The pages were slightly ajar, faintly revealing four ancient seal characters that read "Geng Metal Breaking Fiend." A sharp, piercing aura seemed to leap right off the paper.

"It’s a Star Technique inheritance!"

Someone from behind cried out, their eyes burning with fervent desire.

Liu Mobai and Wei Qingyi also saw the Star Technique, and their gazes shifted. They had clearly recognized that this Technique was anything but ordinary.

"It must be an offensive Secret Technique compatible with Geng Metal Evil Qi."

Just as Qin Xuan was about to snatch it, the golden sphere of light in his mind suddenly flickered.

Three Ancient Bamboo Sticks flew out from it.

[Top-Top Lottery: Choose a Star Technique after Tier Eight Hundred. By a fortunate turn of events, you can ascend two thousand steps, obtain two Positional Divine Techniques, and a Third-Grade Opportunity. Greatly auspicious!]

[Middle-Upper Draw: Choose a Star Technique after the three hundredth step. You can ascend one thousand steps, obtain one Positional Divine Technique, and a Sixth-Grade Opportunity. Auspicious.]

[Middle-Lower Draw: Choose a Star Technique before the three hundredth step. Worthless. No opportunities, and you may face mortal danger. Disaster!]

A chill ran down Qin Xuan’s spine, and he slowly backed away.

’I can’t take this Star Technique!’

He cast a regretful glance at the *Geng Metal Breaking Evil Technique*.

He turned and, pushing against the immense gravity, continued toward the twenty-first step.

Liu Mobai was taken aback. He gently waved his folding fan and frowned slightly.

’Who from our Holy Sect could this be? To think that even a Star Technique of this caliber isn’t worthy of his notice?’

Wei Qingyi, a longsword strapped to his back, had a hint of surprise on his face as he said teasingly,

"Star Techniques are good, but they must be compatible with one’s own Dao Foundation. You can’t bite off more than you can chew... It seems this Senior Brother knows exactly what he needs."

Seeing that Qin Xuan hadn’t taken it, Wei Qingyi also suppressed his own impulse and chose to continue climbing.

Hearing this, Liu Mobai let out a loud laugh.

"Junior Brother Wei is absolutely right. It seems I was being too superficial."

With that, he too gave up on the Star Technique right before his eyes and followed closely after Qin Xuan.

Both men were sharp. Seeing that Qin Xuan, the first to arrive, had given it up without a moment’s hesitation, they suspected there was something amiss with the technique.

And so, they made the same choice as Qin Xuan.

After them, a black shadow swiftly darted up to the twentieth step.

The black shadow was wreathed in Demonic Qi. It was none other than the Cliff Master of Withered Marrow Cliff, Fang Mingshan.

Upon seeing the floating *Geng Metal Breaking Evil Technique*, he was first stunned, then overjoyed.

"HAHAHA! The heavens are on my side! It’s a metal-attribute offensive Star Technique... It was destined to be mine!"

Fang Mingshan laughed maniacally and grabbed for the jade tome.

With a flash of starlight, the jade tome transformed into a stream of light and shot into the space between his eyebrows.

Fang Mingshan’s entire body immediately erupted with a sharp aura, faintly wreathed in Geng Metal Evil Qi. He had clearly benefited immensely.

"Passing up a Star Technique. What a fool."

He glanced smugly at the figures of Qin Xuan and the others, who had already shrunk to small dots above, and hurried to catch up.

...

Time passed, and the competition on the Star Tiers grew ever more intense. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Every twenty steps or so, a Star Technique inheritance or a rare Treasure of Heaven and Earth would appear.

Radiant, multicolored lights would blossom, triggering frenzied scrambles.

Qin Xuan, however, seemed to have his own firm plan, turning a blind eye to the Star Technique inheritances that drove everyone else mad.

The *Flame Sun Heaven-Burning Record* with its surging flames, the unpredictable *Illusory Phantom God-step*... he walked right past them all without breaking his stride.

After forgoing the Star Techniques, Qin Xuan’s luck seemed to take a turn for the better.

On several occasions, he encountered rare Tier Two High Grade Treasures of Heaven and Earth.

Star Grass, Void Flowers, Thousand-year-old Star Patterned Iron...

These Treasures of Heaven and Earth had no Restrictions around them, so Qin Xuan didn’t stand on ceremony, collecting them all.

The thirtieth step, the fortieth step...

Fang Mingshan, who had obtained the *Geng Metal Breaking Evil Technique*, used the advantage from his new Star Technique to come from behind.

He gradually surpassed Liu Mobai and Wei Qingyi, even closing in on Qin Xuan, who had remained in the leading group all along.

The eightieth step, the ninetieth step...

The gravity had become as heavy as mountains and seas, making every single upward step incredibly difficult.

Fang Mingshan roared, burning his Demonic Essence as he sprinted with all his might.

Finally, under countless gazes of envy and shock, Fang Mingshan was the first to set foot on the one hundredth step of the Star Inquiry Stage!

BOOM!

The instant he set foot on the one hundredth step, the entire Star Inquiry Stage trembled violently.

"He succeeded in Guiding his Fate Star."

Someone cursed in frustration, regretting that they had been a step too slow.

An incredibly dense, earthen-yellow pillar of light descended, enveloping Fang Mingshan.

Fang Mingshan’s entire body shook violently, his face overcome with ecstasy.

His consciousness was instantly pulled into a strange Realm.

It was an endless, dim bog.

Within the bog, the great earth seemed to pulse.

Suddenly, he saw an Exotic Beast lying dormant in the depths of the bog. Its form resembled a fox or a raccoon dog, its fur stained with starlight and mud. Its eyes were cunning and lively, and it was surrounded by a dim, earthen-yellow starlight.

It was tilting its head, sizing him up.

"It’s the Di Su Ming Star, the third of the Seven Stars of the Eastern Azure Dragon—the Di Tuhao!"

A Cultivator cried out.

"The Di Su Ming Star governs foundation and storage! It is the essence of the Cyan Dragon’s chest star, the very core of the dragon’s heart. And this Demon Cultivator actually succeeded in guiding it!"

The boundless Power of the Stars surged into Fang Mingshan’s body.

The Demonic Essence in his Elixir Field Qi Sea churned violently.

After a dozen breaths, a powerful aura suddenly erupted from within Fang Mingshan.

"A Star Mansion! He successfully formed a Star Mansion!"

The crowd completely erupted.

Above Fang Mingshan’s head, the faint illusion of a tiny palatial mansion appeared, glowing with an earthen-yellow halo and sparkling with dazzling stars.

That was the sign of a newly formed Purple Mansion!

Fang Mingshan opened his eyes, a sharp light flashing within them. Feeling the surging power in his body and his newly formed Purple Mansion, he couldn’t help but let out a long, triumphant howl.

On the Star Ruins Celestial Pride List, the previously static bottom of the list suddenly stirred, and a line of faint golden text appeared.

[Fang Mingshan, Step 100, 37,201]

’That shortsighted fool was destined to be my stepping stone.’

Fang Mingshan’s eyes gleamed as he felt the surging power and the newly formed Purple Mansion within him. He laughed heartily, filled with smug satisfaction.

His gaze swept downwards, full of mockery and ridicule, searching for Qin Xuan’s figure.

He saw that Qin Xuan, the one who had abandoned the *Geng Metal Breaking Evil Technique*, had only just set foot on the fiftieth step.