Morning light draped the earth like a thin veil. Dewdrops trembled on the tips of grass blades, refracting tiny shards of light like tears left behind by last night's stars.
Before dawn had broken, Cloudmist Valley was already seething like a boiling cauldron. The morning mist scattered beneath the thunder of countless footsteps.
Today was the day the Misty Sect opened its gates, as it did once every century, to test and select new disciples.
Such a grand gathering and rare opportunity had long stirred countless hearts with anticipation.
The talented young people who had arrived early were well rested, brimming with energy as they waited eagerly.
They gathered in twos and threes, discussing how to achieve outstanding results in the first trial, the "Heart-Demon Illusion."
Boom, boom, boom! The wind and clouds shifted abruptly, spiritual qi surged like a tide, and thunderous reverberations of the laws suddenly rang out between heaven and earth.
Spatial fissures split the vast sky, as though gods and devils were treading through the void.
Cries of astonishment rose in waves.
Looking up, the crowd saw a dark mass of countless sect elders, protectors, stewards, and disciples shattering their way through the void from the direction of the Misty Sect.
The central platform of Cloudmist Valley hovered in midair, held steady by pillars of light formed from nine converging spiritual veins. Seven-colored radiance flowed through the clouds and mist.
The Misty Sect's current sect master wore a star-patterned Daoist robe and slowly ascended the platform, treading on empty air. Behind him, twelve Inner Disciples each carried a sect command banner, its fabric snapping in the wind.
They actually stirred the valley's clouds and mist into surging waves. The representatives of the visiting powers likewise displayed their divine abilities-
The spiritual vessel carrying the Heavenflame Dynasty's minister of foreign affairs streaked through the sea of clouds like a blazing crimson flame.
The gilded banner bearing the character "Flame" at its prow snapped in the wind, reflecting a dazzling halo beneath the morning sun.
Its hull was built upon the bones of a thousand-year-old crimson Flood Dragon and covered entirely in vermilion scales. Whenever the vessel skimmed through the clouds, it cast a fiery red shadow below.
On the deck, thirty-six delegation members dressed in black official robes stood in two rows.
At their head, the minister of foreign affairs wore a court robe embroidered with nine pythons facing the sun. Seven fire spirit pearls hung from his jade belt, glimmering with every step he took.
The imperial scions following him all wore swords at their sides, the flame crystals embedded in their hilts sparkling like stars in the morning light.
"We have reached the entrance to Cloudmist Valley. All delegation members, mind your bearing!"
The minister's voice boomed like a great bell, making the bronze bells on deck jingle.
Suddenly, a long crane cry sounded in the distance-a snow-white spiritual vessel broke through the clouds, the "Frost" banner at its prow spreading like wings in the cold wind.
Almost simultaneously, eight golden drums sounded together within the clouds to the southeast.
The Great Zhou Empire's white jade spiritual vessel approached slowly, massive as a mountain. Seventy-two armored warriors aboard held long dagger-axes that gleamed with chilling light in the morning sun.
Meanwhile, in the western sky, the Duan Dynasty's black jade spiritual vessel spiraled upward in an eerie manner, the eight hundred ghost faces carved into its hull humming low in unison.
"Look! The Great Lie Dynasty's black iron spiritual vessel!"
Someone pointed north, where an enormous pitch-black vessel bore down with the force of thunder. The character "Lie" embedded in its prow seemed to flow like molten lava beneath the sunlight.
Thirty-six war drums aboard sounded at once, their sound waves rippling through the clouds like waves across water.
The Windcloud Dynasty's spiritual vessel was the most unusual of all-the entire ship was formed from countless masses of blue-gray cloud and mist.
Even the "Wind" banner at its prow was woven from living cloud patterns, constantly changing shape with the air currents.
All the delegation members aboard wore wide-sleeved robes patterned with flowing clouds. As they walked, their sleeves billowed like a churning sea of clouds.
High above, nine dragon shadows tore through the clouds. Each seemed cast from immortal gold, profound ancient inscriptions flowing across its scales.
They extended their heads from the depths of the void, all nine mouths breathing out at once.
Behind them, they pulled a majestic, sacred palace out through the shattered void. An enormous banner bearing the character "Qin" hung upon it!
Waves of astonished cries immediately rose.
"Even the Great Qin Dynasty, the most ancient dynasty in the east, has appeared..."
"I heard the Great Qin Dynasty has destroyed hundreds of dynasties and powers, large and small, in the past century alone. Its resounding reputation was carved out through slaughter..."
A streak of silver light tore through the sky as a Sword Sect elder rode a giant sword through the clouds.
The spiritual sword was over a thousand feet long, deep blue sword qi flowing along its blade. Every spatial leap left a trail of scorching sparks behind it, as though setting the sky ablaze with streaming fire.
One carriage after another from Starsea Academy slowly emerged, drawn by Heavenly Horses.
Suddenly, roars came from the horizon as Demonic Beasts rampaged through the sky. The Demon Race had arrived.
Their voices arrived before they appeared. Buddhist chants echoed through the sky as the monks of Little Zen Temple floated in atop white lotuses.
