His Phenomenon is Himself? The First Purple Heavenly Mandate

"He reached the summit, too?"

"If I weren't struggling just to stand steady right now, I'd suspect something was wrong with the Heaven-Ascending Stone Steps!"

"But he reached the top—why didn't he trigger any special phenomena?"

"Who cares? He walked up there so easily; his aptitude must be better than Grade C."

The crowd was already buzzing with heated discussion.

Just moments ago, Ying Bing had attracted a hundred birds in homage; the spectacle had been grand indeed.

Yet, when Li Mo ascended, there had been no such strange occurrences.

"Impossible, absolutely impossible! He must have cheated!"

Wang Hu had tumbled down dozens of steps, leaving him battered and disoriented.

Seeing that shameless scoundrel who had ambushed him reach the summit made his vision go black with rage.

He was grinding his molars so hard they were nearly cracking, wishing he could rush up and drag Li Mo down.

Unfortunately, he couldn't even stand up.

"Cousin! That brat is underhanded and vicious; he doesn't deserve to be a disciple of Clear Abyss Mountain!"

"Shut your mouth! The elders will make their own decisions!"

Wang Hao felt the embarrassment too, but he cut off his cousin's reckless outburst in time.

How that brat was judged was a matter for the higher-ups.

It was not their place to question the fairness of the Entrance Ceremony.

Of course, Wang Hao also felt that Li Mo must have used some other means.

The sect had records.

The fifth Sect Master of Clear Abyss Mountain had manifested the image of the Milky Way Cascading Three Thousand Feet, while the sixteenth Sect Master had invoked Ten Thousand Trees Welcoming Spring.

Even the current Sect Master, Shangguan Wencang, had caused countless swords to vibrate and bow in submission.

Every person who had reached the summit had displayed an extraordinary aura.

Unlike the crowd still climbing the stone steps, the high-ranking officials on the Observation Platform had fallen silent.

They were all at least in the Divine Observation Realm, capable of seeing what the naked eye could not.

Therefore, in their eyes, the youth with a crow on his head did indeed possess an extraordinary manifestation.

Behind him stood a figure, back turned to the common people.

That silhouette seemed plain and unremarkable, yet profoundly deep.

A fisherman on the riverbank... a scholar reading by lamplight... a general stepping into the golden palace...

It felt as if, in the blink of an eye, that silhouette changed.

Yet, when they regained their focus, it returned to its original state—just the young man in fine robes.

Li Mo's silhouette?

Was he reflecting his own self upon the Heaven-Ascending Stone Steps?

What the hell was this!

The elders exchanged glances, seeing absurdity and shock in each other's eyes.

They had never even imagined such a thing could happen.

But one thing was beyond doubt: this youth was extraordinary.

"Since he has climbed the one hundred steps, he can be a true disciple. What do you all think?" Xue Jing calmly loosened his grip, dropping the beard he had accidentally plucked out.

"Agreed."

"Hmm, I also think he should be observed for a while."

"It's just that both of them have reached the hundredth step."

Elder Han He set down his teacup and said with some hesitation:

"The ancestral teachings state that those who reach the summit are candidates for Sect Master, to be cultivated as the future successors of Clear Abyss Mountain."

"How can one sect accommodate two successors?"

It was mainly because this had never happened before; there had not been two people reaching the summit simultaneously in a hundred years.

For a moment, the elders all looked toward the Sect Master.

Shangguan Wencang remained silent for a moment:

"Ying Bing is the Sect Master's direct disciple; Li Mo is a direct disciple."

The elders were not surprised by this.

One had reflected an image of herself as an ordinary person.

The other had reflected a noble and mysterious phoenix, like a secluded moon.

The latter clearly possessed greater potential.

Clang—

A long, resonant bell toll echoed across the mountains.

The long incense in the massive bronze burner burned to ash; an hour had passed.

As time expired, the youths climbing on the stage let out their held breath. Some were overjoyed, some remained calm, and others were filled with unwillingness.

But now, everything was set in stone.

In reality, only a mere seven or eight hundred people remained who could truly enter Clear Abyss.

The elders of the various peaks of Clear Abyss descended from the high platform.

Shangguan Wencang took a step forward, and the noisy arena instantly fell silent.

"Those entering the Outer Court, go to the Outer Court Affairs Hall to receive your waist tokens and sundries."

"Those entering the Inner Court may choose a peak to join. Each peak has different functions, different focuses, and the martial arts they excel in also differ. You have three days to learn about them."

"Whether you join the Inner or Outer Court, you must not slack off. You are all still young; the universe is not yet settled."

The Sect Master's voice carried an inherent power that shook the heart.

Li Mo looked toward the elders and was slightly taken aback.

Xue Jing was winking at him.

Well then...

Li Mo had previously wondered how a barefoot doctor from a clinic could produce something like a Pure Yang Pill.

"Ying Bing is a direct disciple; she shall join my lineage."

Shangguan Wencang spoke again.

The crowd, which had yet to disperse, had long expected this, yet they still could not hide their shock.

To be taken as a disciple by the Sect Master of Clear Abyss, Shangguan Wencang!

Having crossed the Heaven-Ascending Stone Steps, she had ascended to the heavens in a single step.

Just moments ago, everyone had undergone the Entrance Ceremony together, but in the blink of an eye, they were worlds apart. There is nothing more fickle than life.

