"What heights will your cultivation talent reach, I wonder?!"
Hearing this, Ye Chen felt a knot of anxiety tighten in his chest. If his talent wasn't absolutely stellar, wouldn't he bring shame upon his Master's name? After all, Senior Sister had already caused the Grand Dao Bell, the Grand Dao Sect's most treasured artifact, to resonate!
In a flash, the Sect Master soared into the sky, a divine rainbow manifesting beneath his feet, and departed with an elegant flourish. "Master," Ji Fuyao said, "I'll head to the Mission Hall to turn in my tasks first."
Lu Xuan simply nodded. "Go on."
Once Ji Fuyao had left, Lu Xuan spoke, "Alright, Ye Chen, pick a cave dwelling, get yourself settled, then head to the Grand Dao Hall."
Ye Chen nodded. "Master, where did you and Senior Sister choose your cave dwellings?"
Lu Xuan merely pointed. Ye Chen promptly selected a dwelling right next to Lu Xuan's.
Before long, Ye Chen emerged from his cave dwelling and bowed deeply to Lu Xuan. Lu Xuan tossed him a jade slip. "Go on, this is a map of the Grand Dao Sect."
Ye Chen caught it, infused it with spiritual energy, and then soared into the sky, a divine rainbow forming beneath his feet as he shot towards the Grand Dao Hall.
He gazed into the distance, taking in the Grand Dao Sect, which spanned tens of thousands of miles – a truly vast expanse. Spiritual peaks pierced the sky, imbued with dense spiritual energy and swirling purple mist. Auspicious spirit beasts soared through the heavens, their calls echoing melodiously. Countless cave dwellings nestled amidst the peaks, shrouded in rising mists, painting a picture of an earthly paradise. In the distance, towering palaces, reaching into the clouds, shimmered with brilliant Dao patterns, sparkling like stars. The entire Grand Dao Sect exuded a majestic aura, enveloped in crimson light and surging divine radiance, a truly magnificent sight. "This," Ye Chen mused, his heart filled with awe, "is the Grand Dao Sect, an overlord-level power of the Southern Wilds?"
Soon, Ye Chen arrived at the Grand Dao Hall. Deep within the hall, Elder Mu, clad in grey robes, exuding a subtle aura of authority, sat behind a wooden table. Beside him, the Sect Master smiled warmly at Ye Chen. "Ye Chen, you're here. This is Elder Mu."
Ye Chen respectfully bowed to both, "Greetings, Sect Master. Greetings, Elder Mu."
Elder Mu extended his right hand, and a wisp of divine radiance shot out towards Ye Chen. Moments later, Elder Mu's previously clouded eyes cleared, and a flicker of astonishment crossed his face. Ye Chen's Dao foundation was flawless, his cultivation solid and refined, his bones crystalline, and his inner world pristine and unblemished! To possess such a perfect physique at such a young age was utterly astonishing!
Seeing Elder Mu's expression, the Sect Master smiled faintly. It seems even Elder Mu is astonished! he thought. The Sect Master then asked, "Ye Chen, from what faction do you hail?"
"Qingzhou, Qingcheng, Ye Family!" Ye Chen replied.
The Sect Master's brow furrowed slightly. "Qingzhou?" Instantly, an ancient jade slip appeared in his hand. With a thought, brilliant spiritual runes erupted, and a holographic map of the Southern Wilds materialized in the air. Each great state shimmered like a star; the Southern Wilds were boundless, with countless such states. Quickly, the Sect Master located Qingzhou. Compared to the other great states, Qingzhou was pitifully small, considered a rather remote region. The Sect Master continued to scan the map, but unfortunately, among the major factions marked, the Ye Family was nowhere to be found. It seems the Ye Family isn't a prominent force in Qingzhou! he concluded.
A hint of bitterness crossed Ye Chen's face. "Sect Master, my Ye Family is considered a major power in Qingcheng, but in Qingzhou, we don't even rank!" He knew that within a single state, there were usually Great Emperor-tier factions, and Qingzhou was no exception. His Ye Family was only a Quasi-Emperor Realm force, which meant little in the grand scheme of Qingzhou.
