I tamed beasts and achieved immortality in the world of cultivation.

On the mountaintop.

Chen Qing watched Gao Fu leap into the cave and sighed inwardly.

The "Three Heroes of Swordsmanship" – Gao Fu, Sun Wei, and Xie Kun.

He had heard those three names from Xiao Chunan at least ten times. Every time that guy mentioned them, he looked unconvinced and said things like, "Once I've mastered my swordsmanship, I'll definitely have a go at them."

It now seems that Xiao Chunan's "gestures" are a long way off.

Five swords killed four people, cleanly and efficiently, as if they were chopping melons and vegetables.

Chen Qing rubbed his nose and pondered for a moment. If he were to reveal all his trump cards, he might not be much worse than Gao Fu, but the problem was that those trump cards were becoming increasingly rare, while Gao Fu's five sword lights seemed to be just a casual strike.

"This is what they mean by 'it's good to rest in the shade of a big tree.'"

Chen Qing sighed and looked down at the dark cave entrance.

The cave was deep and cold, its destination unknown. Gao Fu and his companions were surely going down to pursue the being who controlled the core of the secret realm.

"The Origin Core of All Things..."

Chen Qing kept those four words in mind; it would be a lie to say he wasn't interested.

If something could tempt even Lu Chenxing, the benefits of obtaining it would be unimaginable.

But reason told him that this was not something a mere Qi Refining Stage 7 cultivator like himself could get involved in. Gao Fu and the other two were the Spirit Suppressors specifically in charge of this matter; their strength, experience, and preparation far surpassed his own. If he, an outsider who had acted on a whim, rashly followed along, he would not only be a hindrance but might also incur the wrath of others.

"Alright, let's quit while we're ahead."

Chen Qing turned and walked towards the Azure Wind Boat. The female cultivator had finished meditating and was standing on the boat waiting for him.

"Let's go, it's time to leave—"

Chen Qing was speaking when suddenly his vision blurred.

A semi-transparent light screen appeared out of thin air, and lines of golden text appeared:

Special entity detected: "World Fragment - Remnant"

[Note: This item is a fragment of the primordial essence left behind after the collapse of a world. It contains a faint power of the world's rules and can be used to activate the "Army Dumpling System" and generate the "Legion Beast Taming Space".]

[Current Status: Currently absorbing the primordial power dissipating from the Abyss Secret Realm. It is expected to complete absorption in three hours, at which time it will depart on its own.]

[Note: This entity possesses the potential to "ascend to a higher world," but its existence is limited. Please dispose of it as soon as possible.]

Chen Qing's pupils contracted slightly.

Fragments of the world?

Military pellet subsystem?

He quickly read the text on the screen twice, his mind reeling with shock.

No wonder the skeletons in this secret realm are abnormally strong—Lu Chenxing said that this secret realm is not strong, at most at the level of the eighth or ninth level of Qi Refining, but the skeletons have soared to the tenth level of Qi Refining.

Now it seems that this thing is most likely the culprit.

"World fragments... upgrading the world..."

Chen Qing's eyes flickered as he quickly made a mental calculation.

The description of this thing is terrifying—the words "Ascension World" don't sound like something someone in the Qi Refining stage should be exposed to.

Let alone those in the Qi Refining stage, even those in the Foundation Establishment or Golden Core stages probably haven't seen a treasure of this level.

But the system clearly stated that this thing would leave after three hours, and it was unknown when it would be encountered again.

Moreover, the words "Army Dumpling System" reminded him of the small print below the Longevity Fruit: "After activating the Legion System, you can actively harvest the essence of unfamiliar beings."

He had never known how to activate it, but now the opportunity was right in front of him!

Chen Qing touched the spirit beast pouch at his waist.

Qingtian has recovered from the aftereffects of the "Ancient Ape True Form." The little guy is quite resilient; he's lively and energetic again after a nap. Danyu is also in good condition. Although Yinyue is a bit weak, she can still romp around and bark a couple of times to bolster morale.

Fortune favors the bold.

Chen Qing gritted his teeth and made a decision in his heart.

He turned to the female cultivator, cupped his hands, and said, "Fellow Daoist, I am quite interested in this cave. I would like to go down and see how those three senior brothers capture core beings, and broaden my horizons as well. Your injuries are no longer serious, so you may wish to leave first."

The female cultivator paused slightly, her gaze sweeping back and forth between Chen Qing and the cave entrance twice, a thoughtful look flashing in her eyes.

She didn't ask any further questions, but simply nodded: "In that case, farewell."

After saying that, she turned to look south—the direction in which Zhao Tu, the Blood Spirit Abyss cultivator, had fled—and silently made her calculations.

The man's defensive talismans and magical artifacts were shattered by Gao Fu's sword, and he escaped by burning his life essence. Even if he didn't die, he would be severely crippled. Moreover, he witnessed the Lingyun Sect's Spirit Suppression Envoy make a move, so he would never dare to come back to cause trouble.

Therefore, the only person who knows that she possesses a Foundation Establishment spiritual item is this Fellow Daoist Chen Qing.

He had sworn an oath to his Daoist heart that he would not harm her.

In other words, she is safe now.

Thinking of this, the female cultivator breathed a slight sigh of relief, turned around and solemnly bowed to Chen Qing: "My name is Yao Qi. I will never forget your life-saving grace. If we meet again in the future, I will definitely repay you handsomely."

Chen Qing waved his hand: "It's just a matter of each taking what they need, no need to be polite."

Yao Qi stood up, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Fellow Daoist Chen just said that he is the garrison commander of Linyuan County. I have something to tell you."

Chen Qing raised an eyebrow slightly: "Please speak."

"Before I arrived at the Abyss Secret Realm, I encountered a cultivator from the Qian Kingdom. From him, I learned something—" Yao Qi lowered her voice slightly, "The Blood Soul Sect is currently gathering cultivators in the Qian Kingdom and will attack the Wu Kingdom within a month at the latest. Since you are the one guarding it, I hope you will make plans as soon as possible."

Chen Qing narrowed his eyes slightly and nodded without making a sound.

This news roughly matches the information he extracted from the mind of that Blood Spirit Abyss cultivator using his Soul-Seizing Technique.

It seems that a major war is indeed brewing in the Qian Kingdom.

"Thank you for informing me, fellow Daoist."

Chen Qing bowed respectfully, his expression unchanged.

Seeing his calm expression, Yao Qi said no more. She lightly touched the ground with her toes and landed on a short sword, transforming into a streak of silver light as she flew towards the direction of the secret realm rift.

Chen Qing watched the silver light disappear into the horizon before turning his gaze to the dark cave entrance.

"Legion System..."

He muttered something to himself, took a deep breath, and patted the spirit beast pouch.

Dan Yu and Qing Tian transformed into two beams of light and landed on the ground, standing on his left and right sides.

Standing upright at a height of four feet, the three golden hairs on its head trembled slightly, and its bright monkey eyes stared intently at the cave entrance. It squeaked twice, looking eager to try.

The five-foot-tall Danyu had a cold and aloof demeanor, his black bean eyes staring coldly at the cave entrance.

Chen Qing looked at the two little ones and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

"Let's go down and take a look."

He leaped down, his figure disappearing into the darkness.

Dan Yu let out a soft cry and spread its wings to follow; Qing Tian peeked down, scratched his head, and then leaped into the air, his three golden feathers drawing a golden arc in the moonlight.