Moo! With a clear, ringing cry, the Daoists of the Shangqing Sect slowly approached riding immortal oxen.
Medicine Immortal Valley's master healer elder floated over on a blue lotus with a group of disciples. Spiritual dew spilling from its petals formed four characters in midair: "Heal the sick, save the world."
An elder of the Corpse Puppet Sect arrived with a group of disciples, crossing through space aboard an enormous flying ship draped with skulls.
The Clearwind Sect sped toward them aboard an ornate flying ship crowded with young Heavenly Prodigies.
An elder of the Demonflame Sect transformed into a mass of black flame. Upon landing, the elder left no scorch marks on the ground, only a wisp of blue smoke outlining a hideous ghost face.
The Western Sea Dragon Palace's envoy arrived on a coral throne borne by three Flood Dragons, whose dragon roars scattered the valley's spiritual mist.
Looking into the distance, one could see all manner of seats and banquet tables arranged in the finest spots around Cloudmist Valley.
Sect Master He of the Misty Sect led the hall masters, Peak Masters, and elders, along with the important figures and experts from the visiting powers, to their seats one by one amid laughter and conversation.
What a picture of cheerful harmony!
All around them, spectators from the various powers stood packed together.
There were guards escorting their clans' geniuses, observers sent by other major powers, and dignitaries from the various imperial dynasties.
There were also members of the great demon clans and sea clans, Demonic Cultivators, countless rogue cultivators, and even quite a few ordinary people...
Dong, dong, dong!
Several tolls of a bell rang out, and everyone fell silent at once.
Projection arrays had already been set up all around Cloudmist Valley, allowing everyone throughout the Misty Sect's territory to watch. Sound-amplifying arrays and other such arrangements had not been neglected either.
Scouts from various powers had already taken out Heavenly Secret Mirrors to broadcast the scene remotely to their masters!
Several major powers had also joined forces, preparing to make a fortune by projecting the event across the entire world. The projections would appear in the center of every city, and anyone who came to watch would have to pay a fee!
"Today marks the Misty Sect's once-in-a-century opening of its gates, when we welcome talented recruits far and wide.
"First, the Misty Sect thanks all of you for coming to share in this grand centennial occasion. Now, I declare this year's entrance trials officially begun!"
At the very front stood an old man dressed entirely in white, from his robes and boots to his hair and beard. Words poured from his mouth like a cascading river, his voice booming like a great bell. He was none other than the Misty Sect's Third Elder!
"Anyone whose bone age exceeds one hundred may not participate."
Having said that, he teleported everyone below whose bone age exceeded one hundred out of the array, one by one.
"We shall now begin the first trial, the test of character. Anyone who endures thirty minutes within the illusion will pass!"
"The longer you endure within the illusion, the higher your score. Your final overall score will determine whether you enter the Inner Sect or the Outer Sect!"
Activate the grand array!
In an instant, beams of array light shot skyward around Cloudmist Valley, enveloping the entire valley. The trial had officially begun!
Inside the valley, Ming Hao gazed at the gradually forming array, then slowly turned toward the guards and maids who had followed him. With a grave expression, he said:
"If you cannot enter the Inner Sect, leave at once. Do not stay here and disgrace yourselves!"
"Rest assured, young master. We will give it our all!"
Qing Yun, Qing Ying, and the other ten guards all cupped their fists in reply, their gazes resolute!
These twelve guards had all been painstakingly selected from tens of thousands by his imperial father and mother.
The oldest among them, Wang Yong, had a bone age of only thirty-nine. He also had the highest cultivation of the twelve and was the leader of the six male guards.
The youngest was only fifteen, and all were geniuses picked from one in ten thousand.
Six men and six women, all had received vast amounts of cultivation resources before being sent to follow Ming Hao, protect him, and handle all manner of troublesome matters...
Ming Hao's fingertips hovered in midair, hesitating to descend.
The emerald jade phoenix before him spread its wings as though about to take flight. Every feather gleamed with watery light, as if it might shake off crystalline dewdrops at any moment.
He tentatively tapped the base with his knuckles, but the echo lacked the clear ring jade should have made. The muffled thud sounded like a knock against some animal's chest.
"This was formed from the tears of South Sea Merfolk."
A hoarse voice suddenly sounded behind him. Ming Hao whirled around and saw a small, thin old man wearing a peacock-feather cloak. Two pieces of obsidian set in his eye sockets flickered light and dark as he blinked.
"Merfolk?"
Ming Hao's Adam's apple bobbed. Suddenly, he noticed the old man's left little finger-a living piece of coral crawled over the stump, opening and closing slightly in rhythm with his breathing.
"Every treasure has a temper."
The old man's twiglike fingers brushed across the display counter, and fine, ripplelike lines immediately spread over its surface.
"This mirror reflects only the greed at the bottom of a person's heart."
Ming Hao followed his pointing finger. The mirror reflected not his own face, but a middle-aged man counting gold bars. With every bar he counted, another bloody fissure split the mirror's surface.
When the old man lifted a black velvet cloth to reveal a piece of breathing ivory beneath it, Ming Hao finally realized that he was already inside the illusion...
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