The next day,
The blazing sun hung high in the sky.
A voice rang out from Floating Pagoda Island, announcing itself to the Primordial World.
"This Seat is Chi Yu, honored as Qing Chen. Today, I open Floating Pagoda Island wide, accepting disciples from across the Primordial World and enlightening all beings. All those fated may come and listen!"
Not far away, Yuan Feng and her group were rushing toward Floating Pagoda Island at top speed.
"Whew..."
"Fellow daoist Qing Chen's Floating Pagoda Island is truly far away. Even with our strength, it takes half a month to reach it!"
"Big Sister! Look!"
Everyone followed Green Phoenix's pointing finger.
In the distance, rosy clouds spread in every direction, Immortal Qi drifted through the air, and proud palace halls appeared and vanished amid the haze!
"Are we almost there?"
Zu Long said, his eyes gleaming.
Shi Qilin was filled with excitement!
"Hurry, hurry, hurry! Speed up!"
"Big Sister! Let's go!"
Yuan Feng nodded.
Along the way, countless strange creatures, gods, and demons fled the moment they saw the Three Clans!
The Three Clans were now the undisputed overlords of the Primordial World. No one dared offend them carelessly!
In the end, although the independent cultivators, strange creatures, gods, and demons had initially been ahead of them, they arrived after the Three Clans instead.
The Three Clans reached the entrance to Floating Pagoda Island and waited quietly for an announcement.
Before long, the formation opened, and two Attendants emerged with proud expressions.
"By Master's decree! Yuan Feng and Green Phoenix are summoned for an audience! Everyone else, wait here!"
Zu Long and Shi Qilin both looked helpless upon hearing this.
They had wanted to grumble a little, but after thinking it over, they held back.
Yuan Feng and Green Phoenix exchanged smiles, then followed the two Attendants into the formation.
Light flickered around them, and they arrived beneath a mountain gate.
The power of laws overflowed from the gate, upon which were written two freely flowing golden characters.
"War-ending Sect!"
Yuan Feng nodded as if she had gained some insight, carefully savoring the two characters overflowing with the power of laws.
Green Phoenix, however, reacted strongly. Her eyes went blank, and she nearly fell into a daze!
Yuan Feng froze.
Oh no! I need to send her a divine transmission at once!
"Little Sister! Sit cross-legged and calm your mind!"
Green Phoenix had been confused, trapped in a Special Space and at a loss. The moment she heard her sister's voice, she immediately sat down to meditate.
"Sit cross-legged and calm your mind! Focus your spirit and steady your breath!"
Before long, Green Phoenix seemed to find the way. She let out a breath and immediately felt much more at ease.
Wood Child and Thunder Child exchanged smiles and nodded.
They wore the air of old sages, unfathomably profound.
A moment later.
The power of Creation gradually began to spread across Green Phoenix's body.
Then more and more gathered! More and more!
When it reached a certain point,
With a chirp, all the power of laws surged into her mind.
She had successfully gained enlightenment!
Yuan Feng smiled.
"I never expected my little sister to have such great fortune!"
This refinement continued until the sun set over the sea.
Suddenly, the aura of a Daluo Golden Immortal emerged!
Three flowers appeared above Green Phoenix's head and slowly bloomed!
One flower.
Two flowers.
Three flowers.
They did not stop until the eighth flower!
Daluo Golden Immortal Early Stage achieved!
Green Phoenix slowly opened her eyes.
She clenched her fists, felt her own strength, and was so delighted that she nearly began dancing on the spot.
"Big Sister! Look, I've broken through to Daluo!"
"Yes! Big Sister is truly happy for you!"
But on further thought, Yuan Feng realized that she owed Chi Yu another debt.
"Alas... how am I supposed to repay this karma?"
Seeing Green Phoenix suddenly frown, Yuan Feng asked:
"Little Sister, what's wrong? What are you thinking about?"
Green Phoenix looked at Yuan Feng and shook her head!
"Big Sister! We owe fellow daoist Qing Chen more and more!"
Yuan Feng froze and looked toward the War-ending Sect's mountain gate.
"Yes."
Wood Thunder Child shook his head and stepped forward.
"Two Fellow Daoists, please. Master is waiting in Azure Dust Palace!"
Yuan Feng and Green Phoenix exchanged smiles and nodded.
"Please lead the way!"
~
Azure Dust Palace.
Chi Yu sensed their arrival, grinned, and opened his eyes.
"I never expected it! Fellow daoist Green Phoenix is actually so fated with my Creation Law!"
"Brother! Who is Green Phoenix?"
Qing Wei looked at Chi Yu in utter confusion.