The Sect Master nodded, putting away the ancient jade slip. "I see." Elder Mu then produced a token and handed it to Ye Chen. "This is your Grand Dao Sect identity token. You can activate it once you return to Azure Mystery Peak. Upon activation, you'll need to swear an oath to the Heavenly Dao. Once the Heavenly Dao Oath is established, you will officially become a disciple of my Grand Dao Sect."
Ye Chen accepted the identity token. "Thank you, Elder Mu."
Elder Mu continued, "This identity token allows you to access information about our sect's technique pavilion, secret realms, trial towers, and many other areas. It also records your contribution points. You can explore it when you get back."
Ye Chen nodded.
The Sect Master smiled. "Alright, Ye Chen, come with me to the Talent Stone Tablet."
The Talent Stone Tablet! This was a supreme treasure of the Grand Dao Hall, specifically used to test a disciple's innate talent!
Moments later, the Sect Master and Elder Mu, accompanied by Ye Chen, soared into the sky, divine radiance swirling beneath their feet as they flew towards the Talent Stone Tablet. Along the way, the Sect Master informed the other Peak Masters. Hearing the news, the Peak Masters immediately began to chatter, some complaining.
"What?! Azure Mystery Peak has another peerless genius?!"
"Brought back by Ji Fuyao?"
"I'm heading to the Talent Stone Tablet right now to see!"
In an instant, from Pill Peak, Ethereal Peak, Body Tempering Peak, and countless other spiritual peaks, brilliant streaks of light flashed as numerous Profound Saints and Saint Kings ascended into the air, flying towards the Talent Stone Tablet.
Boom! Elder Mu and the Sect Master, along with Ye Chen, landed before the Talent Stone Tablet. Ye Chen was slightly taken aback. This Talent Stone Tablet stood before him like a colossal mountain, rising straight into the clouds. It appeared weathered by time, incredibly heavy, and profoundly ancient, with obscure, primordial energy swirling around it. It measured a full hundred zhang in height!
Talent in the Southern Wilds was categorized into Yellow-tier, Human-tier, Jade-tier, Profound-tier, King-tier, Earth-tier, and Heaven-tier! Only those whose talent reached Earth-tier could even activate the Tablet, causing it to glow with brilliant light! Different heights of light represented varying levels of talent!
Elder Mu smiled. "Ye Chen, you just need to place your hand on the Talent Stone Tablet and infuse it with spiritual energy. The Tablet will then emit light."
Ye Chen nodded and walked towards the Talent Stone Tablet.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!" The formidable auras of over a hundred Profound Saints and Saint Kings surged from the distance, streaks of divine light transforming into rivers of stars. Terrifying, abyssal pressure poured forth from the sky. In an instant, the many Peak Masters descended.
Ye Chen paused, slightly stunned. What the hell? Why are so many people suddenly here?
The Pill Peak Peak Master meticulously scrutinized Ye Chen. "So this is the disciple Ji Fuyao brought back? His talent and foundation seem quite good!"
The Sword Peak Saint's eyes flashed with sharp brilliance. "This child belongs in my Sword Peak, to cultivate the supreme Path of the Sword!"
The Body Tempering Peak Saint shook his head. "No, no, no! Such a perfect physique demands the path of body tempering, to restore the glory of my Body Tempering lineage!"
Ye Chen hadn't even tested his talent yet, and the Peak Masters were already falling over themselves, fighting to claim him.
Elder Mu waved a dismissive hand. "Alright, alright, let Ye Chen test his talent first."
Seeing this, Ye Chen felt a fresh wave of nervousness. Isn't this just a test of cultivation talent? Why has it stirred up so many Profound Saints and Saint Kings?
Soon, Ye Chen approached the Talent Stone Tablet. He channeled his spiritual energy and pressed his palm against its surface. Whoosh! A chilling sensation seeped into him, and Ye Chen immediately felt a moment of dizzying trance. The Talent Stone Tablet erupted with an incredibly blazing divine radiance, nearly blinding Ye Chen, and shot straight into the sky! Ten zhang! Twenty zhang! ... Ninety zhang! A hundred zhang!
The terrifying divine radiance surged directly into the depths of the void, its brilliant light illuminating the firmament like a colossal sun rising, forming a pillar of light that reached the heavens. Witnessing this, everyone present was utterly stunned. A hundred zhang of light! This signified that Ye Chen's talent was monstrously demonic! The very next instant—
Dong...
