The Ceremony Begins, a Night Passes

As soon as Li Yunjing returned to his courtyard, there was another knock on the door. This time it was Zhao Fan's signature loud voice, which could be heard even through the door. "Sect Leader Li! Sect Leader Li! Are you asleep? I have something good for you!"

Li Yunjing smiled and shook his head, removed the restrictions, and opened the courtyard gate.

Zhao Fan rushed in excitedly, carrying a food box and smelling faintly of alcohol.

He placed the food box on the stone table, opened the lid, and found it filled with various exquisite Spirit Cuisine, as well as a pot of spiritual wine that exuded a rich aroma.

"I just took a stroll through the dining hall of the Taiyi Immortal Sect and brought you some good stuff," Zhao Fan said, rubbing his hands together with a smug look on his face.

"This is rice steamed with spirit rice unique to the Taiyi Immortal Sect, dishes made with hundred-year-old spirit birds, and wine brewed from thousand-year-old spirit fruits. You can't buy these normally, even if you have money! The assessment is tomorrow, so let's have a good meal tonight, get plenty of rest, and dominate the battlefield tomorrow!"

Li Yunjing smiled; he hadn't expected Zhao Fan to have such thoughts.

However, he was also very curious.

"The Taiyi Immortal Sect also provides Spirit Cuisine?"

Zhao Fan smiled and said, "It wasn't provided by the Taiyi Immortal Sect, but rather someone borrowed the Taiyi Immortal Sect's space to cook the Spirit Cuisine."

Of course, some of these materials were prepared by the Taiyi Immortal Sect.

"Wasn't the Taiyi Immortal Sect supposed to be without anyone? How could they be..." Li Yunjing became increasingly curious.

"Haha, it's a qualification that someone obtained from the Taiyi Immortal Sect after participating in the grand ceremony," Zhao Fan laughed.

"I see." Li Yunjing understood.

"Come on, drink up!" Zhao Fan poured Li Yunjing a cup of spirit wine, then picked up his own cup, drank it all in one gulp, smacked his lips, and looked satisfied. "By the way, Sect Leader Li, I went out to gather information just now and heard quite a bit of juicy gossip!"

He lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "I heard there's a hidden reward this time: the ability to speak with True Immortal from the Taiyi Immortal Sect."

Upon hearing this, Li Yunjing was deeply shocked.

"A conversation between True Immortal from the Taiyi Immortal Sect?" Li Yunjing tried his best not to shout it out, but his voice was still very loud.

Zhao Fan nodded. "It's just hearsay; I don't know if it's true."

Li Yunjing lowered his head in thought, recalling his previous experiences. All the young prodigies had come to this Taiyi Immortal Ceremony, and Li Yunjing felt that it was not impossible.

"Sect Leader Li, don't overthink it," Zhao Fan quickly reassured Li Yunjing, seeing his serious expression. "Even if this hidden reward exists, it might not be available to you or me."

Li Yunjing smiled but didn't say anything more; that wasn't his goal at all.

As they ate and chatted, Zhao Fan told Li Yunjing many interesting stories about the previous Taiyi Grand Ceremony, as well as the personality weaknesses and special Divine Ability of the various prodigies. Although this information was trivial, it was extremely useful, giving Li Yunjing a more comprehensive understanding of the upcoming assessment.

It wasn't until the early hours of the morning that Zhao Fan, burping contentedly, left Li Yunjing's courtyard.

After seeing Zhao Fan off, Li Yunjing finally calmed down, sat cross-legged by the stone table, and began to regulate his breathing and cultivate.

He circulated the Supreme Unity Pure Subtlety Scripture, slowly circulating the spiritual energy within his body to calm the fatigue and tension of the day.

Moonlight bathed him, casting a soft glow upon his body. His breathing was long and steady, and the Spiritual Qi around him rose and fell rhythmically like the tides.

The spiritual energy within his Dantian circulated continuously, bringing him to his peak condition.

Nothing more was said that night.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking.