Chi Yu smiled mysteriously.
"An old acquaintance. You'll find out soon enough!"
Before long, the two Attendants led two women inside.
Qing Wei froze.
Though he was not the sort of man lusting after beauty, that did not stop him from appreciating beautiful things.
His eyes shone as he stared at Yuan Feng and Green Phoenix.
Chi Yu coughed twice, and only then did Qing Wei restrain himself.
"You Merit God and Demon, didn't you say Innate Dao Bodies were extremely ugly? Yet you go blank whenever you see beauties."
Chi Yu was speechless.
"Two Fellow Daoists, you have traveled a long way and must be tired. Please, sit!"
Yuan Feng and Green Phoenix exchanged smiles and nodded.
"Fellow daoist Qing Chen is too courteous!"
Then, remembering the various clans still outside the island, Yuan Feng stood and asked:
"May I ask, fellow daoist, how do you intend to arrange the clans outside the island?"
Chi Yu smiled.
"No rush! This Seat has This Seat's own considerations. Just wait patiently!"
And so, several more months passed.
During those months, Chi Yu often took Yuan Feng and Green Phoenix sightseeing through the mountains and rivers, deepening their bond once more!
One day, Yuan Feng once again asked about the arrangements for her clansmen!
Chi Yu nodded with a mysterious smile.
"It is time to begin!"
"Hm?"
Yuan Feng and Green Phoenix looked at Chi Yu with baffled expressions.
"Come. Follow me to Creation Hall."
When they arrived at Creation Hall, Qing Wei and Red Sparrow had already been waiting for some time.
"Brother, you're here!"
"Master!"
Chi Yu nodded.
"Begin!"
Qing Wei waved his hand, and something resembling a modern display screen appeared before everyone.
On the screen,
The Three Clans were grumbling bitterly.
In contrast, the Phoenix Clan's Great Elders, Zu Long, and Shi Qilin were quietly meditating nearby.
Some had even begun complaining loudly!
"Pah! What nonsense about Azure Dust Battle Ancestor preaching to the Primordial World? Is preaching supposed to mean making us wait here for months without ever seeing him?"
"I'm leaving, I'm leaving! Lao Tzu should just go back and cultivate honestly. If you want to wait around like fools, then keep waiting!"
As that Innate God and Demon departed, many more gods and demons shook their heads and left in succession.
In the end, including the Three Clans, less than half of the original crowd remained.
The people in Creation Hall could not understand it at all.
"Master! Why don't we just open the formation already? Look at this—if it keeps going like this, they'll all run off!"
Chi Yu merely shook his head with a smile, unconcerned.
"No rush! This Seat accepts only disciples worth accepting, not worthless trash. Soldiers should be elite, not numerous! Wait a little longer! There are still far too many!"
"Uh..."
Even Yuan Feng and Green Phoenix could no longer bear to watch. Unable to understand, they tried to persuade him from the side!
Chi Yu could only chuckle.
Several more months passed.
This time, many strange creatures, gods, and demons among the Three Clans had already departed. The Phoenix Clan's Great Elders, Zu Long, and Shi Qilin all said they could understand.
"Alas! Let them go. It only means they are not fated for such an opportunity. It cannot be forced!"
Zu Long said with a sigh.
The Phoenix Clan's Great Elders nodded in agreement.
The word fortune was wondrous and elusive, exceedingly rare. Only those with fate could obtain it!
Since they lacked fate, even if they remained, they would leave sooner or later!
This tested nothing but patience and loyalty!
If they could not endure even this little difficulty, then should an enemy arrive someday, would they not turn and run at once?
What use would disciples like that be?
Time went uncounted in the Primordial World!
Zu Long and the others did not know how long they had waited. Cultivators had no true concept of time, so it did not matter much to them!
Only a few thousand gods and demons remained outside the island.
There were even fewer members of the Three Clans left. Zu Long opened his eyes and shook his head.
"Hmph... these disappointing fools!"
~
Creation Hall.
"Master! It should be enough now, right?"
Seeing that only a few Phoenix Clan members remained, Yuan Feng and Green Phoenix kept sighing.
Chi Yu looked at the screen, then nodded in satisfaction.
"Acceptable!"
"Wood Thunder Child, take them to the second trial!"
"As Master commands!"
The two Attendants then walked out of the hall.
"Ah? There's a second trial too?"
Red Sparrow stared at Chi Yu in shock.
Chi Yu gave her a big slap!
"You silly girl, seeking immortality and the Dao was never easy. You must know that teachings could not be passed on lightly!"
"Hiss! Oh~ Red Sparrow understands!"
