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

After passing through the last patch of woodland shrouded in pale purple starlight, the view suddenly opened up before us.

This is an extremely vast basin.

In the center of the basin, a majestic, enormous stone platform, seemingly carved from the core of a single dark silver star, rises abruptly from the ground and pierces the clouds.

The stone platform has a smooth, mirror-like surface, yet it is covered with naturally formed, mysterious patterns that resemble the veins of a galaxy.

Bathed in the starlight of the secret realm, it flowed with a shimmering glow.

This is the final destination of our journey—the Meteorite Terrace.

An ancient, vast, and supremely majestic aura emanated from the meteorite platform, enveloping the entire basin.

All the disciples who arrived there unconsciously restrained their aura and felt a sense of awe.

What's even more eye-catching are the figures gathered on the gentle slope below the meteorite platform.

All ten disciples of the outer academy of Qinglu Academy were present!

Clearly, those who managed to emerge from the perilous secret realm and reach this final destination each possess extraordinary experiences and strength.

Everyone's aura was significantly stronger than before entering the secret realm.

Starlight flowed faintly around them, clearly indicating that they had benefited greatly from this meteorite secret realm.

The arrival of Yao Mengkang and his group of five immediately attracted everyone's attention.

When they sensed the extraordinary and powerful aura emanating from them, many people's eyes flashed with surprise and solemnity.

Yao Mengkang's gaze swept across the crowd, taking in everyone's state.

Mu Qingqing: At the tenth level of the Meridian Opening Realm, her realm is stable, her breath is long and deep, and her Yuan Power is solid. Clearly, her foundation is extremely solid.

She and Xu Ziyi standing together formed a beautiful sight.

Xu Ziyi: Peak of the ninth level of the Qi Refining Realm, only one step away from the tenth level. Her aura is cold and sharp, and her sword intent seems to be even purer.

Huo Ling'er and Wang Le: These two were traveling together, and their relationship seemed to be... unusual.

Huo Ling'er was still dressed in a fiery red outfit, but the irritability between her brows seemed to have been somewhat smoothed out.

Instead, he exuded a heroic and sharp aura, and his cultivation level had reached the tenth level of the Meridian Opening stage, with a stable realm.

Wang Le, standing beside her, was dressed in a simple blue long gown, with a gentle smile on his face.

His aura was calm and still, yet it also emanated the fluctuations of the tenth level of the Meridian Opening stage. Moreover, his Yuan Power circulated smoothly, indicating that his foundation was extremely solid.

What's even more noteworthy is the interaction between the two.

Huo Ling'er was complaining impatiently about the wait, but Wang Le smiled and whispered soothing words, handing her a pot of water.

Although Huo Ling'er was sharp-tongued, she still accepted it.

The natural closeness between the two is far beyond that of ordinary teammates.

"Tsk, I didn't expect that Senior Sister Huo, that fiery temper, would actually be calmed down by Senior Brother Wang's gentle approach?"

Li Han teased in a low voice, his tone tinged with surprise.

Yao Mengkang nodded slightly. The two of them, one with a fiery temper and the other with a gentle temperament, complemented each other quite well.

Shi Hao: This muscular, dark-skinned disciple stood alone in a corner, his body bearing obvious signs of weathering and battle.

His robes were torn in many places, and he looked somewhat tired, but his eyes were as firm as a rock.

His cultivation level has reached the peak of the ninth level of the Meridian Opening stage, just one step away from the tenth level.

His aura was much stronger than before, but compared with the other tenth-level cultivators, he seemed somewhat lackluster.

His gaze swept over the imposing figures of Yao Mengkang, Xuan Yuanpo, and the others, a barely perceptible bitterness appearing on his lips as he silently clenched his fist.

Xu Zijian: As Xu Ziyi's older brother, his breathing was somewhat unstable at this moment, and the starlight around him flowed slightly chaotically.

It was clear that he had only recently broken through to the tenth level of the Meridian Opening Realm, and his realm was not yet fully stable.

