The Nine Heavens Continent, the Chaos Holy Land.
Once the most powerful holy land, it had gradually fallen into decline ever since the Chaos Great Emperor ascended to immortality.
Today was the day the Chaos Holy Land opened its gates to take in disciples.
The kingdoms and aristocratic clans, large and small, nearby had all sent their geniuses to seek admittance.
Though the Chaos Holy Land had fallen into decline, it remained one of the top powers across the entire Nine Heavens Continent.
So the people coming to seek instruction were still a constant stream, crowding the place shoulder to shoulder.
"I've finally made it into the Chaos Holy Land. At long last, I've completed the first task the system gave me!"
After struggling with all his might, Xiao Yun finally squeezed through the crowd and entered the mountain gate of the Chaos Holy Land before him, arriving at the spacious plaza within.
Ignoring the chatter all around him, Xiao Yun hurriedly closed his eyes and checked the system inside him.
Epiphany System.
Function: Grant the host an epiphany.
Epiphany chances: 1 (silently recite the command to use at any time).
Task: Enter the Chaos Holy Land (completed). A new task will be issued shortly.
Seeing that the task status had changed to "completed," Xiao Yun was so excited that he nearly burst into tears.
It hadn't been easy. He had been in this world for sixteen years, and at last he had completed the first task the system had given him.
He had to admit, this task had been incredibly difficult.
After all, no matter how much the Chaos Holy Land had declined, it was still a mighty holy land—not somewhere just anyone could stroll into.
Xiao Yun came from an aristocratic clan in a small kingdom. With his family's strength, there was no way they could send him to the Chaos Holy Land ahead of time.
So Xiao Yun had waited sixteen years for the day the Chaos Holy Land opened its gates to take in disciples. Only then had he managed to sneak inside and complete the first task the system gave him.
"Ding! New task: Join the Chaos Holy Land. Reward: three epiphanies."
Suddenly, the system's mechanical voice rang out in Xiao Yun's mind.
Xiao Yun immediately realized that his second task had arrived. And this time, the reward was even more generous: a full three epiphanies.
An epiphany was when a cultivator, while comprehending the Great Dao, unexpectedly resonated with it and entered a wondrous state.
The odds of this happening were extremely slim. Even geniuses might only experience an epiphany once in their entire lives.
Even those freakish, super-talented prodigies might only manage two or three epiphanies in their lifetimes.
That showed just how precious an opportunity for an epiphany was.
So although his system only had this one function, Xiao Yun didn't resent it in the slightest.
"Join the Chaos Holy Land?"
Looking at his latest task, Xiao Yun grinned. "Sounds good. Now that I've come to the Chaos Holy Land, of course I'm going to join it."
The Chaos Holy Land had fallen into decline, but a lean camel was still bigger than a horse. What's more, the Chaos Holy Land remained one of the most powerful forces under the heavens.
Cultivating in the Chaos Holy Land would undoubtedly give him a better chance of becoming an unparalleled powerhouse.
Thinking this, Xiao Yun pushed through the crowd and looked toward the elevated platform ahead.
An amiable old man sat cross-legged atop the platform. He wore a gray robe, and his gaze was unfathomably deep, like the starry cosmos, impossible to look straight at.
"I am Elder Jieyin. I'll be overseeing your examination!" the gray-robed elder said with a kindly smile, a trace of anticipation in his eyes.
Would this year's crop produce a few freakish prodigies or immortal seedlings?
If nothing else, even a few super-talented geniuses would be good.
Elder Jieyin thought this to himself, then continued in a clear voice, "All right, I'll spare you the unnecessary talk. The Chaos Holy Land doesn't have that many rules. There's only one trial to become a disciple: ring the Chaos Bell!"
As he spoke, Elder Jieyin flicked a finger. The space before him split open in a massive fissure. Golden light burst forth, and an ancient, gray bell flew out of the spatial rift and landed on the plaza.
"Buzz..."
As the bell landed, it let out a deafening boom, like gods chanting and angels singing, making the souls of everyone present tremble.
"That's the Chaos Bell, the legendary Great Emperor's divine weapon!"
"Legend has it that long ago, the Chaos Great Emperor wielded this bell in battles across the nine heavens and ten lands, sweeping through the myriad worlds with none able to stand against him."
"Even if all the Emperor Weapons in the myriad worlds were ranked, this bell would surely place among the top three!"
The plaza erupted in chatter.
Everyone who had come to take the trial was at least from an aristocratic clan in a minor kingdom. Naturally, they were all well-informed.
Hidden among the crowd, Xiao Yun stared at the Chaos Bell nearby, his mouth watering with envy.
If he possessed a treasure like that, where in the world couldn't he go?
Unfortunately, it was an Emperor Weapon, far beyond what he was qualified to control right now.
"Form a line and place your palms on the Chaos Bell one by one. Anyone who can make it ring may become a disciple of our Chaos Holy Land," Elder Jieyin said again.
At his words, everyone began lining up and touching the Chaos Bell in turn.
But instead of ringing, the Chaos Bell released a flash of golden light and teleported away whoever touched it.
Everyone immediately panicked.
Elder Jieyin called out, "Don't panic. Emperor Weapons have spirits. If you can't make the Chaos Bell ring, it will send you home, saving you the trip back."
Only after hearing Elder Jieyin's explanation did the crowd settle down. They continued touching the Chaos Bell one by one.