Seeing the helpless expressions on Yuan Feng and Green Phoenix's faces, Chi Yu comforted them:
"The two of you need not take it to heart! I share a destiny with you two, and there is no fundamental conflict in the other members of the Phoenix Clan joining my War-ending Sect!"
"As the leaders of your clan, if you join my War-ending Sect, then the Phoenix Clan itself joins my War-ending Sect as well! Put your minds at ease!"
After Chi Yu's explanation, the two of them felt relieved.
"That's right! We shouldn't have brought so many clansmen here in the first place!"
Green Phoenix muttered.
After giving it some thought, Yuan Feng nodded as well.
~
Outside the island.
The formation suddenly opened, and two Attendants walked out!
The remaining gods and demons froze for a moment, then rose to their feet and bowed deeply!
"We pay respects to the envoys!"
The Wood Thunder Children exchanged smiles.
"Master's decree! You have passed the first trial! Follow us into the formation!"
The gods and demons rejoiced, then entered the formation in an orderly fashion.
The world spun around them!
The two Attendants vanished from everyone's sight.
Mist filled the area, and demonic power ran rampant!
Zu Long and the other powerful beings instantly understood the purpose of this trial and sat cross-legged with their eyes closed, resisting it!
The other independent cultivators gradually understood as well and began meditating in resistance!
Only a small number of gods and demons were caught off guard, forever falling into the abyss of the demonic path. Their eyes turned red as they slaughtered one another, until they ultimately perished!
Everyone in Creation Hall relaxed!
Qing Wei burst into laughter.
"Ha ha ha! I have to say, brother, your formation is truly ingenious!"
Tch~ Listen to that. In what way was This Seat not marvelous?
Chi Yu looked disdainfully at the laughing Qing Wei.
Yuan Feng and Green Phoenix stared fixedly at the screen, unwilling to miss a single detail!
This was an enormous opportunity for them as well!
However, those fated to have no affinity with the Dao of formations would gain nothing no matter how much they watched, so they should not force it!
Sure enough, by the end of the trial, they had gained nothing!
On the other hand, Red Sparrow's eyes shone brightly, as though having gained some insight!
Chi Yu nodded in satisfaction.
Seeing Yuan Feng and Green Phoenix frowning tightly and sighing dejectedly, Chi Yu shook his head and comforted them again:
"You have no affinity with the Dao of formations, so do not force yourselves. There is no need to take it to heart!"
"That's right, Sister! Don't force yourselves!"
"Mm!"
Elsewhere!
Those who had passed the trial finally broke through the formation and appeared at the mountain gate. The Wood Thunder Children were waiting for them there.
"Congratulations to you all for passing the second trial!"
Zu Long stepped forward and asked:
"May I ask the two envoys, when will the next trial begin?"
The Wood Thunder Children exchanged smiles.
"It is right before you!"
Everyone looked around in confusion!
Shi Qilin was the first to ask:
"Could the envoys explain further?"
"Certainly!"
"The mountain gate before you is the trial!"
Everyone froze! It was that simple?
The Wood Thunder Children exchanged smiles and shook their heads.
"Come. Master is waiting for you in the main hall!"
Everyone followed behind the two Attendants in an orderly line.
But just as they were about to pass through the mountain gate and step onto the stairs, Zu Long, who was walking at the front, slowed down, feeling immense pressure!
"This~"
Shi Qilin behind him asked in confusion.
"These~ stairs lead to the true god. So it really was like this!"
After adapting to the pressure, Zu Long began climbing the stairs.
Once the bewildered crowd passed through the mountain gate, they finally understood what Zu Long meant!
This was the third trial: only by climbing the stairs and entering the main hall could they see the true god.
The closer they got to the main hall, the stronger the power of the laws became, and the greater the pressure grew.
Zu Long and Shi Qilin were already panting halfway up the stairs, so they stopped where they were to regulate their breathing!
Yet after carefully regulating their breathing, they discovered that their understanding of the laws had deepened, and their strength was slowly increasing.
The two of them rejoiced.
Among those following behind, some also gained insight, but most failed to obtain such a fortunate opportunity.
~
Creation Hall.
Watching the screen, Chi Yu smiled in satisfaction.
"Reporting to Master! We have completed our task and have come to report!"
The Wood Thunder Children entered the main hall.
"Mm! Stand to the side!"
"Yes!"
Looking outside the hall, Chi Yu stroked his beard and smiled. (Let me say it again, you poser, you obviously don't have a beard!)
"I wonder how many people will be able to comprehend the profundity of This Seat's intent? Hehe~"
Before you continue