From Five Animal Exercises to being hailed as a saint and ancestor

Inside the quiet room, starlight shimmered, and warm jade emitted a gentle mist.

The scroll, carved from evergreen bamboo, titled "Ling Tian's Last Words," was slowly rolled up.

Yao Mengkang's fingers brushed across the cool bamboo strips, as if he could still feel the resentment and sorrow of the senior named Ling Tian as he wrote these words at the end of his life.

Spanning millennia, reaching the peak of the Throne Dao Realm, fighting against the Eighth Realm, and standing shoulder to shoulder with the Ninth Realm for a quarter of an hour... What an astonishingly talented and brilliant figure this is!

He described a path of asceticism that leads to the highest realm, yet is fraught with thorns and despair.

It was like a heavy shackle, binding the hearts of the three of them.

To open the meridians, one must overcome thirteen taboos; the spiritual sea must become boundless; the primordial elixir must condense the seed of the Dao; the divine bridge requires the unity of spirit and flesh; the purple mansion requires boundless return to the origin; and the Dao infant requires the fusion of qi and blood. Finally, one must guide the Dao infant into the chaotic chakra of the origin of life.

Only by comprehending all the rules of the Great Dao can one have a sliver of hope for transcendence...

Every step was incredibly difficult!

Especially the ultimate realm of the seventh stage, the Throne of Dao, which only the Dao Ancestor could achieve!

What's even more suffocating is the very nature of those laws!

The eighth realm is called sainthood, the ninth realm is called destiny; no wonder the dean and senior Li said that.

Those at the eighth and ninth realms rarely intervene, and end up as puppets of the Heavenly Dao!

The only way to survive is to rely on the protection of the elusive and ethereal Ten Realms Supreme Being.

Either submit to the powerful, accept the status of those who came before, and ruin your own path...

The quiet room was deathly silent, with only the faint sound of the living star core slowly rotating.

Li Han's face was pale, and his voice was hoarse.

"Thirteen levels of meridian opening... boundless spiritual sea... Dao infant residing in the chaotic meridian wheel... Is this truly within human capability?"

"And what about the hidden dangers of the eighth and ninth realms... Do we really want to go down this path?"

He was by nature cautious and self-interested, and now, facing this almost hopeless road ahead, he couldn't help but feel fear and confusion.

Zhou Tiancan gripped the scroll of "The Undying Star Body" tightly, his eyes, as large as copper bells, filled with shock and turmoil.

He craved power and a strong physical body, but the realm described by Lingtian Daoist was too distant and difficult for him.

"I...I just want to become a fighter, to protect the people I want to protect...This path sounds too...too difficult."

Yao Mengkang remained silent, his heart also churning with turmoil.

He possesses the extraordinary "Stone Bead," which might give him an advantage in deduce cultivation techniques and sense danger.

"But each realm mentioned by Daoist Lingtian requires genuine accumulation, comprehension, and breakthroughs, and even involves the profound and mysterious 'Dao'."

"He has only a preliminary understanding of that chaotic chakra so far, and is passively accepting it."

Whether or not one can actively guide a Dao Infant to reside there and comprehend the rules, like Daoist Lingtian, remains to be seen.

The road ahead is long and uncertain, and the outcome is unpredictable.

A sense of unease about the future and a faint, lingering fear permeated the three of them.

After a long while, Zhou Tiancan suddenly shook his head.

As if trying to shake off those chaotic thoughts, he spoke in a deep, muffled voice, breaking the silence:

"Senior Brother Yao, Junior Brother Li, why are you thinking so much!"

He patted the bamboo scroll titled "The Undying Star Body" in his hand, then pointed to himself and his two companions:

"What realm are we at now? The Meridian Opening Realm! We haven't even touched the threshold of the Spirit Sea Realm yet!"

"Those seventh and eighth realms are a hundred and eight thousand miles away from us! Whether we'll even live to see them is another matter!"

His eyes regained their firmness and purity.

"I, Old Zhou, don't have all those complicated schemes. I just know that if I get an opportunity, I'll practice!"

"Only by becoming stronger can we survive and avoid being bullied!"

