WHOOSH!

Golden flames suddenly erupted all over his body.

The imagery of the Bing Fire Position—supremely yang and unyielding, capable of purifying evil—spread out as if it were tangible, its brilliance illuminating a hundred miles.

The entire thousandth step was stained with a pure layer of Rou Zhao’s golden-red hue.

At the same time, on the [Star Ruins Celestial Pride List], a deep gold radiance, the likes of which had never been seen before, surged forth, climbing at an unprecedented speed.

It was even faster than Shen Xiyue’s had been.

BOOM!

A scorching sun of molten gold shone with dazzling brilliance.

The ranking representing Qin Xuan appeared on the list.

[Plum Blossom Trigram, 1000th Step, 999th Place]

Unlike everyone before, next to the three words "Plum Blossom Trigram," a deep purple starlight flowed, imbuing it with unparalleled nobility.

"The thousandth step... He did it! He successfully completed the Refinement of a Positional Divine Technique!"

Someone cried out in shock.

"So his name is Plum Blossom Trigram... And reaching the thousandth step gets you into the top one thousand!"

"A celestial pride list with only one thousand names in ten thousand years... a feat unprecedented in all of history, and he actually did it..."

"The Blood Demon Sword Sect has produced another prodigy, one even stronger than Liu Mobai!"

The entire Star Inquiry Stage erupted into a frenzy.

If the previous rankings of Liu Mobai and Shen Xiyue were still within the realm of what everyone could accept, merely causing shock and envy...

Then what Qin Xuan had just accomplished was something they could only gaze at from afar, never to reach.

The sight alone filled them with awe!

Shen Xiyue’s delicate brows furrowed slightly. "Plum Blossom Trigram. Is that his real name?"

"No, there’s no such person in our Holy Sect. This must be another alias used by Master Demon Child!"

A Demon Cultivator who noticed something was amiss shouted his doubts.

Even Wei Qingyi, who was closest to Liu Mobai, took a small step back, a look of inquiry on his face.

He called out tentatively to Liu Mobai himself, "Junior Brother Qin?"

Liu Mobai nearly coughed up a mouthful of old blood and began to curse furiously.

"I am Liu Mobai, not Qin Xuan!"

"He’s getting defensive," Wei Qingyi chuckled, raising an eyebrow with a grin.

"I get it, I get it. Don’t worry, Junior Brother Qin, I won’t expose your secret!"

Liu Mobai was so angry he was trembling all over.

If it weren’t for the immense gravitational pressure of the Star Tier, he would have hauled Wei Qingyi up and given him a sound thrashing.

Awe, suspicion, and firm belief...

All these emotions shifted and, after this little farce, the crowd became even more convinced that "Plum Blossom Trigram" was Liu Mobai.

In this Star Ruins assessment, the strongest from the Holy Sect was Liu Mobai.

Without a doubt!

However, before they could process this fact, another change occurred.

The Illusory Mist Star Wheel that had shrouded the thousandth step dissipated.

Qin Xuan’s figure appeared on the one thousand and first step.

[Immortal Body], [Sounding Sword Bell], [Cloud Dream Master]... and three other streams of Divine Techniques, each with a distinctly different aura.

A total of six Positional Divine Techniques descended abruptly!

They rained down upon the Star Inquiry Stage.

Qin Xuan noticed that the turquoise Positional Divine Technique representing [Immortal Body] landed on Hou Qi, who was on the 812th step.

[Cloud Dream Master] was drawn to Shen Xiyue.

[Sounding Sword Bell] fell into Xiao Dinglan’s hands.

As for the other three Positional Divine Techniques, whose imagery was unclear, they fell to Liu Mobai, Wei Qingyi...

...and a middle-aged Cultivator in gray robes with an unremarkable face.

The man was so ordinary that even when Qin Xuan looked at him closely, he would forget the man’s face and figure a moment later.

"The gravity below the thousandth step has disappeared!"

Someone suddenly roared with joy.

Then, they charged toward the locations where the Divine Power Positions had landed.

"They aren’t prodigies like Plum Blossom Trigram! Without the protection of the Illusory Mist Star Wheel, they have no time to complete the Refinement of their Positional Divine Techniques."

"Whoever can snatch the stream of divine power gets to keep the Divine Technique!"

Someone immediately understood the implications.

He trembled all over with excitement.

Hou Qi, who had the lowest Cultivation, clearly became everyone’s target.

"You’re courting death! Do you really think I’m some kind of pushover?"

Hou Qi roared and swallowed the turquoise stream of light representing the [Immortal Body].

BOOM!

Dozens of fierce attacks slammed into Hou Qi’s chest.

A huge hole was blown straight through his chest, sending flesh and blood flying and revealing shattered bone fragments.

"Wait, he’s not dead!"

Someone’s expression changed drastically.

The next moment, an astonishingly vast wave of Vitality erupted from Hou Qi’s body.

His hair and beard turned the color of jade at a visible rate as a dense Innate Wood Essence Qi spread out, forming a massive [Longevity Dao Domain].

Illusory plants and trees grew wildly within it.

The charred wound on his chest, left by the aftershocks of a sharp Sword Qi, healed in an instant!

