Shi Yi stood still, not immediately heading toward the Heaven Mending Pavilion's mountain gate.
There was no other reason: more than a dozen young beings had already stepped out of the crowd, eager to try.
A human boy, crimson from head to toe and dressed in animal hides, walked at the front and naturally became the first to attempt the trial.
According to the Heaven Mending Pavilion's rules, outside its regular recruitment period, anyone who crossed the mountain gate's boundary with both feet would qualify to enter the ancient sacred land and cultivate there.
At that moment, the Heaven Mending Pavilion elder guarding the mountain gate sat cross-legged on a large bluestone nearby, motionless, resting with his eyes closed.
Sensing a new challenger approach, he slowly opened his eyes. A brief glance was enough for him to lose interest, and he turned his gaze toward the distant crowd instead.
Suddenly, his gaze settled on a boy with an extraordinary bearing, and a trace of surprise surfaced deep in his eyes. Then he looked toward Shi Yi. Sensing that Shi Yi was no ordinary youth either, the elder nodded inwardly.
He did not forcibly break through Shi Yi's concealment to uncover his true appearance. If Shi Yi truly came from a top-tier power in the Mystic Domain, as the rumors claimed, doing so would undoubtedly offend him. The gain would not outweigh the loss.
Two interesting little fellows have finally come today, the elder thought.
Since he had begun guarding the Heaven Mending Pavilion's mountain gate, only a handful had passed. Not a single person had succeeded in the past three months, and today alone, he had already "persuaded" dozens of challengers to withdraw.
The trial's difficulty had always remained consistent. Each stage had its corresponding standards, and the elder adjusted