The Heaven Oversight Bureau's Test of the Heart

"That sounds awfully familiar. My grand-martial aunt says it all the time." The old Daoist studied Li Shun with a half smile.

"Your grand-martial aunt?... The Grand Arbiter?" A flicker of hesitation appeared on Li Shun's face as he asked.

The old Daoist nodded slightly.

Li Shun hurriedly composed himself and explained, "Not long ago, I had the honor of witnessing the Grand Arbiter's peerless bearing at the foot of Dai Mountain. I'll never forget it. Her teachings have stayed with me as well."

The old Daoist gave no indication of what he thought. "You've passed the first test. What comes next is the real trial."

He suddenly paused, his expression tightening slightly, as though he were communicating with someone in secret.

A moment later, the dim chamber abruptly flooded with light.

The phantom of a book, radiating an uncanny aura, appeared in midair.

The old Daoist grew solemn and pointed at it.

Its pages flipped open with a rustle.

Before Li Shun's eyes was a vast scene of two Outer Gods facing each other from afar.

Yet unlike what he had witnessed firsthand on the snowfields of Bing Province, the scene depicted in the book was drawn entirely in stark black and white lines.

It was simple, even somewhat abstract.

Anyone who had never seen Taiyi Xuanpin and Hunkun Chixiang with their own eyes could never have connected those few strokes in the book to such indescribable Outer Gods.

Then the black and white lines broke free of the pages like living things, as though the gods themselves had descended into the chamber.

Li Shun could even clearly feel the same terrifying pressure of the Outer Gods bearing down on him.

The only difference seemed to be the absolute restraint imposed by the mysterious book's power.

These two immense