"Li Mo, Lin Jiang, and Murong Xiao also possess the potential of direct disciples."

"Are there any elders willing to take them as disciples?"

Direct discipleships were limited; each spot was accounted for.

Each elder could take at most five direct disciples.

"What a pity, my lineage is already full."

"Lin Jiang, you possess the Mantis Leg, Magpie-Patterned Shoulder, and Green Snake Spine. I specialize in long weapons; would you be willing to follow me?"

"Tsk tsk tsk, this kid Murong Xiao is not bad. He actually possesses the bloodline of a mythical beast; he is a fine seedling!"

Lin Jiang was quickly taken in by an elder.

Murong Xiao even sparked a competition between three elders, eventually joining the lineage of Elder Han He.

"These two."

Li Mo was also observing them.

[Name: Lin Jiang]

[Age: 16]

[Root Bone: Mantis Leg, Green Snake Spine, Magpie-Patterned Shoulder]

[Realm: Blood-Qi Realm, Fourth Pulse.]

[Destiny: Blue]

[Evaluation: This person's talent is acceptable, but he is eager for quick success and instant benefits. Being too rigid makes one prone to breaking; if he awakens in time, he may yet reach a higher level.]

[Recent Encounters: Just became a direct disciple of Clear Abyss, desires a weapon above the sharp-tier.]

[Name: Murong Xiao.]

[Age: 16.]

[Root Bone: Cry-Dragon Body.]

[Realm: Blood-Qi Realm, Fifth Pulse.]

[Destiny: Blue.]

[Evaluation: His father is human, his mother is a dragon in human form. He is kind-natured but deeply affected by his own bloodline. If he can harmonize the benefits of both, his future will be boundless; if he succumbs to both flaws, he will become a scourge upon the land.]

[Recent Encounters: Long-term suppression of his own instincts, hoping to calm the bloodlust deep within his bones.]

"Hiss..."

Li Mo drew a sharp breath.

Isn't he supposed to possess the bloodline of an auspicious beast?

Father is human, mother is a dragon?

Murong Xiao's father is a ruthless man; even Xu Xian would have to serve him tea.

He silently noted the whereabouts of the two.

"Right, what about me?"

Li Mo regained his senses, only to find the gazes cast by the elders carried a hint of difficulty.

"This child's natural talent is excellent, but how should he be taught?"

This was what the elders were all thinking at the same time.

For a moment, the scene fell into silence.

Suddenly, a lazy voice broke the stillness:

"Kid, hic... are you willing to apprentice under me?"

Li Mo followed the sound.

He saw a woman in palace attire standing there with her hands on her hips, trying very hard to look serious and dignified.

Her features were graceful and imposing, and the loose palace robes could not hide her stunning figure.

Standing there, she looked like a peony in full, unrestrained bloom.

"Naturally."

Li Mo did not hesitate for long and bowed.

"This... Junior Niece Shang Wu, she..."

Xue Jing was stunned and was about to speak.

But he was cut off by a threatening, sidelong glance from Shang Wu, who clenched her slender, pink fists.

"Uh, apprenticing under her is also excellent. From now on, you will be the only seedling of the Ninth Peak."

Xue Jing followed the flow, changing his tune at lightning speed.

"Greetings, Master."

Li Mo stepped forward to pay his respects, feeling strange.

Why did the elders look at him with such sympathy?

He couldn't help but use his Heavenly Mandate Divine Eye to look at her.

[Name: Shang Wu.]

[Age: 27.]

[Root Bone: Southern Bright Fire Lotus Body.]

[Realm: Inner Scene, Seventh Heaven.]

[Destiny: Purple.]

[Evaluation: The youngest elder of Clear Abyss Sect. You may doubt her character, but please do not question her strength; she possesses an extraordinary background.]

[Recent Encounters: Out of money for wine, currently pondering how to squeeze some silver out of the elders of other peaks; she is very interested in the Sect Master's direct disciple, Ying Bing.]

Li Mo: "?"

No wonder the higher-ups had such strange looks.

No matter how you looked at it, Shang Wu was not a good master.

And... it turns out he wasn't taken in because of his unique bone structure, but because she was interested in Ying Bing?

Those evaluations...

It made Li Mo doubt the value of a purple destiny.

"At least it's the first time I've encountered purple."

"Even if I don't learn anything, there will always be investment returns."

Thinking this, Li Mo felt his heart relax.

"Hmph, from now on you're under my protection. When you're out there, just use my name."

Shang Wu slapped him on the shoulder, seemingly feeling his bones once more.

Li Mo gasped, her grip was truly immense.

Not far away.

Ying Bing, who had already been accepted as a disciple, watched the woman in palace attire and the youth who wore a helpless expression.

So he has entered under Shang Wu's tutelage...

Ying Bing gave an imperceptible nod.

If Li Mo could learn even a fraction of Shang Wu's true skills, perhaps he might secure a place among his peers in the Purple Sun Prefecture.

Of course, compared to the entire Eastern Wasteland Domain, he wouldn't count as a prodigy, and he likely wouldn't be able to make it onto the system rankings.

"Four true disciples in a single generation; my Clear Abyss Sect is destined to flourish."

"Come, follow me to handle the enrollment procedures."

The short, stout elder looked toward them, his face wreathed in smiles.