On the Fate Soul Divine Altar, Elder Yan Ce's gaze was calm, his aura as vast as the sea. He slowly raised his hand, and a pale golden magic pattern rose again in the void, slowly solidifying into the two characters "advancement" in the high sky.
He spoke in a clear, resonant voice, like a golden bell falling from the clouds:
"Finally, one more point—regarding the 'disciple promotion mechanism' of this hall."
"All junior outer disciples can participate in the [Inner Disciple Assessment] once every three years. Those who pass will be promoted, gain Golden Crystal status, enter the Annihilation Star Hall, and enjoy privileges such as all cultivation techniques and resources."
"Those with exceptional talent who break through to the Annihilation Dawn Realm's Supreme level can also be promoted to inner disciple without further assessment."
As soon as he said that, a commotion broke out in the square.
Many outer disciples showed excitement, and their previously silent faces began to light up.
"The three-yearly inner sect promotion... I finally have a chance to advance!"
"Annihilation Dawn Realm - Supreme?! That's a legendary existence. Forget about advancing, just surviving to break through to the Annihilation Dawn is already a feat..."
"However, the Mission Hall presents an opportunity..."
Yan Ce's gaze darkened slightly. He raised his hand and waved it, and a huge golden seal of Annihilation Radiance slowly rotated in the air, followed by the appearance of a magnificent stone palace.
The palace stands majestically above the starry sky, with countless mission scrolls hanging from its four corners. Within it, countless illusory images of light seem to flow, depicting battles, adventures, weapon crafting, and interdimensional warfare. The four characters "Hall of Missions" are inscribed on it, exuding an aura of solemnity and grandeur.
Yan Ce's voice rang out again:
"The Eternal Extreme Sacred Hall's Mission Hall is a trial ground for the destiny of all disciples."
"Whether you are from the outer sect, inner sect, or core sect, you can go there to accept the mission."
"The types of missions are numerous, involving techniques from various fields such as cultivation, gathering, exploration, escorting, pursuit, boundary mapping, and soul weapon forging."
Those who complete the task will receive 'task points,' which can be exchanged for cultivation techniques, elixirs, weapon embryos, array diagrams, resonance crystals, and even exemptions from promotion assessments!
Those who accrue points in the mission will also be recorded on the 'Mission Heaven Ranking' and subject to observation by the entire Temple's Fate Soul!
Upon hearing this, many cultivators could no longer conceal their fighting spirit and desire.
The newly recruited disciples from the outer clans, in particular, were all eager to try their luck, already pondering how to earn a place on the Destiny Step in the Mission Hall.
Elder Yan Ce gazed silently at the group of young souls, his eyes burning like stars, yet devoid of any emotional fluctuation, and spoke calmly:
I have said all I needed to say.
"Once the rules are established, the laws are enacted."
"This meeting is now adjourned."
"Disciples, go and cultivate yourselves."
As soon as he finished speaking, he flicked his sleeves, and the entire Fate Soul Divine Altar slowly disappeared into the void amidst the golden light.
Tens of thousands of disciples on the square bowed in unison, their salutes as vast as the sea, shaking the flow of Fate Soul in all directions.
"Respectfully bidding Elder Yan Ce!"
Afterwards, thousands of disciples slowly dispersed. Some headed towards the teleportation array, some flew back to the hall, and some stood in place for a long time, pondering their future cultivation prospects.
The starlight returned to calm, and the orbit of fate slowly turned.
This day will be etched as the beginning of a new era for the Eternal Extreme Sacred Hall.
On one side of the path back to the Annihilation Star Hall—
A faint light shone in Qin Yu's eyes as the Azure Ring slowly emerged in his sea of consciousness.
"The Mission Hall, the Resonance Crystal, the Fate Soul Sequence... everything is starting to move."
Azure Ring chuckled softly:
"It seems our destiny has finally reached a point truly worth writing."
As Elder Yan Ce's figure disappeared into the Fate Soul Divine Altar, the crowd in the square slowly dispersed. The disciples either discussed, pondered, or rushed to the Mission Hall, the Cultivation Technique Pavilion, and the Teleportation Platform.
Meanwhile, in the area where the Annihilation Star Hall was located, seven figures walked slowly together on the Golden Star Path, their spiritual light piercing the air, chatting and laughing with each other in a relaxed atmosphere.
Chi Ning, dressed in a purple jade cloud robe, approached Qin Yu with light steps, a smile in her eyes, glancing at him as she walked:
"Junior brother, did you understand? These rules are not simple. If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask me."
Her tone was bright and cheerful, yet not affected; instead, she sounded more like a seasoned senior sister, with a natural and approachable quality to her words.
Qin Yu smiled slightly and returned the greeting with a cupped hand.
