After the last wisp of smoke dissipated, a spiritual light rose from beneath the ten arenas, enveloping the arena area and the large tripod in the center.
Above each arena, a large character emerged.
They were: Universe, Cosmos, Flood, Desolation, Heaven, Earth, Mysterious, Yellow, Human, and Demon.
The ten great characters rotated slowly, spinning faster and faster as they converged toward the central tripod.
Finally, the ten characters merged into one, sinking into the tripod. A spiritual qi talisman soared into the sky, and a cyan light expanded. In an instant, everyone present felt the world spinning around them.
When they regained their senses, the ten arenas had vanished.
"Everyone, the participants have been moved to Tianxin Island via a teleportation array. The final assessment will officially begin tomorrow at the hour of the dragon," the Sifang Chamber of Commerce referee shouted to the crowd. "You may head to Tianxin Island on your own, or you can board our chamber's sky skiff. It will only take two hours to arrive."
...
On Tianxin Island, a place where the heavens seemed to hang low, the ten arenas had been relocated.
Behind each arena stood a small hut. Outside each hut was a bronze tripod with three sticks of incense burning inside.
A young boy dressed in a sky-blue daoist robe approached from a distance, walking straight toward the chamber president. "Grandpa Fan, thank you for your hard work."
"Haha, Little Mo Yan, you've grown quite a bit. That daoist robe finally fits you, more or less."
The two seemed to know each other and chatted for a while.
"Little Mo Yan, Grandpa Fan has other matters to attend to, so I'll be heading off. I'll leave the arrangements for these people to you."
"Yes, safe travels, Grandpa Fan."
President Fan leaped into the air and vanished in the blink of an eye.
"Everyone, the rooms behind the arenas are for your rest. The green incense at the door represents the time remaining until tomorrow's assessment begins," the young daoist boy said slowly as he looked around.
"One more thing. Many martial uncles and aunts live on Tianxin Island. You are not yet members of the Tianxin Sect, so please do not wander around. Stay here and rest. If you have any needs, use your true qi to activate this tripod."
The young boy pressed his palms against the large tripod, and a massive amount of true qi erupted from him. His daoist robes fluttered despite the lack of wind as a continuous stream of true qi poured into the tripod. The abundance of that true qi was completely mismatched with the boy's small stature.
After five breaths, the true qi finally filled the tripod, causing it to hum loudly.
The boy withdrew his arms and regulated his breathing. "Everyone, just activate the tripod as I did. A senior brother or sister on duty will come to assist you."
With that, the young boy turned and walked away.
"What a terrifying amount of true qi... it's like a vast ocean. I doubt even those at the Foundation Establishment stage could match him. Is this the foundation of Tianxin Island? Even a random boy has such strength," the usually silent Zheng Hong remarked in awe.
"That is no ordinary boy. Both of his parents are Tianxin successors. It is said that when he was born, visions of mountains and seas appeared, birds and beasts came to offer their congratulations, and a wisp of innate true qi protected him. Even though he hasn't reached the age to officially begin cultivation, that single wisp of innate true qi makes him superior to most people in this world," explained Senior Brother Ling of the Shuanghua Sect. "He is born sacred, blessed by the heavens. Everything he does seems to be aided by fate."
"Senior Brother Ling, why the sigh? Your sect's founding ancestor was a mere mortal with no heavenly visions at birth, yet he still founded the Shuanghua Sect and established such a grand legacy that has lasted to this day."
"Ha, Brother Chi, I am merely stating facts. These things are recorded in the scriptures of your Xuanhuo Sect as well; it is common knowledge across the world."
Chi Xin shook his head. He never believed that those so-called born sacred individuals were as powerful as the pedantic scriptures claimed. He only believed in his own efforts. From a small island within the Xuanhuo Sect's territory, he had clawed his way up to the position of a formal disciple. Chi Xin only recognized sweat and blood as hot as fire.
'So this is a born sacred individual? Interesting.' This was the first time Chen Xu had seen a so-called born sacred person; he had only read about them in Akhan's mental cultivation books and Zhang Jingping's Evolution Theory.