The Grand Dao Bell, the supreme treasure of the Grand Dao Sect, suddenly materialized in the sky, a single resonant chime echoing throughout the entire Grand Dao Sect. In an instant, the entire Grand Dao Sect was alarmed. Countless divine senses and spiritual probes stretched towards the void, revealing an incredibly ancient bell. The vast, boundless ancient bell, like a small mountain, bore the imprints of ages, with obscure, primordial Dao patterns faintly swirling across its surface. The Grand Dao Bell's single chime, profound and ethereal, caused everyone to feel their hearts clear and their spirits refreshed.
Everyone was utterly shocked. What in the world just happened? To think it drew forth the manifestation of the Grand Dao Bell?! Someone shrieked, "Look, at the Talent Stone Tablet, a hundred zhang of divine light illuminates the sky!"
The crowd was rooted to the spot, dumbfounded. Has the Grand Dao Sect produced another peerless genius? Terrifying! At this moment, at the Talent Stone Tablet, everyone gazed at Ye Chen, their hearts churning with renewed shock. Ye Chen's talent had actually drawn forth the Grand Dao Bell! Just like Ji Fuyao! A fervent, almost crazed fire ignited in the eyes of the many Peak Masters; they looked as if they wanted to peel Ye Chen apart, layer by layer.
Ye Chen's body trembled slightly. The Sect Master's voice was a little shaky. "Excellent! Excellent! Truly excellent! Ye Chen, your talent rivals Ji Fuyao's! Ji Fuyao also drew forth the resonance of the Grand Dao Bell!"
Ye Chen breathed a sigh of relief. I haven't shamed Master after all! That's good. He looked up at the Grand Dao Bell in the depths of the void, his body and mind shaking. Clearly, this was an Emperor Weapon, and one of exceedingly high grade.
After a few breaths, the Grand Dao Bell slowly vanished back into the void. Suddenly, a boundless Quasi-Emperor Realm aura quietly seeped out from a hidden area within the Grand Dao Sect, rushing towards the Talent Stone Tablet. Seeing this, the Sect Master and others bowed respectfully. "Cangxuan Old Ancestor!"
Boom! A phantom figure condensed, and a vigorous, grey-robed old man appeared before Ye Chen. A Quasi-Emperor Realm projection!
The Cangxuan Old Ancestor stroked his beard, a faint smile playing on his lips, as he scrutinized Ye Chen from head to toe. "Excellent! Truly excellent! My Grand Dao Sect has gained another peerless genius!" At this, the Pill Peak Peak Master stepped forward. "Ye Chen, are you willing to join my Pill Peak and take me as your master..."
Before he could finish, the Sword Peak Peak Master shoved him aside. "Ye Chen, I sense a sliver of martial will within you; you ought to cultivate the Path of the Sword and join my Sword Peak! Your future achievements will be immeasurable!"
The Battle Peak Peak Master chuckled. "Our Battle Peak has nurtured many Great Emperors; our foundation is deep. Join us!" In an instant, the scene devolved into chaos. Everyone was clamoring to take Ye Chen as their disciple.
Ye Chen rubbed his nose, then bowed respectfully to the many Peak Masters. "Seniors, my apologies, but I already have a master, and I will not leave my Master Lu Xuan!"
As his voice fell, the scene instantly went silent. Everyone frowned slightly. "Lu Xuan, a mere Qi Refining stage cultivator, what could he possibly teach you? Your talent absolutely cannot be squandered in Lu Xuan's hands!" "Now that Ji Fuyao is already stuck on Azure Mystery Peak, we absolutely cannot let Lu Xuan ruin you too!"
Ye Chen's face twitched. It seems the numerous seniors of the Grand Dao Sect have a deeply ingrained misunderstanding of Master! Master is just too low-key. And he never bothers to explain himself. No wonder Lu Xuan's reputation as a 'waste' Peak Master has spread so widely over the years.
The Sect Master merely smiled, then abruptly grabbed Ye Chen. "Ye Chen, come with me to another spiritual peak! This disciple of yours absolutely cannot remain on Azure Mystery Peak any longer!"