Kunlun Twelve Golden Immortals Assemble

After setting down the three trials, the figures of the Three Purities gradually faded away.

And the Kunlun mountain gate, which had originally been concealed amid the mountains, so inaccessible that ordinary beings could not even approach it, now finally manifested clearly within the primordial world. Any being who entered Kunlun's territory would vaguely sense its location!

The tens of millions of innate beings who had long gathered outside Kunlun Mountain instantly surged toward the mountain gate like a flood upon sensing its location!

These beings mostly came from the eastern primordial world. There were innate beings born of heaven and earth, spirit treasures that had taken form after being nurtured by heaven and earth, as well as heaven-blessed prodigies from the various races of the primordial world.

All thirsted to enter beneath a Saint's gate, gain a Saint's protection, and cultivate the true orthodox path of a Saint.

In their rush to reach the mountain gate first, these beings used every means at their disposal. Waves of spiritual energy erupted without end; people were constantly injured, and several unlucky ones perished outright, body and soul scattered.

Yellow Dragon, Nanji, and the others had been tasked by the Three Purities with maintaining order, but even they had not expected countless beings to come pouring in like a tidal wave.

Seeing the scene descend into such chaos, Nanji flashed into the sky. The might of his Great Luo cultivation immediately blanketed a radius of ten thousand li outside Kunlun's mountain gate. All beings within that range were cowed by the sudden pressure, their bodies stiffening as they fell straight to the ground like raindrops.

The countless beings beyond that ten-thousand-li radius also halted in unison, not daring to make another sound.

Seeing this, Nanji withdrew his Great Luo aura and said to the gathered beings, "All of you, to enter beneath a Saint's gate, you must undergo three trials." His voice was gentle, yet it rang clearly in every being's ears.

"So long as you pass even one trial, you will have a chance to enter beneath a Saint's gate."

Yellow Dragon and the others also stepped forward to stand beside Nanji. Yellow Dragon said, "From this moment onward, those participating in the assessment may not make noise or fight one another. Violators will bear the consequences themselves!"

As his voice fell, the myriad beings were excited but did not dare act rashly. Under the guidance of Nanji and the other disciples, they approached in batches of one hundred thousand and entered the formation Tongtian had laid down.

Among them, Yellow Dragon spotted several members of the Dragon Race who had once followed behind Green Dragon. All were Golden Immortals, and they entered the formation with the first batch.

In an instant, countless scenes unfolded within the formation!

Some saw their cultivation soar all the way into the Great Luo realm, becoming honored ancestors and lords, and lost themselves within it;

some encountered a mortal enemy while walking, slew their foe within a few moves, and from then on lost all desire to advance further;

some trudged forward with difficulty, sweat pouring down like rain, yet their gazes remained resolute. They passed through one illusion after another, advancing step by step.

Countless beings displayed countless different forms within this formation. Whether their hearts in pursuit of the Dao were steadfast was revealed here in full.

Three days later, only several people emerged from the first trial. Nanji used his divine ability to throw all those who had failed out of Kunlun together.

Over the course of several years, all the beings completed the first trial's assessment, yet those who passed were few and far between.

Of the tens of millions of examinees, only several hundred passed the first trial.

As for the second trial, which tested one's innate foundation and fortune, only several dozen passed.

Among them were more than ten innate beings such as Taiyi and Yuding, known as the Kunlun Twelve Golden Immortals; Wudang, whose reputation as a direct disciple of the Sect of Interception was renowned far and wide; six of Tongtian Saint's Seven Attendant Immortals; as well as outer disciples Zhao Gongming, the Three Xiao, and others.

Yet when these several dozen confident candidates took the third trial, not a single one could comprehend the Dao diagram left behind by the Supreme Pure Saint.

Even Yellow Dragon and several other disciples secretly tried to comprehend it, but none could pass the test. Still, they gained greatly from the attempt.

Once all the assessments had concluded, the three trials outside Kunlun's mountain gate did not vanish. Clearly, they were meant to stand here permanently.

Looking at the now-deserted space beyond the mountain gate, Yellow Dragon said to Nanji, "Senior Brother, now that matters here are settled, let us take those who passed to Three Purities Peak to acknowledge their masters!"