"As for whether I can become a Dao Master or transcend worldly limitations in the future, that's a matter for later!"

"As long as you've earned your sweat and the effort you've put in, that's enough! Just do it!"

These words, like a resounding bell, dispelled the gloom in Yao Mengkang and Li Han's hearts.

Yes, we have to take things one step at a time.

Lingtian Daoren's final words were a warning and a guide, telling them that the road ahead was difficult and that they needed to lay a solid foundation, but they were by no means a reason for them to give up!

If one is afraid to set sail because of the storms in the distance, that is the true sign that one's heart is clouded.

Yao Mengkang's eyes regained their sparkle. He took a deep breath and nodded.

"Tian Shen is right! The path is beneath our feet, let's start walking!"

"Senior Ling Tiandao pointed us in the right direction and emphasized the importance of a solid foundation. This is not despair, but a precious legacy!"

Li Han also took a deep breath, suppressing the unease in his heart, and his eyes regained their usual sharpness:

"That's right! At least we know how to hone the first six realms to their fullest potential."

"As for the seventh realm and beyond... things will work themselves out! I'll practice the 'Nine Transformations of the Star God' first!"

With their inner conflicts resolved, the three began to distribute the hard-won inheritance.

After a brief discussion:

Yao Mengkang's main cultivation method is the "Zhou Tian Xing Shen Jue" (The Heavenly Star God Technique), which points directly to the Great Dao and is very compatible with his thirteen-level foundation of opening the meridians and the sensation of the Chaos Chakra.

Zhou Tiancan specializes in the "Undying Star Body" technique. He possesses exceptional physical talent, and his Dragon Spine Meridian is already open. Following the body refinement path will allow him to maximize his advantages.

Li Han specializes in assassination, harassment, and stealth techniques from "Nine Transformations of Star Gods," which perfectly match his fighting style.

The three agreed to record the non-core, secret parts of the cultivation techniques they had acquired, exchange copies with each other, and learn from each other to broaden their horizons.

The scroll containing Lingtian Daoren's endless regrets and hopes, "Lingtian's Last Words," was solemnly put away by Yao Mengkang, to await the future.

After dividing the spoils, the three did not leave immediately.

This Starfall Quiet Room is rich in vital energy and has a safe environment, making it an excellent place to digest and absorb the new techniques and get familiar with them.

They each found a place and immersed themselves in new cultivation.

Yao Mengkang unfolded the "Zhou Tian Xing Shen Jue" and immersed his consciousness in it, where the mysterious diagrams depicted the trajectories of the stars and human sensations.

It seemed to resonate faintly with the chaotic chakra within his body, allowing his understanding of the power of the stars to enter a completely new level.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

When the three opened their eyes again, their demeanor had changed slightly.

In the depths of his eyes, there seemed to be a touch of starlight's profundity and composure.

"It's time to leave."

Yao Mengkang stood up, his gaze sweeping over the quiet room that had given them such a great opportunity, and silently bowed to the void once more.

Zhou Tiancan and Li Han also bowed respectfully.

Using the loophole in the formation they had used to enter, the three quietly left the Starfall Chamber and returned to the ground.

The scene before them took them slightly by surprise.

The circular valley remains the same, but it is now a world apart from the hellish scene of just a few days ago.

The once rampant energy turbulence has mostly subsided, leaving only devastation in its wake.

Collapsed mountain walls, shattered crystal forests, and huge, ferocious claw marks and cracks spread across the earth.

Although the air was still filled with rich stellar energy, the violence and bloodshed had diminished, replaced by a deathly stillness after the great battle.

Those powerful Star Beasts, whether they were overlords of the Ninth Realm or other predators, had long since disappeared.

Presumably, after sharing enough "resources," they each went their separate ways to digest their gains or went into hiding.

The battlefield was cleaned up "very cleanly," leaving no valuable debris or energy crystals for those who came after, aside from the traces of destruction.

"That saved us some trouble." Li Han shrugged, somewhat regretful that he couldn't pick up any more scraps.

