Nine Mysteries Saint Realm, Trial Hall.
The dome hangs high, light and space intermingle and permeate each other, and the floor is made of solid pieces of green jade tiles. This hall is extremely spacious, enough to accommodate thousands of people at the same time, and indeed there are quite a few cultivators gathered here at this moment.
Some had just stepped out of the teleportation array, their faces still showing signs of fatigue or excitement.
Some gathered in small groups in a corner, whispering about the details of navigating a certain trial ground, while others, like Han Xuanji, came alone and headed straight for the huge floating sphere of light in the center of the hall.
That enormous sphere of light was the Spirit of the Saint Realm. It was pale gold in color and about the height of a person. It floated on a white jade platform in the center of the hall, and its surface was covered with countless runes, each of which represented a rule of the Saint Realm.
Several pale golden rays of light extended from the sphere of light, connecting various parts of the hall. Some trial participants were placing their hands on the ends of the rays, closing their eyes and concentrating, clearly submitting applications or reviewing information.
Han Xuanji glanced at the situation in the hall and was about to step towards the Spirit of the Saint Realm when he suddenly heard a low-pitched but excited conversation coming from ahead.
"Brother Miao, you can definitely do it! The first ever opening of the Ten Directions Sacred Domain depends on you!"
The speaker was a petite female cultivator with short, ear-length hair and bright, sparkling eyes. She was looking up at the man in front of her, her tone full of pride and certainty.
Standing beside her were two equally young cultivators, a man and a woman, both nodding in agreement.
Surrounded in the middle was a blue-haired youth. He was tall and slender with a handsome face. His long, dark blue hair was tied back with a simple silver ring, and a few strands of hair fell in front of his forehead, making his eyebrows and eyes appear even more profound.
He wore a Body Integration -tailored dark blue outfit with silver wave patterns embroidered on the cuffs and collar, looking understated yet elegant. Listening to his companions' encouragement, a faint smile played on his lips, a smile that contained both confidence and a hint of helplessness, as if he was a little embarrassed by the praise.
"Alright, alright, if you keep bragging, I'll start to feel like I've already beat the game."
The blue-haired youth waved his hand, his tone amiable, but the certainty in his eyes was undeniable.
"In the Ten Directions Sacred Domain, whether you can clear it depends on your strength, not on whether you shout a few words of encouragement from the sidelines. However..."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the floating light screen above the hall.
The light screen displayed the trial rankings for various locations within the Nine Mysteries Saint Realm, while above the rankings for the Ten Directions Sacred Domain, a striking line of gold text was prominently displayed. "Clearance Record: Not Completed."
He withdrew his gaze, his voice now carrying a weighty weight:
"I'm definitely getting this first clear; the first clear reward is 50,000 points!"
Upon hearing this, his companions cheered again.
Han Xuanji heard about 70-80% of what was said and couldn't help but take another look at the blue-haired youth.
He hadn't expected that this blue-haired youth would openly declare his intention to become the first in history, and judging from the reactions of those around him, it didn't seem like boasting to outsiders.
They genuinely believed he could do it.
It seems this blue-haired youth is no nobody; he's most likely a prominent figure in some powerful organization.
However, Han Xuanji didn't think much of it, and he didn't value being the first in history to pass the imperial examination.
You get 10,000 points for your first clear, which should be enough.
Han Xuanji didn't think any further and walked straight to the Spirit of the Saint Realm, placing his palm on the end of one of the strands of light.
A gentle yet mechanical voice echoed in his mind:
"Trial participant, please select your destination."
" Ten Directions Sacred Domain."
Han Xuanji silently recited in her heart.
" The Ten Directions Sacred Domain is a trial ground for the inheritance of Holy Lord. It requires 10,000 points to enter. The current point balance of the trial participant is 10,000.1."
Confirm?
"Confirm."
A pale golden light emanated from the Spirit of the Saint Realm and flowed into Han Xuanji's token.
At the same time, the voice of the Spirit of the Saint Realm was no longer confined to the sea of consciousness, but resounded in the hall in a gentle yet incredibly clear tone, like a spring breeze caressing everyone's ears:
[Trial participant Mystic Heaven applies to enter the Ten Directions Sacred Domain -- Application approved, consuming 10,000 points.]
The noisy chatter in the hall suddenly fell silent for a moment.
Then, whispers rose up like a tide.
" Mystic Heaven? Does anyone know that name?"
A tall, imposing cultivator spoke first, his tone filled with confusion.
"Never heard of it, but that's normal, considering there are quite a few new people here."
Another cultivator clad in armor chimed in, his brow furrowed, clearly searching his mind for every name of prodigy he knew.
"Since the Ten Directions Sacred Domain reopened these days, quite a few people have been applying, and each of them is a famous prodigy."
"I wonder where this Mystic Heaven came from?"
"Ten thousand points! You just spent them like that? This is the Ten Directions Sacred Domain! Throwing in ten thousand points and failing to clear it means you'll lose everything. That place isn't like other trial grounds; no one has ever cleared it yet."
A gray-robed monk nearby sighed softly, his tone filled with both envy and pity.
"Perhaps it's a scion of some powerful family trying their luck."
Some speculated.
"They're rich and can do whatever they want, why should we worry about it?"
The blue-haired youth and his group naturally heard this voice as well.
The short-haired female cultivator blinked and looked around curiously.
"Did someone apply for the Ten Directions Sacred Domain at the same time as you, Brother Miao?"
Upon hearing this, the blue-haired youth raised his head, his gaze slowly sweeping across the hall.
Applying for the Ten Directions Sacred Domain requires 10,000 points and is extremely difficult. Those who can afford to spend these points are all self-aware. Therefore, even if the Ten Directions Sacred Domain were to open, there wouldn't be many people actually applying to enter.
He was somewhat curious about the origins of this " Mystic Heaven," but he didn't pay too much attention to it.
In this Saint Realm, there aren't many people who can easily produce such a sum of points.
It's impossible that it's about spending points to experience it.
Another competitor?
The blue-haired youth's gaze slowly swept across the crowd, suddenly stopping at a certain spot in front of the Spirit of the Saint Realm.
A tall figure stood before the enormous sphere of light, enveloped in pale golden teleportation light, his form slowly dissipating.
The man seemed to sense his gaze, and turned his head slightly, revealing a well-defined profile.
The face was completely unfamiliar to the blue-haired youth; he must be a newcomer to the Nine Mysteries Saint Realm, and someone he had probably never seen before in the outside world.
If he had seen it before, he couldn't possibly not remember it.
Just as he was about to take a closer look, the teleportation light completely engulfed the figure, which then disappeared into the hall.
"Is he a newly promoted prodigy from some faction?"
The blue-haired youth frowned and muttered to himself.
He didn't take it to heart. No matter who the other party was, the inheritance of the Ten Directions Sacred Domain ultimately depended on strength.
The person next to him followed the blue-haired youth's gaze and caught sight of Han Xuanji, immediately recognizing him.