"Thank you, Senior Sister Chi. I understand now."
"Although the temple has many regulations, their logic is clear, and every rule points directly to the essence of cultivation."
Chi Ning blinked and chuckled softly, "You sound just like a pretentious little elder."
Shen Yuzhi, standing beside her, also covered her mouth and chuckled softly, her tone Wenwan:
"Junior Brother Qin was personally introduced by the Ancestor, and was able to comprehend the rules of the Holy Temple in such a short time. His comprehension is exceptionally high..."
"In the future, we'll probably all have to rely on you."
Qin Yu nodded slightly, his expression humble and unassuming.
At this moment, Luo Huan, who had been walking to the side, also spoke up with a smile, his tone carefree and forthright:
"Our Annihilation Star Hall has finally welcomed a different kind of guy."
"By the Ancestor's decree, through resonance of the Fate Soul, and with the Star Abyss Palace's approval... Tsk, Junior Brother Qin's background is so impressive that even I'm almost obliged to bow to him as a disciple."
"You can't overtake me too quickly, you 'veteran' who's transitioned from outer sect to inner sect."
Mu Xun, standing to the side, remained calm and added softly:
"The resonance between the Fate Soul and the Book of Fate Law is itself a causal symbol that is extremely difficult to decipher."
"But judging from the current situation, you've handled it extremely well."
Du Linglin remained silent, but a hint of approval crept into his rugged features as he nodded solemnly.
Mo Zhiyan stood with his hands behind his back, a gentle breeze ruffling his white robe embroidered with books, his tone calm and clear:
"Though the path of life is long, those who cultivate the Tao fear most walking alone."
"Junior Brother Qin is new to Hengji, so it's only natural that we should travel together and help each other."
"Besides, although the Annihilation Star Hall doesn't flaunt its power, every disciple possesses the heart of a Soul Diagram. If they don't unite, how can they leave a true trace of their existence in the Source of Epochless · Middle Layer?"
After he finished speaking, everyone nodded in silent agreement.
Standing among this group of people of different identities and backgrounds, all chatting and laughing, Qin Yu felt a slight stirring in his heart.
Upon first entering the eternal realm, upon first sitting in the Star Abyss, upon the initial determination of destiny, all things began to stir.
Azure Ring whispered softly in her mind's eye:
"This journey will no longer be one you walk alone."
"And you... it's time to begin stepping into the rhythm truly belonging to a 'mid-level cultivator'."
These seven people were the first cluster of luminous points in the initial stage of his destiny's trajectory.
We may not walk together forever, but we will ultimately leave traces of each other's existence deep within our Fate Soul.
Starlight paves the way, destiny's path is woven like a tapestry.
The seven members of the Annihilation Star Hall walked slowly above the spiritual sky, their feet resting on the Golden Radiance life stone path of the Eternal Extreme Sacred Hall. In the distance, they saw countless palaces rising and falling, spiritual peaks ethereal, and a sea of stars swirling.
Just as everyone stepped out of the boundary of the Fate Soul Plaza, Chi Ning suddenly turned around, winked, and smiled:
"Since we have nothing else to do today, why don't we take Junior Brother Qin around and let him familiarize himself with the different areas of the inner sect, so he won't get lost when he comes out of seclusion in the future?"
His tone was light and cheerful, yet it subtly conveyed a natural sense of care and arrangement.
Shen Yuzhi smiled and agreed, "That's fine. The inner sect of Hengji is vast and complex. Newcomers without a guide might not even be able to grasp its intricacies in ten days."
Luo Huan laughed heartily, "That's quite true. When I first transferred from the outer sect, I accidentally stumbled into the core fire vein of the Weapon Refining Hall and got my spirit robes charred to ashes."
"Without guidance, Junior Brother Qin would probably have truly become a 'Ring Master Soul Diagram'."
Mu Xun nodded. "The Mission Hall, the Pattern Derivation Tower, the Pill Radiance Cliff, the Soul Restriction Floating Platform... the Thirteen Sacred Domains of the Inner Sect are all extraordinary places."
Mo Zhiyan softly, "This matter is settled."
Even the usually taciturn Du Linglin simply said in a low voice, "Yes, let's go."
All eyes turned to Qin Yu.
Qin Yu nodded slightly, his tone steady:
"Then thank you very much, senior brothers and sisters."
"Qin Yu is new to the Holy Temple and there are many things he doesn't understand. Today, I am fortunate to have received this guidance, and I will remember it forever."
Chi Ning smiled even more broadly, "Don't be so formal. We're all members of the Annihilation Star Hall, so we should naturally look after each other."