When he saw Yao Mengkang and the others, especially when he saw that Xu Ziyi was safe and sound, he visibly breathed a sigh of relief and nodded to Yao Mengkang.

Xu Ziyi also softly called out "Brother" and walked over.

Xuanyuan Po: When Yao Mengkang's gaze fell on Xuanyuan Po, even with his composure, he couldn't help but be shocked!

At this moment, Xuanyuan Po stood alone on a protruding rock, arms crossed, his posture as straight as a spear.

The aura emanating from his body had clearly reached the twelfth level of the Meridian Opening stage!

Moreover, his realm was stable, his Yuan power was thick and powerful, and it faintly carried a sharp intent that could tear everything apart!

He obtained an extraordinary opportunity in this secret realm, breaking through the twelve levels that countless people dream of in one fell swoop!

Although it was slightly inferior to Yao Mengkang's thirteenfold, it was still astonishing!

Seemingly sensing Yao Mengkang's gaze, Xuan Yuanpo turned his head, a glint of light flashing in his sharp eyes.

A battle-ready smile appeared on his face, and a booming voice rang out:

"Brother Yao! You've arrived! It seems your trip to the secret realm has been quite fruitful!"

His gaze lingered on Yao Mengkang for a moment, a barely perceptible hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

They seemed to have sensed Yao Mengkang's unfathomable strength, but their fighting spirit only grew stronger.

Yao Mengkang smiled slightly and responded with neither arrogance nor servility:

"Junior Brother Xuanyuan is truly a hidden master, having already reached the twelfth level of the Heavenly Realm. He is truly admirable."

"Haha, same to you!"

Xuanyuan Po laughed loudly, then glanced at Zhou Tiancan, whose blood and qi were like a dragon beside Yao Mengkang, and exclaimed in admiration.

"Junior Brother Zhou is quite impressive; his physical strength is probably enough to tear a tiger or leopard apart!"

Zhou Tiancan scratched his head and chuckled sheepishly. He didn't have any ill feelings towards Xuan Yuanpo.

Just then, a steady, mountain-like aura approached from afar.

Before everyone's eyes, Elder Qin Feng, the most recognized youngest elder in the outer courtyard, arrived.

He stood tall and straight like a pine tree, and his face looked unusually young, as if he were only twenty-three or twenty-four years old.

He had a healthy tan complexion, well-defined facial features, and sharp, arched eyebrows that slanted upwards towards his temples.

His eyes shone like morning stars, and a sharp light shone in them as he looked around, making him appear heroic and spirited.

He wasn't wearing the usual loose-fitting deacon robes, but rather a dark blue outfit.

Embroidered with silver thread in flowing cloud patterns, it neatly and crisply outlines a well-proportioned and agile figure.

His jet-black hair was not tied up with a crown, but simply tied into a bun at the back of his head with a simple ebony hairpin. A few unruly strands of hair fell in front of his forehead, which added to his free and unrestrained spirit.

Elder Qin's gaze was sharp as lightning, slowly sweeping over the many disciples present.

It lingered briefly, especially on Yao Mengkang, Xuanyuan Po, and Zhou Tiancan, whose physical bodies shone with a precious light.

A barely perceptible hint of approval flashed in his eyes.

He spoke, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable authority that clearly reached everyone's ears:

"Your ability to reach this place proves that you are among the best of the outer disciples this year, and that you have also gained considerable opportunities during this secret realm experience."

He shifted his tone slightly, adding a hint of warning:

"However, it should be noted that fortune and misfortune are intertwined. As you have probably already discovered, while the power of the stars in this secret realm can rapidly enhance one's cultivation..."

"However, it will weaken your foundation to some extent, and the violent aura in the power of the stars will make you more belligerent, greatly increasing the possibility of you going astray in your future cultivation."

These words served as a wake-up call, causing some disciples, whose cultivation had improved rapidly but whose realms were not yet fully stable, like Xu Zijian, to feel a chill in their hearts and to secretly become vigilant.

"A month and a half has passed since the secret realm opened."

