"The Holy Lord has arrived!"
Everyone in the square and on the raised platform changed expression at the announcement.
The Holy Lord had actually come in person!
Had the descendant of some powerful expert come to the Ziwei Holy Land for its disciple recruitment ceremony?
After all, a routine disciple recruitment ceremony should not have required the Holy Lord to grace it with his presence.
Monstrous prodigies with true backing and talent had no need to go through the disciple recruitment ceremony at all.
The Ziwei Holy Land had already granted some of the major powers a number of internal slots.
Those who obtained an internal slot could come directly to the Ziwei Holy Land for testing, without waiting for the disciple recruitment ceremony held once every ten years.
Only on those occasions would the Holy Lord occasionally appear to see what the prodigies of the major powers were made of.
Though the elders on the platform did not understand why the Holy Lord had come, none dared show the slightest neglect.
They hurriedly straightened their robes and stood respectfully in place, awaiting his arrival.
The young cultivators in the square all lowered their heads to show their respect.
The scene, noisy just a moment ago, fell so silent one could have heard a sparrow.
On the stairs leading to the platform, Li Yuanlong hurried back down to the bottom and stood motionless with his head lowered.
Ji Zining glanced around, shrugged, and stepped onto the platform in two strides, where she too waited quietly.
The Holy Lord of the Ziwei Holy Land?
He should be someone like a sect master, the public face of authority in the Ziwei Holy Land.
Ji Zining no longer had much hope for the surprise the white-haired young man had mentioned. As long as she could enter the Ziwei Holy Land, everything would be fine.
By joining the Ziwei Holy Land, she could at least keep herself safe and lie low until she was strong enough.
There was also the Flowing Moon Dynasty. If she gained some standing in the Ziwei Holy Land, it would serve as a deterrent, making outside forces afraid to harbor any ill intentions toward the dynasty.
So joining the Ziwei Holy Land would kill several birds with one stone.
"Roar!"
"Roar!"
"Roar!"
Amid the roars, nine enormous beasts appeared in the sky.
The beasts looked almost identical, with dragon heads, deer bodies, and ox hooves. Terrifying red flames blazed all over them.
Where the flames burned, they tore holes in space itself.
Divine beasts, Fire Qilins!
Ji Zining stared at the Fire Qilins in some shock.
He used nine divine beast Fire Qilins to pull his carriage. What a grand display for the Holy Lord!
She could clearly see golden ropes binding the neck of each Fire Qilin,
and the other ends of the ropes were attached to a massive golden carriage.
Clearly, the Holy Lord of the Ziwei Holy Land was inside the golden carriage.
As soon as the enormous beasts appeared, the mounts hovering in the distance began to cry out uneasily, as though they wanted to flee.
Ji Chenkong spent some time soothing Xiao Jiu, finally managing to calm Xiao Jiu down somewhat.
He raised his head and looked toward the Ziwei Holy Land, his expression somewhat tense.
The Holy Lord of the Ziwei Holy Land has come in person, and Ning'er happens to be on the platform right now. If she tests her talent now, could she catch the Holy Lord's attention?
As long as the Holy Lord gives Ning'er special attention in her training, her future will surely be boundless!
I just hope Ning'er can seize this opportunity...
Upon reaching the sky above the platform, the nine Fire Qilins stopped in unison and stood quietly in the heavens.
At that moment, a figure emerged from the golden carriage.
It was a middle-aged man, broad-shouldered and imposing.
The mere trace of his presence that escaped unwittingly caused all nine of the previously unruly Fire Qilins to lower their noble heads in respect.
With one hand behind his back, the middle-aged man stepped forward and walked toward the platform.
The elders on the platform hurriedly called out in respect.
"Greetings, Holy Lord!"
The young cultivators in the square also spoke respectfully in unison.
"Greetings, Holy Lord of the Ziwei Holy Land!"
Even in the waiting area some distance from the square, the experts emerged from their mounts and flying boats and respectfully cupped their hands toward the middle-aged man.
Ji Zining watched it all, captivated.
She found herself longing for the feeling of making all around her submit the moment she appeared.
And all of this was because of strength!
At last, the middle-aged man arrived on the platform.
He raised one hand and gently lifted it.
"There is no need for formalities. I only came to have a look, nothing more. The testing may continue."
As the middle-aged man raised his hand, the elders and cultivators felt an irresistible force lift them up, setting them straight again.
This display deepened their awe.
The elders nodded respectfully and turned their eyes to Ji Zining, the only person still on the platform waiting to be tested.
"Go on and take the test, girl."
A cultivator had originally been waiting by the testing stele, but upon hearing that the Holy Lord had arrived, he had hurried down.
Now, Ji Zining was the only one on the platform.
Ji Zining nodded slightly.
She set off toward the testing stele.
Taking the talent test now suited her just fine.
The sooner she took the test, the sooner she could move on to wait for the next round, saving some time.
No one noticed that the middle-aged man's gaze was fixed on Ji Zining as she walked toward the talent-testing stele.
"Is this the prodigy who made the old ancestor start the disciple recruitment ceremony early just for her?"
"Such cultivation at her age is quite good, but this alone doesn't meet that standard."
"Old ancestor, don't blame your disciple for disobeying you this time."
In front of the talent-testing stele.
Ji Zining glanced at the nine dim stars above.
Now I'll light every one of you up!
Without hesitation, Ji Zining raised her hand and placed it on the talent-testing stele.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, a dazzling light burst from the testing stele.
The light seemed to carry wisps of immortal spirit Qi. As soon as it appeared, it surged unstoppably toward the top of the testing stele.
One star lit up...
Two stars lit up...
In an instant, all the dim stars lit up, filled with a glow rich in immortal spirit Qi.
After lighting the stars, the immortal spirit Qi glow showed no sign of stopping, continuing its fierce upward surge.
Finally, the immortal spirit Qi glow shot out of the talent-testing stele and reached straight into the heavens!
A pillar of immortal spirit Qi light suddenly formed in the sky above the Ziwei Holy Land.
"Crack... crack..."
"Bang!"
Amid a series of cracking sounds, the talent-testing stele gave way and exploded into powder.
Ji Zining withdrew her hand, her face full of embarrassment.
How did it explode?
I won't have to pay for breaking it, will I?
Probably not, right? This is a major power, after all.
Ji Zining turned around and raised a hand toward the middle-aged man.
"Um... Holy Lord, do you have another testing stele?"
"If not, I don't think the cultivators after me can take the test."
"Because it exploded!"
The middle-aged man could no longer maintain his composed expression, and a look of shock involuntarily appeared on his face.
Of course I saw it explode!
The question is, how did it explode?!
Even with a physique above nine-star talent, the light would only shoot some distance beyond the testing stele. It wouldn't blow the stele up!
The distance the light traveled beyond the testing stele represented how far a physique surpassed nine-star talent.
The middle-aged man subconsciously looked at the pillar of immortal spirit Qi light descending from an unknown height in the heavens.
But how high is that pillar of light?
And how far above nine-star talent is it?
He could not comprehend it.
All at once, he understood why the old ancestor had been so serious.