After the dead silence, an uncontrollable uproar erupted.

Star Monument, for unparalleled Body Refinement!

Liu Mobai gazed at the figure standing at the absolute peak and gave a bitter laugh.

"Fuck... so I was the clown all along."

He finally understood.

As long as he wasn’t stronger than that Cultivator on this Star Inquiry Stage, he was destined to be labeled an imposter.

Shen Xiyue’s clear gaze lingered on Qin Xuan for a long time. A trace of fondness and tenderness flashed in her eyes...

...along with the faint, pouting resentment of a neglected wife.

’No wonder he’s so heartless. He’s the Holy Sect Demon Son.’

Xiao Dinglan clenched his fists.

His expression was incredibly complex as he looked up at Qin Xuan and felt the Power of the Life Star—the [Illegitimate Son]—within him.

The moment he set foot on the nine-hundredth step,

The aura around Qin Xuan immediately entered a profound resonance with the Star Tier.

Without any conscious effort to guide it,

High in the Nine Heavens, a mysterious star, whose light was not blindingly bright but was full of spirituality, suddenly flared.

The mysterious star shed its pure, gentle radiance, casting down a boundless pillar of light that softly enveloped Qin Xuan.

’The Ziwei Circle, the Three Divine Star Palace?’

Qin Xuan’s mind stirred.

His consciousness seemed to merge into a serene nebula.

The light of a noble star, one that seemed capable of turning misfortune into luck and enlightening all things, shone brilliantly.

Wherever the starlight shone,

Withered trees revived, unthinking stones gained awareness, and a burst of vigorous vitality erupted, filled with auspicious and profound meaning.

"The Three Divine Star Palace, the [Taiyi] Life Star? It’s actually such a noble star of great fortune!"

Someone with vast knowledge below cried out in shock.

Their tone was filled with envy.

"I have read of this Life Star in ancient texts. Although it does not excel in combat, it can turn misfortune into good luck, enhance one’s fortune, and governs auspiciousness, vitality, and enlightenment..."

"It’s the Life Star that Pill Masters and Artifact Cultivators dream of!"

"For the Taiyi Star to be drawn to him of its own accord... This child’s fortune is terrifyingly deep!"

The crowd was in a shocked uproar.

Just then, the entire Star Inquiry Stage trembled violently!

In the void above the nine-hundredth step, an image of Jiang Chizhen suddenly materialized—clad in a red cloak, valiant and heroic, naturally commanding respect without any display of anger.

She sat high at the end of the White Jade Steps, a faint smile on her face as she looked down at Qin Xuan. Her grand voice echoed between heaven and earth.

"To comprehend the [Star Stele Body Refining Technique] and attract the noble Taiyi star on your first ascent to the nine-hundredth step... Such profound fortune is unprecedented in a thousand ages."

"I shall take it upon myself to specially bestow upon you the [Great Sun Heaven-Burning Sword Scripture] to recognize your achievement!"

BOOM!

Before her voice had even faded, the hundred-zhang-tall phantom of an enormous Divine General holding a Fiery Divine Sword appeared.

The Fiery Divine Sword in the Divine General’s hand transformed into a brilliant stream of light composed purely of golden flame Talismans.

It sank into the space between Qin Xuan’s eyebrows.

In an instant, raging flames surged within Qin Xuan’s sea of consciousness!

A Divine General with the head of a bird and the body of a man, clad in crimson-gold Red Armor, practiced its Swordsmanship in the sea of fire.

Every sword strike drew upon the magnificent Great Sun True Flame.

Wherever the sword light passed, it seemed to burn the heavens and boil the seas.

Strangely, when others guided their Life Stars, they all opened a Star Mansion.

Yet, nothing of the sort happened to Qin Xuan.

’Strange, why is my Cultivation still at Foundation Establishment? I’ve only broken through to the Eleventh Level?’

’Could it be because my Demonic Essence is too dense?’

Qin Xuan couldn’t figure it out no matter how hard he thought.

The [Taiyi] Life Star merged into his limbs and bones, silently nourishing his Flesh Body.

But there was no sign of a Star Mansion anywhere.

Before the crowd could recover from the shocking reward, the Vermilion Bird Divine General spoke again.

"The first to set foot on the Thousand Steps may enter the Illusory Mist Star Wheel and choose one [Positional Divine Technique] to cultivate, which will not occupy a Purple Mansion Position."

"Positional Divine Techniques?!"

Those three words exploded like thunder in the minds of all the Cultivators!

Divine Techniques were already incredibly precious, but when the word "Positional" was involved, it was related to the Dao Path of Divinity Transformation.

In an instant, greed overcame their shock and fear.

"Anyone who blocks my path to the Dao dies!" 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Wishful thinking! The Positional Divine Technique is mine!"

The Star Mansion prodigies, stuck on the six and seven-hundredth steps, had bloodshot eyes.

They no longer cared about their unstable Life Stars.

One after another, they burned their Essence Blood and activated their Secret Treasures, charging madly upward.

"How dare you! The Positional Divine Technique belongs to His Highness."

Shi Nanxing roared, the veins on his bronze skin bulging. "All of you, get lost! I’d like to see who dares to steal His Highness’s treasure."

The Bladeless Black Ruler erupted with a heavy, yellow light!