With a gentle wave of her sleeve, her jade fingers swept across the void, and a pale silver soul array appeared beneath the feet of the seven people, drawing out a star-trajectory shuttle that transformed into a rainbow light piercing into the sky.
"Let's go, junior brother! Today I'll take you all over the inner sect of Hengji!"
The next instant, the seven figures trembled in unison, merging into the spiritual light and life patterns in the void, transforming into seven flowing rainbow rays that swept across the cloud platform, traversed the myriad phenomena of the star palace, and disappeared into the vast depths of the Annihilation Gold Sacred Domain.
Beneath the heavens, the star trails trembled slightly, and the radiance of the Fate Soul left behind streaks of starlight.
This journey will also become the starting point for Qin Yu to truly enter the core of the inner sect of the Eternal Extreme Sacred Hall.
The Eternal Extreme Sacred Hall, the core of the inner gate.
Above the vast void, a seven-colored rainbow track was traveling at high speed. Wherever it passed, the starlight sky rippled like a mirror lake. The Fate Soul track automatically opened a passage layer, and billions of spirit arrays consciously gave way, as if the heavens were making way for it.
That was the path taken by the seven members of the Annihilation Star Hall.
Chi Ning stood at the forefront of Fei Hong, her purple robe billowing in the wind, a smile on her face. Behind her, the Fate Soul Imprint gently unfolded, like a flower blooming in the Milky Way. Qin Yu stood in the center of the group, his eyes deep and profound. Azure Ring lay quietly in his sea of consciousness, silent, yet seemingly already aware of the extraordinary world ahead.
Before long, an indescribably magnificent realm suddenly appeared before their eyes.
This is not a mountain, not a palace, not a realm, but... a Fate Soul star realm itself.
-First stop: [Fate Authority Mission Hall]
Beyond the sky, a three-tiered floating palace stretched across the void. Each tier was forged from Annihilation Radiance Gold, True Essence Crystal, and Soul Bone Star Patterns, as magnificent as the residence of a god-king. Around the palace, ninety-nine Soul Annihilation Chains were pulled in from outside the interface, piercing through the core of the celestial body.
The main hall hangs high in the air, and is named:
"Fate Authority Heavenly Altar"
Above it are nine sacred pillars of Fate Soul, each a hundred feet in diameter, towering atop the heavens. The pillars are inscribed with the Fate Soul records of countless disciples of the Source of Epochless. The energy density at the base of the pillars alone is enough to crush the consciousness structure of an ordinary cultivator of the Annihilation Origin.
Above the Temple of Heaven floats a black and gold Mission Myriad Phenomena Disc, shaped like a boundary clock, yet constantly rotating. Countless mission spirits appear within it, their images overlapping and interweaving, like the entrance to billions of worlds.
As the rainbow light faded, the seven people stood on the Round Soul Platform outside the Fate Authority Heavenly Altar.
Chi Ning pointed to the sky, her tone proud:
"This is the 'Mission Hall,' also known as the 'Fate Authority Sacred Domain.'"
"All missions of the Temple are distributed through this system, and are divided into six major categories: 'Boundary Warfare,' 'Gathering,' 'Logic Analysis,' 'Soul Seal Orbit Determination,' and 'Fate Chain Investigation,' covering all aspects of life."
Even if you go to the deepest part of the middle layer to retrieve the core of your destiny star, you will still receive points if you succeed.
Shen Yuzhi added from the side:
"The most difficult task list is called the 'Annihilation Ranking,' and each task on the list represents a reversal of fate."
"The one who completes this will have their Soul Name permanently engraved in the Eternal Chronicles."
In the distance of the square, countless disciples could be seen gathering here, like a surging tide. Some were submitting tasks, some were accepting bounties, and some were preparing to step into the spatial passage to go to other domains of the Source of Epochless to complete their missions.
High in the sky, the [Mission Myriad Phenomena Disc] was slowly rotating, and a mission came into view:
[Mid-Level Secret Path: The Mist Soul Severed Realm] Quest ID: 4319
Content: Enter the middle level of the Forbidden Abyss to search for the "Heart of the Annihilation Origin Severed Realm";
Recommended cultivation level: Annihilation Source Realm -Supreme;
Member limit: three people;
Mission Rating: Five Stars - Heterogeneous Danger;
Bounty: 3000 points + one complete Limitless Resonance Crystal.
Qin Yu looked at the spinning mission disk and felt that it was not a magic artifact, but a world eye that reflected the operating rules of the entire Source of Epochless destiny track.
And this... is only the first of the Thirteen Sacred Domains of the Inner Sect domains.
Chi Ning smiled and said, "Let's go, next we'll go to a place that will interest you."
The rainbow light reappeared, and the seven people soared into the air, flying towards the other end of a distant star field.