The Sect Master—a Ninth-Stage Paragon who had already been able to fight enemies of the same stage back when he was only at the Eighth Stage.
This man was far too powerful. Qin Yuan couldn't oppose him the way he had opposed Xia Xinghe, who was still weak and only had a strong background to rely on.
He thought for a moment, then took out his weapon—a transparent blue spear.
It was a Tier 15 weapon imbued with the power of water.
Even though it was the lowest quality among Tier 15 weapons, its value was still extremely high.
"Elder Pang, what do you think if I hand this spear over to the sect as a condition to refuse all non-critical orders for the next year?" Qin Yuan said with a smile.
So what if he lost his weapon? He could just ask the System for another one.
Elder Pang couldn't have looked more shocked. After all, he knew this spear was the only truly valuable item Qin Yuan possessed.
"Are you serious?" he asked.
"Of course I am."
"I don't know. You'll have to meet the Sect Master and tell him yourself."
Elder Pang looked like he had lost his mind at Qin Yuan's decision.
"How about you accompany me to meet him?" Qin Yuan suggested, confident that Elder Pang wouldn't refuse out of curiosity.
"Fine. Let's meet the Sect Master," Elder Pang agreed without hesitation.
Qin Yuan stood up, and together with Elder Pang, they stepped into the sky.
A single step for them could reach outer space instantly.
The Immortal World was an unimaginably vast cosmos, filled with countless worlds—from small to immense.
A so-called Grand World was nearly the size of a galaxy, though to Paragons, it still felt small.
This world was known as the Sacred Emperor World, named after the sect that ruled it.
Forests dominated the entire world, dotted with countless mountains.
One mountain was crimson in color, clearly visible even from space.
A magnificent palace stood atop it, surrounded by vast gardens filled with various flowers.
It was a bustling place, with countless disciples moving about.
With another step, Qin Yuan and Elder Pang appeared before the palace, drawing the disciples' attention. Elders were far too prestigious in their eyes.
Guarding the palace gate was a tiger-man—humanoid body with a tiger's head.
He was bare-chested, his muscular body covered in scars.
"We wish to see the Sect Master," Qin Yuan said.
The tiger-man gestured toward the door, silently allowing them to enter.
They walked into the palace, reaching a long hall with a throne at its end.
A man sat upon the throne, appearing to be in his thirties, with a handsome, charming face and neatly arranged black hair.
His gaze was filled with youthful vigor, and his aura overflowed with power.
Qin Yuan thought his own appearance in this world was quite handsome as well, but he was a bit sloppy—and compared to this man, he was completely outclassed in terms of charm.
The Sect Master—Xia Zhen.
Qin Yuan was older than him and had personally witnessed him build his reputation.
Now, whether it was Qin Yuan or Elder Pang, they could both be considered juniors in his eyes.
And the Sect Master wasn't the only one in the hall.
Qin Yuan saw the neatly tied-haired woman wearing a kimono-like robe.
Who else could it be but Xia Xinghe—the man's daughter.
Father and daughter both looked at Qin Yuan and Elder Pang as they approached.
"Is there something?" the Sect Master asked, alternating his gaze between them.
Elder Pang looked toward Qin Yuan.
" Sect Master, I will give my spear to the sect," Qin Yuan said, taking out his spear and placing it on the floor.
Of course, it remained standing upright.
"Oh…" The Sect Master's reaction was calmer, but it was still clear that he was surprised. Xia Xinghe only furrowed her brows.
"Why?" the Sect Master asked briefly.
"For the next year, I simply don't want to handle non-critical tasks," Qin Yuan replied.
"Just for that?" the Sect Master finally looked stunned.
"Yes…"
"Do you have a special reason? Or have you found a path to advance your cultivation and want to focus on cultivating?"
"You could say that," Qin Yuan nodded with a smile.
This was precisely why he and Elder Pang were often given tasks. Their cultivation had stagnated for too long, and they had wasted too many precious sect resources. The sect no longer believed them when they claimed they could still advance.
That was why Qin Yuan needed to pay a price.
The Sect Master thought for a moment before nodding.
"Very well. I'll accept your request. But don't worry about your spear—I'll keep it for now, and you can get it back if you truly succeed," he said.
"Thank you, Sect Master!" Qin Yuan beamed.
"Then who will search for the Fourth Young Master with me?" Elder Pang asked.
"Elder Pang, Xinghe will accompany you," the Sect Master replied, causing Xia Xinghe to furrow her brows again.
On the other hand, Elder Pang looked pleased.
"With the young miss's genius, I'm sure we can quickly find traces of the Fourth Young Master," he said.
In the end, Xia Xinghe followed them out. She kept staring sharply at Qin Yuan, as if trying to read his thoughts.
Qin Yuan pretended not to notice. After passing through the gate, he said, "In that case, I'll take my leave. I hope you return soon!"
Returning to his residence, Qin Yuan immediately resumed his cultivation.
From 70% onward, it was indeed harder—but not too hard for him.
He felt it was like tying thinner strings—somewhat difficult, but still doable as long as he was careful.
Qin Yuan was quite amazed by the Law of Sword.
It was a Law designed purely for offense and killing, unlike the Law of Water, which had been his specialty.
In terms of offense, it looked grand but had minimal actual effect. Calling it defensive wasn't entirely accurate either.
Perhaps the only truly good thing about the Law of Water was its superior endurance and resilience.