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Xiao Yun chuckled to himself. I didn't know the Chaos Bell had this feature. Even if I fail the trial, I'll get a free plane ticket home. Heh!
But Xiao Yun had no intention of being sent home by the Chaos Bell. He was determined to join the Chaos Holy Land.
He just didn't know how to make the Chaos Bell ring.
Xiao Yun watched the boys and girls touching the Chaos Bell one after another, but even after staring for a long time, he couldn't figure out what was going on.
The moment they touched the bell, they closed their eyes, and then a flash of golden light teleported them away.
Clearly, everyone who was teleported away had failed.
That made the testing go quite quickly.
Time trickled by, but no one could make the Chaos Bell ring. The crowd in the plaza couldn't help growing worried.
"Dong..."
Not long afterward, the Chaos Bell finally rang. Its booming chime echoed throughout the entire Chaos Holy Land.
Everyone's spirits lifted, and they looked toward the Chaos Bell in the distance.
A youth stood before it, his face alight with excitement and delight.
From the elevated platform, Elder Jieyin said calmly, "One chime means you barely qualify to join the Chaos Holy Land, but you can only become an Outer Sect disciple. Where is the Outer Sect Deacon? Take him to the Outer Sect!"
"Yes, Elder!" A black-robed man suddenly flew in from the horizon, grabbed the youth beside the Chaos Bell, and flew off into the distance.
Hearing that the youth only qualified to become an Outer Sect disciple, everyone present was stunned.
In their eyes, being able to ring the Chaos Bell was already an incredible feat.
Yet it only qualified one to become an Outer Sect disciple. Wasn't the Chaos Holy Land's trial far too difficult?
Someone asked, "May I ask Elder Jieyin, what is the most times one person can ring the Chaos Bell? And how does the number of chimes relate to one's treatment after joining the Chaos Holy Land?"
This was the key question.
Everyone looked toward Elder Jieyin on the platform in unison.
Elder Jieyin smiled faintly. "The Chaos Bell has nine chimes. One chime qualifies you to become an Outer Sect disciple.
"Two chimes qualify you to become an Inner Sect disciple.
"Three chimes qualify you to become a True Disciple.
"Four chimes qualify you to become an elder's disciple.
"Five chimes qualify you to become a Supreme Elder's disciple.
"Six chimes qualify you to become a Holy Son of our Chaos Holy Land.
"As for seven, eight, or nine chimes, none have been heard in many years. Anyone who manages it will immediately become the Divine Son of our Chaos Holy Land."
Hearing Elder Jieyin's words, everyone in the plaza was filled with longing.
The trial continued.
As time passed, fewer and fewer people remained in the plaza.
What shocked Xiao Yun was that even after hundreds of thousands had been tested, only a few hundred had joined the Chaos Holy Land. The odds were far too low.
And of those few hundred, the most anyone had managed was three chimes.
Xiao Yun could clearly see that Elder Jieyin on the platform had grown grim-faced. The kindness was gone, replaced by a look of gloom.
Clearly, the lack of geniuses had left Elder Jieyin deeply disappointed.
"Each generation is worse than the last. Is our Chaos Holy Land really destined to fall into decline?" Elder Jieyin looked at the young people being tested below and let out a sorrowful sigh.
Still, he knew the reason.
Geniuses revealed their formidable talents early on and were then recruited by the other five holy lands.
But the Chaos Holy Land had a strange rule, passed down since ancient times.
Anyone who wished to join the Chaos Holy Land was absolutely forbidden from cultivating any techniques before the trial.
Thus, the young people who came to take the trial were all ordinary people who had never cultivated.
The geniuses had already embarked on the path of cultivation, so they had no chance of joining the Chaos Holy Land.
Unfortunately, this was a rule passed down by their ancestors, and no one dared change it.
"It's finally my turn!"
Among the crowd, Xiao Yun saw the Chaos Bell right in front of him. His face filled with anticipation, and he stepped forward excitedly.
After waiting in line for so long, it was finally his turn.
"I wonder if I can make the Chaos Bell ring." Xiao Yun reached out and touched the ancient bell wall before him.
"Boom..." His mind shuddered. A passage of golden script appeared in his mind, unfolding the myriad things of heaven and earth and expounding the Chaos Great Dao.
In that instant, Xiao Yun understood how to make the Chaos Bell ring.
It turned out that he needed to comprehend the golden script. As soon as he grasped its basics, he could make the Chaos Bell ring.
And the more he comprehended, the more times the bell would ring.
Thinking this, Xiao Yun steadied himself and silently recited, "System, use one epiphany!"
"Boom!"
A thunderous roar rang out in his mind. Xiao Yun's thoughts grew clearer and clearer, and inspiration after inspiration welled up inside him. The golden script before him turned into symbols, which entered his eyes.
"So this scripture is called Chaos Guidance. Once mastered, it lets you borrow the power of the Chaos Bell. The stronger you are, the more power you can borrow. If you reach the Saint realm, you can refine this Chaos Bell."
Immersed in the wondrous state of his epiphany, Xiao Yun immediately understood the essence of the scripture before him.
At the same time, Xiao Yun had no idea that his trial had already set the outside world abuzz.
The author says:
Hello, everyone. I'm the author, Ye Dadao. If you have questions about the plot or any wild ideas, come chat! Feel free to say whatever you like in the comments!
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