"""

Qi Mountain fully awakened. Although it was not clear about the exact identity of this [Temple Master] in front of it, it thoroughly understood its own state—originally the last ray of light nearing extinction, now somehow extended, the flame unquenched.

Since gaining consciousness, it had not felt any weakness from itself, which demonstrated the wonder of this place and the methods of the person before it.

"Where did you hear about this?"

Su Changqing inquired.

Qi Mountain hesitated for a moment, considering the current situation, and finally said, "I heard about it from an ancient covenant passed down orally to this day."

Under Su Changqing’s gaze, it slowly explained the situation.

The ancient covenant was passed down among the more benevolent sacrificial spirits from generation to generation. It was no great secret and there was no need to conceal it from an extraordinary member of the human race.

After a moment’s conversation.

Qi Mountain fell silent.

Su Changqing, upon hearing about the elder sage who established the sacrificial spirit system, turned his gaze toward the border, toward that abyssal chasm.

And now.

As Qi Mountain’s final words faded away, he gazed at the abyss, pensive, softly saying, "So it was you."

At this moment.

A glimmer flickered in his eyes, and on the Black and White Divine Tree behind him, a fine leaf broke off of its own accord, darting towards the outside. Under Qi Mountain’s gaze, the leaf flew over the border and hovered above the abyss, quivering slightly in the next instant.

A stone thrown causes a thousand ripples.

Amid the leaf’s subtle tremor, it was as if a mirror surface shattered. Chains intertwined and linked with each other slowly emerged in the sky above, and below the abyss, originally bottomless and void, torrents appeared, forming a bizarre array that resembled a great river, traversing the area, blocking inside and out.

Vaguely reinforcing the Divine Cauldron Restriction above.

Qi Mountain watched this scene in shock.

Such methods, such changes—it had never encountered in its lifetime.

Suddenly, everything changed.

Su Changqing looked to the Extreme Heaven and spoke at this moment, a clear voice ringing out, "Since you have come, why not show yourself?"

A moment later.

As if casting a projection, a figure appeared in the void.

Horse-headed God.

Su Changqing gazed at it, raising an eyebrow slightly, "Are you guarding these mountains and rivers?"

The Horse-headed God’s expression remained calm, "I am merely fulfilling an old friend’s request, cultivating here."

"Whatever plans your human race has, it doesn’t concern me."

Upon hearing this.

Su Changqing chuckled softly.

He did not pursue any further questions, instead he simply said, "There is a deficiency in me, preventing me from leaving this ancient land."

"Fellow Daoist."

"Would you like to come into the temple for a while?"

"The old friend you mentioned is indeed the inheritor of my line, centuries passing by swiftly, I wish to know about the current situation beyond these mountains and rivers."

...

Desolate Star.

There is no day or night here, but time continually passes.

In the courtyard, Qin Jin stood with eyes closed.

Behind him, Divine Intent manifested, his countenance unchanged, but whether in appearance or aura, there was an immense transformation.

This was the impact of the Immortal Dynasty True Scripture on the Divine Intent during this period of his research.

Within the Desolate Star, aside from the constant reinforcement of the Grotto Heaven in the Spirit Ruins, Qin Jin did not engage in prolonged [cultivation], instead focusing all his energy on [demonstration].

His demonstrations were not merely about establishing a path forward but also about integrating and synthesizing his various methods to create more possibilities.

In a world devoid of rules, infinite possibilities could arise.

Divine Intent hovered behind him, with a steadfast aura, every move carrying a different meaning.

At a certain moment, Qin Jin suddenly opened his eyes.

Upon opening his eyes, the Divine Intent moved forward, merging with himself, and Qin Jin’s momentum began to soar in an instant, white light flaring up around him, the domain in operation.

It’s worth mentioning...

On the actively revealing domain, the shadow of a Grotto Heaven could be faintly seen!

"Finally, there is an achievement."

Within his physique, primordial power and spiritual power continuously intertwined, complementing each other.

In Qin Jin’s being, the combination of the cultivator technique and martial arts had further solidified.

This was the ultimate result of continuous and unrestricted evolution.

"The path is set for now."

"Next is steady cultivation, climbing the realm, with continual supplementation along the journey."