The first rays of dawn pierced through the sea of clouds, illuminating the main peak of Mount Taiyi. Golden light cascaded down like a waterfall, dyeing the entire mountain range a dazzling gold.

The clouds and mist in the mountains slowly dispersed, revealing the magnificent palaces hidden within. Cranes cried out in unison, and deer roamed about. A rich Immortal Spirit Qi wafted over, invigorating the spirit.

"Thump, thump, thump..."

The melodious and profound sound of the bell slowly emanated from the summit of the main peak of the Taiyi Immortal Sect, ringing out nine times and resounding throughout the entire Taiyi Mountain Range.

This signals the official start of the Taiyi Grand Ceremony.

Li Yunjing opened his eyes precisely on time, a glint of shrewdness flashing in them.

He has reached his peak condition, full of energy and spiritual power.

He pushed open the courtyard gate and left the courtyard.

By this time, the residential area had become lively.

All the participating cultivators left the courtyard and headed towards the main peak square in small groups.

Everyone's face was filled with excitement and anticipation, along with a hint of barely concealed nervousness.

As soon as Li Yunjing stepped out of the courtyard gate, he saw Zhao Fan standing at the intersection not far away, waiting for him. He was still wearing his signature golden brocade robe, with several bulging Storage Bag hanging from his waist, and his face was full of smiles.

"Sect Leader Li! Over here!" Zhao Fan waved and quickly came forward. "How were you? Did you sleep well last night? I was so excited I couldn't sleep a wink!"

"It's alright." Li Yunjing smiled faintly.

He waited where he was until Xiao Tianxing arrived.

The three walked side by side, merging into the crowd, and headed towards the main peak square.

Along the way, one could see cultivators from various sects dressed in all sorts of colorful clothes. Some Sword Flight, some rode on beasts, and some used their Divine Ability powers to fly through the air. Their Divine Ability were diverse and colorful.

The closer you get to the main plaza, the denser the crowds become.

When the three arrived at the main peak square, it was already packed with people, shoulder to shoulder.

The square covers an area of dozens of miles and is paved with a single piece of white jade, as smooth as a mirror.

In the very center of the square, there was a tall white jade platform, hundreds of feet high, upon which were placed dozens of sandalwood chairs, the seats for the sect leader and elders of the Taiyi Immortal Sect.

On both sides of the high platform were the viewing seats for each sect, which were already filled with elders and disciples from various sects.

At the very front of the plaza is the assembly area for the participating cultivators, divided into sections according to the sect's rank.

The three of them walked to the area for sects below the third rank and found an empty spot to stand.

Time passed slowly, the sun gradually rose higher, and golden sunlight bathed the entire square.

The moment the clock struck Chenshi (7-9 AM), the entire square fell silent.

Everyone simultaneously raised their heads and looked up at the high platform.

A figure slowly emerged from behind the high platform.

The newcomer was a middle-aged cultivator dressed in a purple Daoist robe. He had a refined appearance, an extraordinary demeanor, and an unfathomable aura of Daoism emanating from him.

He was none other than the last leader of the Taiyi Immortal Sect, True Person Qingxuan, a great cultivator in the Late Tribulation Transcendence.

It could be said that he was only one step away from ascension.

However, in order to continue the legacy of the Taiyi Immortal Sect, he was willing to give up ascension.

However, he was powerless to change the situation, and the Taiyi Immortal Sect ultimately existed in name only.

He too vanished into the annals of history; now, he is nothing more than an illusion.

True Person Qingxuan walked to the center of the high platform and slowly swept his gaze over the tens of thousands of participating cultivators below.

Fellow Daoists, young friends.

True Person Qingxuan's voice was not loud, but it clearly resounded throughout the entire square. Every word was like a resounding bell, shaking people's minds.

"The Taiyi Grand Ceremony, held once every fifty years, officially begins today."

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire audience erupted in thunderous applause and cheers that lasted for a long time.

After the room quieted down, he continued, "Next, I will announce the assessment rules and rewards for this Taiyi Grand Ceremony!"