Seeing it with his own eyes, there were indeed unique qualities. Looking through the lens of a mental observation spell, the boy's soul was different from a normal person's. It was a vast ocean accompanied by great mountains; that was what Chen Xu saw.
If this was what it meant to be born sacred, Chen Xu turned to look at Shen Mengqi. This cultivator, whom Daxia held in such high regard, also had a soul that differed from the norm. It looked like a cluster of mist, dreamlike and ethereal.
At first, Chen Xu thought his observation spells were simply underdeveloped, but even now, after essentially finishing his introductory studies, all he saw was a cluster of mist. This made him realize that Shen Mengqi was also far from simple.
Perhaps because Chen Xu's mental strength was too vast, Shen Mengqi, who had been watching the boy leave, seemed to sense something and suddenly turned to look at Chen Xu. Seeing his inquisitive gaze, she didn't speak, only offering a slight smile.
"Seniors, since we can't wander around, we might as well rest early. Senior Sister Zheng, Senior Brother Shi, and Big Brother Chen have fought many matches today; they must be tired," Shen Mengqi said as she took an array disk from her ring, leaped off the arena, and walked into the wooden hut.
"This is an automated array disk crafted by a Heavenly Crafts Artisan. It has a yellow-rank Cleansing Heart Array built in. As long as you inject true qi, the disk will automatically activate the formation."
Placing the array disk in the center of the room, Shen Mengqi extended her index finger and transferred a wisp of true qi into it, causing the disk to begin operating. She then found a spot near the center, sat cross-legged on the floor, and closed her eyes to circulate her energy.
Zheng Hong and Shi Jing followed her into the hut, finding their own spots to meditate. Shortly after, the two sword cultivators, Wang Sen and Zhao Yifang, also entered.
"Does Fellow Daoist Chen not wish to rest? The Cleansing Heart Array can calm the mind and settle the spirit; it's an excellent auxiliary formation," Ma Ku asked when he saw Chen Xu remaining in place.
"No need, Fellow Daoist Ma. I am merely a fake, after all. I won't take up space from those of you who are the real deal."
Seeing Chen Xu's refusal, Ma Ku said no more and went inside to find a spot for meditation.
The teams from the other arenas also entered their respective huts. Before long, Chen Xu was the only one left on the arena.
As night fell, Chen Xu remained on the arena, engrossed in a book by Akhan. Perhaps due to the location, the moon here was exceptionally bright, allowing him to read without needing to cast any illumination spells.
In the latter half of the night, Chen Xu finished another book. He stood up, stretched, and looked up at the moon.
Suddenly, he sensed a ripple of mental strength shooting from the wooden hut to his right toward the moon.
Chen Xu turned to look. If he remembered correctly, that hut belonged to a team of rogue cultivators.
He spread his mental strength into the air, attempting to capture the information within the next ripple.
After a long wait, another wave of mental strength finally arrived.
"Mother."
The message transmitted was incredibly simple, consisting only of that single word.
"Mother?" Chen Xu murmured softly.
He recalled the cheers from the spectators that morning. If he wasn't mistaken, the leader of that team was named Chang Shu.
As one of the only two female captains in this Tianxin Assessment, Chang Shu was very famous in the western seas, unlike Shen Mengqi. She frequently helped mortals drive away sea beasts and had earned the title of Bright Moon Fairy. Her teammates were also friends she had helped during her travels.
Furthermore, Chen Xu had seen that name in the betting room of the Tower of Three Excellences. Chang Shu was among those recommended by the Sifang Chamber of Commerce on that wall. Thinking back, the old man—or rather, the chamber president—had let his gaze linger on the name Chang Shu when he looked at the recommendation wall.
"Heaven-Earth Coins... is Heaven at the top?" From the young boy of Tianxin Island to Shen Mengqi and now this Chang Shu, Chen Xu was starting to get a sense of Tianxin's screening process.
If his guess was correct, his greatest enemy tomorrow would be this Bright Moon Fairy, Chang Shu, who was currently whispering "Mother" to the bright moon in her dreams.
Rate on N.U.
