildings could be seen—the oldest ruins, older than any other relic in the Eternal Heaven Domain.

The Primordial Chaos Realm.

Qin Yuan stopped at the edge of the sea of ​​fog, and the patterns on his bone blade began to flash intensely.

The seven women sensed something at the same time and looked together into the depths of the foggy sea.

There is something watching them.

"Can you feel it?" Su Yao's voice was soft, but her clenched fists betrayed her tension.

Qin Yuan nodded.

He sensed it.

It wasn't just demonic energy; there was also an even more ancient and powerful presence, like a heart buried deep underground, slowly beginning to beat again.

And that heart is calling out for something.

It's not about calling out to him.

Qin Yuan slowly turned his head to look at the seven women behind him.

The seven women's primordial bodies, reflected in the sea of ​​mist, simultaneously shone with different colors of light.

Chaos Sacred Body. Heavenly Fire Sacred Body. Limitless Sword Body. Profound Ice Sacred Body. Purple Thunder Sacred Body. Azure Wood Sacred Body. Taiyin Sacred Body.

Seven rays of light intertwined, casting a blurry pattern in the sea of ​​fog.

Qin Yuan squinted and made out the outline of the picture—it was the figure of a woman.

The figure of a woman, taller than a mountain, sleeping in the deepest part of the sea of ​​fog.

The bone blade emitted a low hum in Qin Yuan's hand.

Deep within the sea of ​​fog, the invisible eyes that had been watching them slowly opened a crack.

The misty sea of ​​the Chaotic Origin Realm surged, like a silent behemoth breathing.

Qin Yuan withdrew his gaze and turned to look at the seven women behind him. The light emanating from their sacred bodies was slowly fading, but each of them looked rather pale. The instant the enormous phantom opened its eyes, the primal power within them simultaneously surged wildly, as if gripped tightly by something.

"That was..." Yueyao's voice trembled slightly, and the wildflower in her hand had fallen to the ground without her noticing.

"A remnant image of an ancient goddess." Qin Yuan plunged the bone blade back into the ground beside him, the patterns on the blade still flashing intensely. "It wasn't alive, just a mark. But the fact that it could resonate with your sacred bodies proves one thing."

He paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the seven people.

"The thing inside the seal has begun to awaken."

Flames still lingered on Yan Lingji's fist. She gritted her teeth and said, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's charge in!"

"wait."

Qin Yuan only said this one word.

Yan Lingji wanted to say something, but Su Yao gently pulled her arm. Su Yao shook her head at her, gesturing for her to look at Qin Yuan's right arm. Yan Lingji followed her gaze, her pupils shrinking slightly—Qin Yuan's right hand was hanging limply at his side, the veins on the back of his hand bulging, and a trace of blood seeping from the base of his thumb.

The backlash from forcibly severing the resonance between the seven women and the illusory figure fell entirely on him.

"You need healing." Su Yao stepped forward and placed her palm on Qin Yuan's right arm. The gentle essence of the Chaos Holy Body slowly flowed into his meridians. "Give me at least two hours."

Qin Yuan did not refuse and found a flat rock by the misty sea to sit cross-legged. Su Yao sat down behind him, placing her hands on his back. The Chaos Origin transformed into fine threads, repairing his meridians, which had been shattered by the backlash, one by one. The other six women tacitly dispersed, setting up a perimeter of guard.

Jian Wushuang stood on the outermost edge, one hand resting on the hilt of his sword, his gaze piercing through the edge of the sea of ​​mist, watching for any possible disturbance. Bingji was on the other side, a thin layer of ice already formed beneath her feet; she would immediately detect anything that stepped into the ice. Hongyue planted her spear at her feet, sat cross-legged on a rock, and closed her eyes to meditate. Mu Hongyi stood beside Su Yao, protecting her. Yueyao squatted down beside her, carefully picking up the fallen wildflowers one by one, using her spiritual power to keep them fresh.

Yan Lingji didn't go to stand guard. She sat down opposite Qin Yuan, hugged her knees, and stared at his face.

She remained motionless for two hours.

When Qin Yuan opened his eyes, he saw Yan Lingji staring at him with her eyes burning with flames.

"You almost got into trouble again just now," Yan Lingji said, her voice filled with anger, but also with a hint of lingering fear that she herself didn't realize.

"It's just that a few meridians were torn." Qin Yuan moved his right hand, which had already recovered completely under Su Yao's treatment. "It's nothing serious."