"Third place, Mingye, come up and collect your reward."
Zheng Fengdao came down from the stage with a grin, and even winked at Chen Mu.
Chen Mu was still very grateful to the Daoist priest who had helped him at the last moment, and greeted him kindly.
"Third place in the ranking competition will be awarded three Spirit Augmenting Pill, two loads of Grade 3 Spirit Grain, a Grade 2 courtyard, and 3,000 contribution points!"
Mingye bowed slightly and took a small bottle from Mo Fei's hand.
"This is Spirit Augmenting Pill. After you choose your courtyard, the spirit grain will be delivered to your courtyard. As for the contribution points, they will be recorded in your identity badges. How to use them will be explained to you after the apprenticeship ceremony tomorrow."
"Yes, thank you, Elder!"
After Mingye finished, it was A Huo's turn.
The second-place reward is slightly more for each item than the third-place reward, but the courtyard is still only a second-grade item.
When Chen Mu took the stage, the entire audience erupted in cheers again. After all, he looked so unremarkable, dressed in simple clothes, not tall, and with a scholarly air about him.
Seeing Chen Mu come up, Mo Fei's lips twitched, and he glanced at An Ruhai beside him.
An Ruhai, on the other hand, smiled happily. Knowing that Mo Fei was in a bad mood, he tactfully took the things from his hands.
" Elder Mo, you've worked hard! Let me present the award to this examinee!"
When Chen Mu reached the center of the platform, An Ruhai walked towards him.
"The first place winner of the ranking competition will be awarded a set of Xuan-level secret techniques, ten Spirit Augmenting Pill, five loads of Grade 3 Spirit Grain, a Grade 3 courtyard, and 10,000 contribution points!"
After speaking, An Ruhai handed a small bottle and a jade token to Chen Mu.
"The bottle contains Spirit Augmenting Pill, and you can use this jade token to exchange for a Xuan-level secret technique at the library."
Linggu will be delivered to you after you have chosen a courtyard.
There are also contribution points, which are a good thing. You'll naturally know how to use them after you've stayed in the pavilion longer."
After An Ruhai finished speaking with a smile, he dismissed Chen Mu.
"Alright! All freshmen, follow me up the Heavenly Ladder and into the Heaven-Questioning Pavilion!"
Led by Mo Fei and his two companions, more than 500 new students climbed the long stone steps in front of the mountain gate and continued upwards.
The mountain path was long, but everyone, including the three elders, climbed it step by step.
"You must be careful. Flying is strictly prohibited on the mountain and within the area of this Heavenly Ladder. Otherwise, you will be considered an enemy, and if you attract the attention of the protective array, your chances of survival are slim!"
As they walked, An Ruhai chuckled and reminded everyone.
"Yes!"
Although there is still a long way to go for freshmen to reach the level of flight, it is always good to know the rules in advance.
A large group of people, after about half an hour, finally arrived at the top of the Heaven-Questioning Pavilion.
Upon reaching the summit, even Chen Mu, with his extensive knowledge, was awestruck by the scenery.
Looking out from the mountaintop, an endless sea of clouds shrouds countless peaks. The mountains are rugged and rugged, yet lush and verdant with abundant vegetation.
There are also many huge ancient trees and green plants on top, which have grown for countless years and exude the flavor of having experienced the vicissitudes of time.
Iron chain bridges connect countless mountain peaks, and many places are shrouded in mist, making them difficult to see clearly.
What shocked him most was that above the sea of clouds, there was a mountain peak suspended in mid-air, covered with magnificent palaces, rare birds and flowers, like the abode of immortals.
"Haha, I'm sure everyone has noticed that mountain floating in the air. That's where our Heaven-Questioning Pavilion's inner chamber is located. As long as you cultivate diligently, you'll have the opportunity to enter there in the future."
Seeing the shocked expressions on the faces of the new students, An Ruhai promptly answered their questions.
Mo Fei glanced at An Ruhai and pouted in dissatisfaction.
He knew very well that hundreds of new students entered the Heaven-Questioning Pavilion every year, but it was unlikely that even one would enter the cabinet in three to five years. Although An Ruhai's words could encourage the new students, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment, and he did not really approve of this approach.
However, he wouldn't contradict him at this moment. After An Ruhai finished speaking, he continued.
"Alright, everyone, stay here and meditate tonight. Tomorrow morning, come with me to the Initiation Hall for the Initiation Ceremony!"
"Yes!"
For cultivators, living on wind and dew is commonplace, and the rich Spiritual Power here is of great benefit to newcomers who have just experienced a long battle, so no one dares to complain.
Chen Mu carefully sensed it and found that the concentration of Spiritual Qi here was two to three times that of the outside world. Moreover, the Spiritual Qi contained fewer impurities than the outside world, making it easier for the human body to absorb. It was indeed a treasure land for cultivation.
" Duoduo, A Huo, Mingye, let's go over there!"
The mountaintop area is quite large, and hundreds of people here don't feel crowded at all. Chen Mu chose a spot near the cliff and had the three of them come here.
Although this is not the place with the most concentrated Spiritual Power, it is the place where Spiritual Power flows the fastest.
Wind belongs to wood, and Wood Element Talisman Flags can effectively trap Spiritual Power. Chen Mu used Wood Element Talisman Flags to set up a simple Spirit Gathering Array here, so that the concentration of Spiritual Power here would be higher than in other locations.
"Haha! Five Elements Talisman Flags, it seems you have a good grasp of the Five Elements Runes!"
An Ruhai actually walked over, and Chen Mu and the other three quickly greeted him.
Elder An!
"It's nothing, I just came to see everyone."
An Ruhai smiled and waved his hand, then turned his gaze to Chen Mu.
" Chen Mu, your mastery of formations is extremely profound. Your Divine Soul should have already reached the Middle Stage of the Void Realm, right?"
Void Realm?
Chen Mu was filled with doubt; he had never heard of this term before, so he had no choice but to answer truthfully.
"Elder, I only know that I am already Intermediate Earth Talisman Master, but I don't know what this Void Realm is?"
"A talisman master? You're not a formation master?"
An Ruhai didn't answer Chen Mu's question, but instead asked a question that concerned him more.
"Yes, I major in talisman mastery; array formation is just a secondary skill!"
An Ruhai was struck dumb, speechless for a long time.
Although formations and Dao of Talismans are closely related, they are still two completely different paths of cultivation. Chen Mu only cultivates formations as a secondary skill, yet he is able to set up such powerful formations. So, what level has he reached in his primary cultivation of talismanic Dao of Talismans?
However, as a master of formations, An Ruhai naturally hoped that a genius like Chen Mu would pursue a career in formations.
"Hmm... Let me first explain the division of the Divine Soul realm to you!"
The newly formed Divine Soul, before it takes shape, is called the Mist Realm.
After the Mist Realm condenses into a phantom image, it is called the Void Realm.
If the Void Realm Divine Soul undergoes the Yang Tribulation and transforms into a physical form, then it becomes the Solid Realm.
After the Solid Realm...
Chen Mu suddenly realized that he had been cultivating according to the method of the True Explanation of Runes, and only knew that after the breakthrough of the Divine Soul, one would become a rune master of the corresponding level, but he did not know that the Divine Soul had an independent realm division.
"Thank you, Elder Xie, for clearing up my doubts."