"Coincidentally, within this Desolate Star, it is equally suitable for other forms of cultivation."

With a fleeting thought, Qin Jin didn’t pause, continuing his other cultivation.

[Nine Secrets of Star-Seeking]

The Nine Secrets are distinct, with high mastery difficulty. Furthermore, he had only mastered this technique on the Thunder Star, but as the distance increased, the power of the star’s blessing continuously dwindled, restricted by the environment. Thus, after mastering the Walking Secret, Qin Jin temporarily shelved this True Scripture.

Cultivation, after all, requires trade-offs.

But now...

With unknown changes occurring in the Thunder Star since the anomaly arose that day, each day, Qin Jin could perceive the ongoing transformation of the Thunder Star through planetary projection. This technique could once again be resumed, expanding his accumulation.

In the courtyard, Qin Jin engaged in arduous cultivation.

The Light of Imagination flickered, often transforming into what he needed, assisting his cultivation.

The second secret Qin Jin chose was the Soldier Secret.

Having inherited the legacy of the Martial God and the Weapon Casting Record, he anticipated a possibly wondrous interaction with the Soldier Secret.

...

Time flowed on.

In no time, over a month had passed.

This day, while Qin Jin demonstrated martial prowess, in the courtyard, sharpness spread in all directions, shattering the surrounding Light of Imagination in an instant.

With a restrained aura, sensing something, Qin Jin’s gaze fell above.

In the sky above the courtyard, originally regarded as a safe zone, the Light of Imagination actively condensed within the courtyard at this moment, ultimately forming a letter-like shape and floating down.

Qin Jin reached out to catch it.

His eyes fell on the letter, which prominently displayed a countdown written in Federation text.

Window period: 00:29:59

"The window period is approaching."

Qin Jin mused to himself.

According to the plan on the Martial Saint Map, he had a window period for cultivation within the Desolate Star, now drawing to a close.

"All my initial plans have been completed. The next time I come to Desolate Star, it will likely be for matters concerning seeking higher realms."

Thoughts flashed through his mind, and Qin Jin’s spirit surged forth.

In the next moment.

Outside the courtyard, a vast dragon body moved inward, coiling low in the sky, looking toward Qin Jin.

"I am leaving."

Qin Jin said calmly.

Upon hearing this, the eyes of the Fantasy True Dragon shimmered with reluctance.

Its existence was due to Qin Jin, naturally close to him, and over time, living together day after day. After acquiring that reverse scale, it became increasingly intelligent, more and more [real].

"I have long told you about the related matters."

Qin Jin spoke with a gentle tone: "This area belongs to me. After I leave, you may continue to stay here. If you wish to go elsewhere, you can move freely, but... that will be your own choice, and you will have to face different outcomes."

"I have already informed you about the forbidden zones within the Desolate Star. If you wish to grow smoothly, do not venture to those places."

The dragon’s head nodded lightly.

Under Qin Jin’s gaze, the Fantasy True Dragon’s head lowered, seemingly inviting him to ascend.

"No need."

Qin Jin shook his head: "In the future, I shall return to Desolate Star again."

"I hope by then, you will be able to stand your ground in this Land of Illusion."

The reply was a resonant dragon’s roar.

Time slipped away.

As the countdown came to a complete end, the letter in Qin Jin’s hand trembled slightly, rising from his grasp, dispersing to form a portal.

Under the gaze of the Fantasy True Dragon, he entered the portal.

It took but a moment to arrive, yet departure was entirely different. The instant he entered the portal, Qin Jin seemed to step into a tunnel, with external forces guiding him, a continual upward sensation arising.

The tunnel seemed to bridge the heavens and the earth.

Within the tunnel’s surroundings, various bizarre scenes materialized. Qin Jin saw, amid the brilliant splendor, boundless and majestic fixed stars swayed back and forth, as if stretching after a long sleep. Moreover, colossal mammoths galloped amidst colorful splendor, inhabiting vast lands, while solitary figures stood motionless, eyes closed in meditation, yet their gaze seemed to look towards him, as if staring into the center of the world, unable to look away.

As Qin Jin scanned these bizarre scenes.

He saw, within the images, the figure of a man suddenly opened his eyes, seemingly staring at him through the tunnel images!