"Let us not keep Master and the elder uncles waiting too long."

Nanji nodded. With a wave of his hand, he raised an auspicious cloud and carried the disciples toward Three Purities Peak.

A short while later, on Three Purities Peak, an auspicious cloud had only just descended upon the plaza paved with countless spirit jades when three figures appeared before the crowd.

Yellow Dragon and the others hurriedly said, "Greetings, Master, Eldest Uncle-Master, Uncle-Master!"

Taiyi and the others behind them also hastily followed suit and bowed.

The Three Purities looked over these several hundred beings. Laozi remained expressionless, as though not one among them shared the fate of master and disciple with him!

Yuanshi, meanwhile, glanced at Taiyi, Yuding, and several others who shared such fate with him, and a trace of satisfaction flashed through his eyes.

But when his gaze turned to the remaining beings—especially Qiu Shouxian, Lingya Xian, Pilu Xian, and the others whose bodies radiated exceptionally dense bloodlust and baleful aura—that trace of satisfaction instantly turned to disgust.

Without waiting for Tongtian to speak, he casually summoned Taiyi, Yuding, Dao Xing, and more than ten others before him, then slowly said, "Are you willing to enter beneath my Sect of Elucidation?" His voice was soft, but it carried an authority that brooked no refusal.

Taiyi and the others immediately knelt, kowtowing toward Yuanshi. "This disciple greets Master!"

Seeing that his brother had selected only a dozen or so from among the hundreds, Tongtian said, "Second Brother, there are still many disciples here. You may choose a few more."

Yuanshi cast Tongtian a glance, then looked at Zhao Gongming and the Three Xiao, whose auras were clear and pure. Unfortunately, they shared no fate of master and disciple with him. Then he looked in distaste at Qiu Shouxian and the others, swathed in bloodlust and resentful baleful aura.

"Disciples are valued for excellence, not quantity!"

Hearing Yuanshi's words, Tongtian said nothing. He merely turned his gaze toward Laozi at the side. "Does Eldest Brother have any disciples who catch his eye?"

Laozi looked over the gathered beings and shook his head. Then his figure flashed and vanished, along with Xuandu.

Tongtian looked at the hundreds of pairs of eyes before him. "Wondrous indeed! The Great Dao has fifty; Heaven's evolution has forty-nine, while one escapes! I am the Supreme Pure, and I shall seize this single thread of life for all beings! Since your hearts in pursuit of the Dao are steadfast, you all share affinity with me and may enter beneath my gate!"

Among them was a female immortal named Wudang. Her will was the firmest, her Dao heart the purest, and her innate foundation and fortune surpassed all others. She was accepted as a direct disciple.

There were also six whose auras were all formidable and whose forms were strange and varied—Wuyun Xian, Jin Gu Xian, Qiu Shouxian, Lingya Xian, Jin Guang Xian, and Pilu Xian—who were accepted as attendant immortals.

All the remaining disciples were accepted beneath his gate as outer disciples. Zhao Gongming and the Three Xiao—Yunxiao, Qiongxiao, and Bixiao—were especially favored by Tongtian and appointed as the four overseers of the outer disciples. They would have their own fortunes in the future.

Though the taking of disciples was complete, the Three Purities Saints did not remove the three trials outside the mountain gate. A decree from the Three Purities Saints spread forth: "From this day onward, Kunlun's mountain gate shall remain open. Any being of the primordial world with a heart turned toward the Dao may come here and attempt the three trials. Those who pass may enter the sect according to precedent."

Yuanshi brought his newly accepted disciples, together with Nanji Xianweng, Guangchengzi, Yellow Dragon, and the others, into the solemn and magnificent Jade Pure Palace, where the resonance of the Dao permeated the air.

Yuanshi bestowed the Jade Pure Golden Canon, expounding the mysteries of heaven and earth, the ultimate transformations of yin and yang, the foundation of cultivation and refining qi, and the source of divine abilities and spells.

When Yuanshi's voice of exposition fell silent and the manifested visions dispersed, Yellow Dragon slowly opened his eyes. His cultivation had increased considerably.