"Mountain Guard Soldiers, strike!"

The phantom of a hundred-zhang-tall Golden Armored Divine General materialized, swinging a phantom of the giant ruler to brazenly clear a path.

Even so, Shi Nanxing couldn’t block all the Star Mansion Cultivators.

The chaotic tide surged toward the nine-hundredth step.

Qin Xuan had just finished absorbing the heritage of the Sword Formulas. Faced with the crazed mob surging up from below, his eyes were calm.

He recalled the image of the Red Armored Divine General executing the Sword Formulas.

"Great Sun Heaven-Burning, go!"

Qin Xuan formed a sword with his fingers.

He swiped lightly toward the phantom of the [Mountain Guard Soldiers] at the very front, the one with the most potent Evil Qi.

This Sword Formula was Supreme Yang, unbelievably ferocious, and pushed the destructive power of the Great Sun True Flame to its absolute limit.

When cultivated to a high Realm,

A single strike was like a great sun falling from the sky, incinerating all evil spirits in the world.

BZZZZZ—!

A golden thread, condensed to the extreme and containing terrifyingly high temperatures, shot out from his fingertip.

Shi Nanxing’s face was contorted with fury.

Although he had a Purple Mansion Cultivation, he couldn’t use his full strength under the terrifying suppression of the Star Inquiry Stage’s rules. His Cultivation was firmly restricted to Foundation Establishment Peak.

But he was extremely confident in his [Mountain Guard Soldiers] Divine Technique!

"You’re overreaching like a mantis trying to stop a chariot... Shatter for me!"

Shi Nanxing urged the giant ruler’s phantom to smash down.

BANG!

A tremendous sound echoed.

The moment the phantom of the Golden Armored Divine General, which condensed the power of mountains, came into contact with the golden thread, it melted and evaporated like snow under a blazing sun.

No matter how much Magical Power Shi Nanxing poured into it, it was useless!

"No... h-how is this possible?!"

Shi Nanxing roared, his eyes filled with incredulous horror.

The golden thread continued unabated, its speed undiminished, and shot directly through Shi Nanxing’s right chest.

"AHH—SPURT!"

Shi Nanxing violently spat out a large mouthful of blood mixed with fragments of his internal organs.

The terrifying Sword Intent of the Great Sun True Flame bored into his body.

His entire right chest was charred and pierced through.

He let out a bloodcurdling scream, his body flying backward like a broken sack and crashing heavily onto the steps below, his status unknown.

The power of a single sword strike had severely wounded a Purple Mansion expert!

Although it might seem like a cheap shot, since Shi Nanxing was already suppressed by the Star Tier and couldn’t even use a tenth of his power, if they were to ask themselves honestly,

Not a single person would dare claim they could display such combat strength on the nine-hundredth step.

The entire area fell instantly silent!

All the charging Cultivators froze in place as if hit by a Body Immobilization Technique, staring in horror at the indifferent figure above. No one dared to take another step forward.

The power of the [Great Sun Heaven-Burning Sword Technique] far exceeded their imagination!

Qin Xuan withdrew his finger without even a glance at the grisly scene below, turned, and took a step.

Under the gazes of countless terrified eyes,

Nine hundred fifty, nine hundred eighty, nine hundred ninety...

Qin Xuan stepped steadily onto the one-thousandth step!

The one-thousandth step was not solid ground, but a ceaselessly spinning [Illusory Mist Star Wheel] filled with a chaotic aura.

Qin Xuan’s figure submerged into it and vanished.

Inside the Star Wheel, there was no display of Divine Techniques as he had expected.

Countless streams of light, each with a different color and a completely distinct aura, zipped back and forth, colliding, materializing, and fading away.

Each stream of light represented a [Positional Divine Technique].

Qin Xuan stood quietly within, relaxing his mind to sense them carefully.

The peaceful, life-giving Power of the Taiyi Life Star flowed around him, keeping his mind clear and his Spiritual Sense sharp.

Countless streams of light representing the [Positional Divine Techniques] flew past.

Some were brilliant like the sun, Supreme Yang, purging all demons; some were continuous like water, creating boundless illusions and trapping enemies in mirages; others were sharp as a sword, ringing like gold and jade, capable of countless transformations...

Qin Xuan stood quietly amidst them.

He didn’t actively chase the streams of light with the most powerful auras, but instead opened his body and mind to sense them carefully.

Suddenly, a gray stream of light, carrying a faint aura of fleeting, illusory dreams, broke away from the torrent of Divine Techniques on its own.

It seemed to be attracted by the unique aura of the Taiyi Life Star.

It silently sank into the sea of consciousness between Qin Xuan’s eyebrows.

A flash of understanding emerged in his mind.

’Weaving dreams into prisons, yet also guiding others through nightmares. A world of illusion in a single thought...’

’A Yang Water Divine Technique, Profound Yi · [Cloud Dream Master]?’

Qin Xuan’s eyes narrowed slightly, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Outside the Illusory Mist Star Wheel, the Star Inquiry Stage was dead silent.

The Vermilion Bird Divine General looked down from on high, silently watching the spinning stellar mist on the one-thousandth step.

A flicker of something imperceptibly strange and cunning flashed through her crimson eyes.