Shen Yuan’s first guess would have been that thousands of years ago people used to call the Qi condensation Realm as Qi Gathering Realm...

If he had not read the next lines written in the section.

The realms of cultivation were written as follows:

Body Tempering Realm.

Qi Gathering Realm

Qi Condensation Realm

Foundation Establishment Realm

Core Formation Realm

Nascent Soul Realm.

These letters seemed to be written more recently than the rest on the pages.

Below the stages of cultivation, there was a line written that cleared all of Shen Yuan’s doubt.

Someone will tamper with the history of the upcoming world. The world of cultivation as we knew it will change, and I don’t have a single idea who is responsible for this and why they are doing it.

If some fated junior is reading this, I hope you can walk on the correct path of cultivation. It does not matter if you can bring the world back on the correct path; don’t steer from your own.

Shen Yuan almost felt pity for whoever wrote the thing. Having the knowledge of impending disaster and still being unable to do anything about it was a heavy burden for people with good hearts.

Shen Yuan silently stared at the final line for a long time.

His fingers unconsciously tapped against the edge of the bathtub.

"Someone changed the history of cultivation..."

His first thought was simple.

’Who could possibly do something like that?’

Changing a cultivation technique was one thing.

Changing the cultivation path of the entire world was another altogether.

How powerful would someone have to be to erase an entire cultivation realm from history itself?

Or perhaps...

It was not one person.

Perhaps it was an entire sect.

An empire.

Or an existence that stood above them all. Maybe some Mysterious Shadowy Organization.

Shen Yuan slowly shook his head.

"...Not my problem."

His voice remained calm.

He was still a servant who could be crushed to death by any random elder if he looked at them the wrong way.

Thinking about people capable of rewriting the history of the world was like an ant worrying about the politics of dragons.

He had far more pressing matters.

The first...

Was surviving.

The second...

Was reaching the Qi Condensation Realm.

Only strength gave one the qualifications to uncover the truth.

Without it...

Even if the truth stood before him, he would only die after seeing it.

’Now I have an extra realm to achieve within these 5 days. Shen Yuan slowly exhaled. He was not planning to skip an entire cultivation realm like the entire world.

If he was going to do it, he had to do it right.

He emptied every unnecessary thought from his mind.

Then...

He began comprehending the Divine Star Cultivation Manual.

Unlike the Bloody Moon Scripture that relied heavily on absorbing the surrounding qi through force, the Divine Star Manual was astonishingly gentle.

It treated qi as though it were living.

Every strand of spiritual energy possessed its own rhythm.

Its own flow.

Rather than forcefully dragging qi into the body...

The technique guided it.

Allowed it to enter willingly.

The more Shen Yuan comprehended...

The brighter the countless particles of light around him appeared.

The colorful motes that floated throughout the forest slowly drifted toward the wooden barrel.

Some gathered around his skin.

Others circled above the steaming water.

A few quietly entered his body with every breath he took.

The warm sensation produced by the Dragon Bone Paste gradually became hotter.

His muscles greedily absorbed the medicinal energy while his meridians welcomed the surrounding spiritual qi.

Time slowly passed.

The surrounding forest became unusually quiet.

Even the scar-faced wolf opened one eye.

Its silver-gray pupils rested on Shen Yuan.

Even though it could not see the qi in the air like the young man did, it could still sense the qi in the air now that it had broken to the silver core realm.

It could feel something was going on with Shen Yuan.

For a moment, a cold look flashed through its eyes, but that look faded a second later.

It turned away from Shen Yuan and sat down. like it was trying to guard him while he cultivated.

The surrounding spiritual qi continued gathering around him naturally.

As though he himself had become the center of a small whirlpool.

One hour...

Two hours...

No one knew how much time had passed.

Then...

A familiar voice suddenly echoed inside Shen Yuan’s mind.

[Congratulations!]

[The Divine Star Cultivation Manual (Part One) has reached the Introductory Stage.]

[Reward: 3,000 EXP.]

Shen Yuan’s closed eyes slowly opened.

A look of surprise finally appeared on his otherwise calm face.

"Three thousand..."

That was the single biggest reward the system had ever given him.

Almost immediately another notification appeared.

[Skill Registered.]

[Divine Star Cultivation Manual - Part One]

[Grade: Semi Earth Grade.]

"..."

Shen Yuan looked at the floating words in silence.

Semi...

Earth Grade?

He had expected the Divine Star Cultivation Manual to be powerful.

After all, it was written on the stone stele that the cultivation technique was top of its grade.

But even then...

The system had judged merely the first part...

As Semi Earth Grade.

There was only one explanation.

"The later sections..."

"...must have crossed into Earth Grade."

Shen Yuan’s eyes slowly narrowed. If he could gather every remaining section...

He would possess a genuine Earth Grade cultivation technique. Or maybe...

The value of such a treasure...

Many sects would slaughter one another for it.

’I have to get myself into that Hidden Realm by any means necessary.’ Who knows where else he might get such a chance to obtain an Earth Grade Technique?

Shen Yuan tapped his fingers on the edge of the barrel, lost in thought before turning his head to the wolf lying a little far away from him.

’Better check the system. I think I may have missed a couple of notifications.’

[Ding!]

[Host Has 4 Unseen Notifications!]

[Would you like to view them?]

[Yes] [No]

Shen Yuan focused on [Yes] with his mind, and a notification panel appeared before his eyes.