Ascension Ceremony

Danxiao Peak, behind the mountain.

Yang Shougui soon led Chen Xuan to a small courtyard at the back of the mountain.

This Supreme Elder of Danxiao Peak's lineage had not carved out a cave abode elsewhere. Instead, he had chosen a spot behind Danxiao Peak and made a small courtyard his abode.

There were no formations around it, either. At a glance, it looked less impressive than the disciples' quarters.

Of course, he had no need for formations.

"Martial Uncle."

Yang Shougui stood outside the courtyard and called out with cupped hands.

"Come in and talk."

An old man stepped out of the house.

Yang Shougui led Chen Xuan into the courtyard.

"Greetings, Supreme Elder."

Chen Xuan cupped his hands.

The old man smiled and looked Chen Xuan up and down.

"Not bad... What an exceptionally gifted young man."

After praising him, the Supreme Elder turned to Yang Shougui. "Go on about your business. I'll speak with him alone."

"Yes, Martial Uncle."

Yang Shougui bowed and left.

"Sit."

The Supreme Elder sat at a stone table in the courtyard and invited Chen Xuan to sit as well.

Chen Xuan felt no need to be nervous. If the man told him to sit, he would sit.

Once Chen Xuan was seated, the Supreme Elder spoke slowly. "You joined the sect about three years ago. Yet with a Mortal Body, you formed a Golden Spirit Sea, achieved Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment, and cultivated a High-Grade Purple Mansion.

"When some elders in the sect heard, they suspected something was wrong with the Myriad Dao Stele.

"But I was more inclined to trust that the Myriad Dao Stele had made no mistake, so I had someone investigate. After reading what he found about you, though, my first reaction was to believe the stele had made a mistake. I could hardly believe anyone could be so extraordinary..."

There was a note of wonder in the Supreme Elder's voice.

No one knew how stunned he had been after investigating Chen Xuan.

From what his inquiries revealed, Chen Xuan had displayed remarkable cultivation speed from the moment he joined the sect.

At first, that was understandable. Perhaps his aptitude came close to that of a Spirit Body.

Disciples like that appeared in the Cloud Sea Sect from time to time.

But after Chen Xuan entered Danxiao Peak, things stopped adding up.

Chen Xuan often went to the Marketplace to sell fine pills. Later, he had even sold magical artifacts.

The investigation showed that Chen Xuan was exceptionally skilled at Alchemy and Artifact Refining. More importantly, he had taught himself. After spending some time reading in the Library Pavilion, he had brought both skills to a high level.

Not only had he cultivated quickly and mastered Alchemy and Artifact Refining in short order, he had also practiced body-tempering and spiritual-sense techniques.

Given how Chen Xuan had obtained Heavenly Dao Qi, the Supreme Elder had also guessed that he possessed the Heaven-Observing Divine Eye.

Naturally, he now knew why Chen Xuan had managed to cultivate a High-Grade Purple Mansion.

It was likely connected to the Purple Qi Comes from the East Dao Technique that the Cloud Sea Sect had recently acquired.

The investigation also told him that Chen Xuan knew Li Junmo. That, combined with the task Chen Xuan had completed not long ago...

The Supreme Elder grew even more certain that Chen Xuan had mastered the Heaven-Observing Divine Eye.

If all he had learned was that Chen Xuan had read a few books and rapidly mastered Alchemy and Artifact Refining, he might have suspected a trick.

But once he realized Chen Xuan had very likely mastered the Heaven-Observing Divine Eye, he began to think the young man's comprehension truly defied the heavens.

He had looked over the Purple Qi Comes from the East Dao Technique as well. It was even harder to learn than the Heaven-Observing Divine Eye.

And now that he had met Chen Xuan, he could sense a certain aura emanating from him.

It was the aura of a Spirit Body closely bound to purple qi.

That meant Chen Xuan had succeeded in cultivating the technique and had even formed a Spirit Body.

All of this proved that Chen Xuan's comprehension was truly astonishing.

Of course, there was another possibility: someone might have seized Chen Xuan's body.

Such things were not unheard of.

But in a Small Thousand World, only Nascent Soul Cultivators could seize another person's body.

Besides, anyone doing so would normally choose someone with better aptitude.

Small Thousand Worlds almost never produced God Bodies or Saint Bodies, but they had plenty of Spirit Bodies, and King Bodies appeared now and then.

Why pass over those to seize a Mortal Body?

Finally, the Cloud Sea Sect's entrance examination was not for show. It could rule out both body seizure and outside control.

That was why the Supreme Elder had not seriously suspected Chen Xuan of being possessed.

After investigating and considering everything, he concluded that Chen Xuan's comprehension simply defied the heavens.

Of course, he had also considered whether Chen Xuan had encountered some opportunity no one knew about.

But what did that matter, so long as Chen Xuan belonged to the Cloud Sea Sect?

Chen Xuan understood from the Supreme Elder's words that the man had investigated him.

He was not surprised.

Cultivating within a sect made it impossible to leave no trace at all.

"Have you mastered the Heaven-Observing Divine Eye?" the Supreme Elder suddenly asked.

Judging by the investigation and his own deductions, Chen Xuan almost certainly had.

Still, he wanted to see it with his own eyes.

Chen Xuan nodded and immediately activated the Heaven-Observing Divine Eye.

Now that he had reached the Purple Mansion realm, his status was different. No one could simply work him like an ox or a horse, so there was no need to hide it anymore.

Light shone from Chen Xuan's eyes as he displayed the Heaven-Observing Divine Eye.

The Supreme Elder nodded with delight. "Good! Good!"

His gaze grew warmer as he looked at Chen Xuan.

Their Cloud Sea Sect in the Azure Cloud Realm had truly stumbled upon a favored son of heaven.

In his view, Chen Xuan's achievements already made him worthy of being sent to cultivate at the Holy Land in the Primordial World.

"Chen Xuan, from today onward, you are an elder of Danxiao Peak. I'll see to it that you're assigned no duties. All you need to do now is focus on cultivation and prepare for the Ascension Ceremony in two years."

The Supreme Elder's voice trembled with excitement.

"Thank you, Supreme Elder."

Chen Xuan cupped his hands in thanks.

"No need to call me Supreme Elder. Call me Martial Uncle," the Supreme Elder said with a smile.

"Of course, Martial Uncle."

Chen Xuan changed his form of address at once.

The Supreme Elder was even more pleased to hear it.

The two talked a while longer.

Their conversation centered mainly on the Ascension Ceremony.

The Ascension Ceremony was a grand event the Cloud Sea Sect held once every hundred years.

Its purpose was to give disciples of the Lower Realm a chance to ascend to the Upper Realm.

When the time came, the Cloud Sea Sect in the Spirit Sea World would send disciples to hold an examination at each Cloud Sea Sect in the Small Thousand Worlds beneath it.

Those who passed would be taken directly to the Cloud Sea Sect in the Spirit Sea World to cultivate.

After the ceremonies in the various Small Thousand Worlds ended, the Middle Thousand Worlds would hold their own Ascension Ceremonies.

Those ceremonies would be conducted by disciples descending from the Cloud Sea Sacred Land.

If Chen Xuan seized this opportunity, he could go straight to the Cloud Sea Sacred Land.

Entering the Sacred Land and going to the Primordial World would naturally be the best outcome.

The cultivation environment of a Great Thousand World was far beyond anything a Small Thousand World could match.

Not only was the spiritual energy of heaven and earth denser and richer, its resources were countless.