Deacon Qin continued,

"You have only fifteen days left to stay here."

"And this Starfall Platform before you is the ultimate opportunity for your journey through this secret realm, and also the place to resolve your physical shortcomings!"

All eyes instantly focused on the majestic, ancient stone platform, their gazes burning with fervor.

Elder Qin pointed to the Starfall Platform and explained in detail:

"First, this platform is spacious enough to accommodate all of you."

"After you have taken your places on the platform, you may proceed to the central area on your own."

"Remember, the closer you are to the center of the meteorite platform, the greater the benefits you will receive!"

"How far you can go depends entirely on your own foundation and potential; it cannot be forced."

"Secondly, you need not worry about fighting among yourselves after you take the stage."

Elder Qin's tone carried a hint of strangeness.

"This meteorite platform has its own rules."

"Firstly, only cultivators at the Qi Opening Realm are allowed to ascend the stage; those at the Spirit Sea Realm and above will be excluded."

"Secondly, once on the stage, one will be subject to an invisible suppression. Under this suppression, no one can attack others. If anyone harbors ill intentions and attempts to make a move, it will trigger the Starfall Platform's own restrictions, instantly annihilating them!"

"Therefore, once you are on stage, you only need to focus on yourselves."

Upon hearing this rule, many people secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

After all, the difference in strength among the people present had widened, and if they could fight at will, it was inevitable that some people would harbor malicious intentions.

That would make things much fairer.

"Third, and most importantly."

Elder Qin's expression turned serious.

"When you ascend the Starfall Platform and move forward under pressure until you reach the limit of your endurance, do not resist, relax your mind."

"At that time, you will enter a special illusion."

"The longer you stay in that illusionary realm, the greater the benefits you will gain!"

"This is an excellent opportunity to temper one's spirit, see the path clearly, and verify what one has learned!"

"Fourth," Elder Qin emphasized finally.

"Once you enter the illusion, remember to carefully comprehend the profound mysteries of the stellar power flowing around you!"

"The Starfall Platform is incredibly powerful. Based on your understanding of stellar power within the illusion, it will automatically draw upon the corresponding, purer, and gentler stellar power to perform a final body tempering for you!"

"And take away the violent aura from you, which will help you consolidate your realm and solidify your foundation."

"Even breaking through to the Spirit Sea Realm in the future will bring immeasurable benefits!"

When Elder Qin mentioned the third and fourth rules.

Yao Mengkang, Zhou Tiancan, and Li Han, who were standing in the crowd, almost simultaneously had an amazing gleam in their eyes.

The excitement and thrill in my heart were almost impossible to contain!

Enlightenment through illusion? Tempering the body with the power of stars?

This is an opportunity tailor-made for them!

The three of them had just received the Star Dao inheritance from Lingtian Daoist—the "Zhou Tian Star God Technique," the "Star Undying Body," and the "Nine Transformations of the Star God"!

I was just worried about not having enough time and a suitable environment to deeply understand and digest it!

Isn't this illusionary Starfall Platform the perfect place for enlightenment?

Moreover, the Starfall Platform automatically activates the power of stars to temper the body based on comprehension, which undoubtedly maximizes the advantages of their newly acquired techniques!

This was especially helpful to Zhou Tiancan, who was majoring in the "Undying Star Body" technique, and Yao Mengkang, who needed to integrate the power of stars into his own chaotic foundation.

The three exchanged a glance, all seeing the barely suppressed eagerness and determination in each other's eyes.

These final fifteen days, this Starfall Platform, will be the ultimate stage for them to completely transform the harvest from the secret realm into strength and widen the absolute gap with other geniuses!

Elder Qin took in everyone's reactions, said nothing more, and waved his sleeve:

"Step onto the stage! Seize this last opportunity! I hope you all... will act accordingly!"

As soon as the words fell, the disciples no longer hesitated, and their figures moved in unison, transforming into dozens of streams of light of different colors.

With unwavering faith and a yearning for opportunity, they rushed towards the Starfall Platform, which contained endless wonders!

The final competition has officially begun!