"Let's go to the center of the secret realm. We can't miss the opportunity at the Starfall Platform."

After Yao Mengkang determined the direction, the three of them stopped and used their movement techniques to rush towards the central area of ​​the secret realm.

The closer you get to the center of the secret realm, the more "normal" the surrounding environment becomes, with fewer distorted spatial rifts and violent energy zones.

More landforms resembling the mountains and rivers of the outside world appeared, except that all the plants were covered with a faint starlight.

As the environment changed, they gradually encountered more and more disciples from other academies.

Most of these disciples were in a hurry, either acting alone or in groups of two or three. Their auras varied in strength, but those who had made it this far were clearly no ordinary people.

Many of them were injured, their eyes were filled with vigilance, and they maintained a safe distance from each other when they met.

Just as the three were passing through a low grove of bushes that emitted a blue glow, they heard faint voices and energy fluctuations ahead.

Yao Mengkang's eyes flickered slightly, signaling Zhou Tiancan and Li Han to slow down and quietly approach.

In a small clearing in the woods, two slender figures stood back to back, warily watching their surroundings.

One of them, holding a slender sword, stood tall and had a cool and aloof demeanor; it was Xu Ziyi.

The other person, with a soft whip around her waist and a graceful figure, was none other than Mu Qingqing!

The two of them actually teamed up?

Moreover, judging from the situation, it seems that a battle has just taken place, and there are still some scattered starlight from the disintegration of the Star Beasts around.

Yao Mengkang and the other two exchanged a glance, then removed their concealment and revealed themselves.

"Senior Brother Yao? Senior Brother Zhou? Senior Brother Li?" Xu Ziyi was the first to spot them, a hint of surprise flashing in her beautiful eyes.

After recognizing Yao Mengkang and the other two, they were visibly much happier.

Mu Qingqing also turned her head, her cool gaze falling on Zhou Tiancan. She paused slightly, then nodded gently.

"Senior Brother Yao." Her gaze seemed to casually sweep over Zhou Tiancan, sensing that he was much stronger than he had been a dozen days ago.

"Junior Sister Mu, Junior Sister Xu," Yao Mengkang greeted them with a smile. "I didn't expect to meet you here. It seems you two have had a good time."

Zhou Tiancan looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated, and he and Li Han also exchanged greetings.

Mu Qingqing smiled gently, with a hint of relief in her eyes.

"Don't even mention it, we almost died in this secret realm. Luckily, we met Junior Sister Xu, and together we managed to get here."

She looked at Yao Mengkang and the other two and sighed.

"As for the three of you, your auras are quite powerful; you must have encountered many extraordinary opportunities on this trip."

When no one was paying attention, Mu Qingqing felt the powerful aura of Zhou Tiancan and revealed a gratified smile.

Xu Ziyi didn't speak, she just stood there quietly, but a hint of curiosity was in her eyes.

Yao Mengkang's team seemed much stronger than it had been a dozen days ago, especially Yao Mengkang himself, who seemed to have undergone a complete transformation.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Yao Mengkang asked.

"Do you two know the current situation at the center of the secret realm? How much time is left until the assessment ends?"

Mu Qingqing's expression turned serious as she spoke.

"We just arrived in this area not long ago."

"Although the secret realm is timeless, there should still be more than ten days left. I wonder what kind of opportunity the 'Starfall Platform' is that allows people to perceive the secret of the power of stars."

Yao Mengkang's eyes flickered slightly as he exchanged a glance with Zhou Tiancan and Li Han.

"In that case, how about we travel together? That way we can look after each other."

Yao Mengkang extended an invitation. Mu Qingqing and Xu Ziyi were both capable and seemed trustworthy.

I wonder if I'll ever get to see that idiot Zhou Tiancan and Junior Sister Qingqing...

Mu Qingqing looked at Xu Ziyi, and seeing her nod slightly, she readily agreed.

"Great! With Senior Brother Yao and the others around, we feel much more at ease!"

So the five-person team reunited, rested briefly, and then continued their journey toward the legendary center of the secret realm—the Starfall Platform.

The road ahead seems to be looking increasingly promising.