This was the effect of [Yanfeng·Immortal Body].

"Hahaha! If you want to kill me, try again in your next life!"

Hou Qi threw his head back and laughed.

However, before his laughter faded, a cold, murderous voice suddenly rang out.

"By the Celestial Blade Decree, I sever your greed... Command!"

The shout came from the silver-haired, snow-like maid in a green palace dress standing beside Xiao Dinglan.

Ye Danggui formed a sword sign with her fingers, her slender, pale fingertips slicing across her forehead.

A brilliant vertical golden mark appeared between her brows.

"Tutan·Celestial Blade Law!"

RUMBLE!

A golden sword light containing the [Celestial Decree] descended, hacking straight toward Hou Qi.

Yang Metal overcomes Jia Wood.

"Argh!" Hou Qi screamed in agony.

The newly formed [Longevity Dao Domain] trembled violently.

His Immortal Body was forcibly severed by the golden sword light representing the [Celestial Decree]!

Hou Qi’s jade-colored hair and beard instantly dimmed.

His entire body wilted as if his foundation had been ripped out from under him.

And the source of the severed "Immortal Body" Position transformed into a verdant ball of light, which Ye Danggui snatched from the air.

"Absurd... How dare you!"

"Get her!"

This scene was like lighting a powder keg.

A Positional Divine Technique was right there for the taking.

Dozens of Star Mansion Cultivators, their eyes red with greed, charged. Some lunged for the slightly breathless Ye Danggui, while others went for the verdant ball of light.

Chaos erupted in an instant!

The light of Magic and Magical Treasures flashed, and the air filled with endless screams and roars.

’The Star Tier is changing. Aside from the [Great Sun Heaven-Burning Sword Scripture], [Chixiao Monarch], and the [Star Carrying Stele Body Refining Method], I can’t use any other Cultivation Techniques or Divine Techniques!’

Qin Xuan keenly sensed that something was wrong.

The gravity of the Star Inquiry Stage wasn’t disappearing; the rules were changing.

It was sealing the use of all Cultivation Techniques that did not originate from the Star Ruins!

Of course, this change was only occurring at the thousandth step and above, but it was continuously spreading downward.

However, the Star Mansion Cultivators who hadn’t reached the thousandth step had no way of knowing this.

Qin Xuan immediately stepped down from the one thousand and first step and stood on the thousandth.

’I have to prepare now, before the change spreads further down,’ Qin Xuan thought.

Unexpectedly, this single action caused numerous malicious gazes to instantly lock onto Qin Xuan, who had just obtained the [Chixiao Monarch] Position!

Compared to the [Immortal Body] that they had to fight over, the complete and untouched [Chixiao Monarch] Position on Qin Xuan—a mere Foundation Establishment Cultivator—was more than ten times as tempting.

"Hahaha, is he trying to get himself killed? He actually walked down from the one thousand and first step, abandoning the protection of the higher tier."

Someone exclaimed in delight.

"Let’s attack together! If that short, dwarfish Demon Cultivator’s Divine Technique could be stolen, then Plum Blossom Trigram’s can be too."

"He’s only at Foundation Establishment, while we are at the Star Mansion. It’s the strong preying on the weak. He just got the Position, so he can’t possibly be proficient with it yet."

"He might be even weaker than that short dwarf..."

"Kill him and seize his fortune!"

Greed overcame fear.

Seven or eight Cultivators, confident in their high Cultivation and possessing Exotic Treasures, brazenly charged toward Qin Xuan on the thousandth step.

Among them were even two Demon Cultivators from the Holy Sect who had just stabilized their Star Mansions!

All sorts of sinister Magical Treasures and foul demonic lights came one after another.

Qin Xuan discovered that the ones attacking him the most were his fellow sect members from the Holy Sect.

"You people... how dare you?"

Qin Xuan stood his ground, shaking his head as he faced the torrent of attacks surging up from below.

The majestic Great Sun Illusion above his head suddenly blazed with immense light!

"Chixiao descends upon the world to purify evil."

SIZZLE!

Under the radiance of the Bing Fire Purifying Evil Divine Light, all the incoming sinister Magical Treasures and foul demonic lights melted away instantly like ice and snow thrown into a raging fire, not even leaving behind a wisp of smoke!

The Lifebound Spiritual Artifacts wielded by the two Purple Mansion Cultivators let out a mournful cry, their spiritual light dimming as they were sent flying back, clearly having suffered heavy damage.

"What?!"

"My Nine Sons Mother Yin Soul Sword... Aaah!"

The Demon Cultivator let out a bloodcurdling shriek, his face a mask of terror, but there was nowhere to hide.

His entire body’s Essence Blood was drained by the Lifebound Longsword in Qin Xuan’s hand, leaving behind nothing but a pile of withered bones.

"Not bad. The Essence Blood of a Star Mansion Cultivator is indeed pure."

A sharp glint flickered in Qin Xuan’s eyes.

His gaze locked onto Ye Danggui in the crowd below.

"What a Celestial Blade Law... Metal can overcome Wood, but I wonder if it can overcome Fire?"

Qin Xuan’s voice was calm, but his eyes blazed like scorching suns!