From Five Animal Exercises to being hailed as a saint and ancestor

Tianze Square was bustling with people.

On the high platform, Elder Li Xun had just announced the assessment rules, and the vast wave of voices had not yet completely subsided.

Another deacon from the Heavenly Dao Academy stepped forward, his voice clearly carrying in all directions:

"The first stage is a bone age assessment, conducted simultaneously in ten testing rooms!"

"Now, each faction is requested to nominate a disciple representative to come forward and draw lots to determine the order of the assessment and their assigned examination room!"

As soon as the words were spoken, figures rushed out from all sides.

These figures, whether sharp, profound, or ethereal, are all outstanding members of the younger generation.

These figures headed towards the ten autograph tables in the center of the square, which were emitting a soft white light.

At Qinglu Academy, everyone's eyes fell on Yao Mengkang.

"Senior Brother Yao, it's up to your luck!" Zhou Tiancan grinned, full of trust.

Xuanyuan Po nodded slightly, his cool eyes showing approval.

Yao Mengkang remained calm, nodded to the two vice deans and his companions, and then stepped forward, his graceful figure blending into the flow of people heading towards the signing table.

The area around the lottery table had now become an invisible battlefield.

Although no one made a move, sparks flew between their eye contact, their breaths clashed subtly, and whispers rose and fell.

Yao Mengkang's gaze swept across the room and he saw many familiar faces.

Huo Wushuang of Lihuo Valley, with his fiery red hair, was staring at a cold and aloof young man from Tingjian Pavilion who carried an ancient sword. The air was thick with heat and sharpness.

The rocks of Manxiang Mountain resemble ferocious humanoid beasts, and wherever they go, people instinctively retreat.

The most notable conflict occurred between the Mu family, the Zhou family, and their old rivals, the Houtu Sect and the Jingang Sect.

The Mu family representative was the graceful Mu Wanqing, while the Zhou family representative was the burly Zhou Feng.

As the two approached the drawing table, they ran into Shi Yue of the Houtu Sect and Jin Wufeng of the Jingang Sect.

"Tsk, what a bad year, I run into bad luck as soon as I step out the door."

Shi Yue had a kind face, but his words were barbed, and his gaze swept over Mu Wanqing and Zhou Feng.

"I hope you guys don't have too bad luck and slink back after the first round. That would be so boring."

Zhou Feng, with his fiery temper, glared angrily upon hearing this.

"Shi Yue, stop talking nonsense! Let's see who's the real deal on the testing field!"

Jin Wufeng's eyes swept over Zhou Feng with a cold, disdainful gaze, like a drawn sword.

"Zhou Feng, with your brute strength? You can't even speak clearly, so save your energy. I'll be waiting for you on the assessment field, although... the outcome is already predetermined."

Zhou Feng was so angry by the repeated provocations that his face turned red and his chest heaved. He was not good with words to begin with, and now he was so frustrated that the veins on his forehead bulged and his fists were clenched, but he was speechless for a moment.

Just then, Mu Wanqing stepped forward slightly and stood in front of Zhou Feng. Her face was beautiful, but at this moment she carried an air of unapproachable sternness.

The sound was soft, yet it reached the other person's ears clearly, like a clear spring striking a stone.

"Senior Brother Shi, Senior Brother Jin, thank you for your kindness."

"However, instead of worrying about whether we will be able to go home early, we should think more about ourselves."

"While the defense of thick earth is undoubtedly sturdy, it may not be able to withstand the ultimate essence of wood enhanced by the Moon Rhinoceros?"

"The sharpness of metal is indeed formidable, but have you ever heard the saying that extreme rigidity is easily broken, and extreme wisdom is bound to be harmful?"

"The road to assessment is long, and those who have the last laugh are never the loudest or the most eloquent."

Her words were both gentle and firm, pointing out the potential weaknesses in the Houtu Sect's defenses while subtly criticizing the Jin Gang Sect for being too overtly aggressive and prone to setbacks.

His words were perfectly tactful, effectively neutralizing the other party's provocation and even subtly putting him in a stronger position.

Shi Yue's face darkened as he choked on his words, and veins throbbed on his forehead.

Jin Wufeng's eyes grew even colder, as cold as ice and frost.

Faced with Mu Wanqing's sharp tongue, he couldn't find a more incisive retort, so he could only snort coldly, turn around with a flick of his sleeve, and reach into the lottery box first.

Yao Mengkang watched quietly from the sidelines, taking in the whole scene. His opinion of this cousin from the Mu family improved even further.

Intelligent and quick-witted, remaining calm under pressure, he's a capable character.

He didn't engage in any verbal disputes, calmly walked to another fortune-telling box, and reached out to take out a cool jade token.

A quick scan with divine sense revealed the runes: Fifth Field, Sixty-two Sequences.

After the draw was completed, representatives from all parties returned one after another.

Yao Mengkang returned to the Qinglu Academy's ranks and showed his jade token: "Fifth Examination Room, Sixty-second place."

Shangguan Hong stroked his beard and nodded: "Sixty-second place, a suitable position, acceptable."

At this moment, Mu Wanqing and Zhou Feng also returned and stood together with Mu Qingqing and Zhou Tiancan.

Seeing his cousin's still indignant expression, Zhou Tiancan offered a muffled consolation.

"Brother Feng, ignore those two guys. When it comes to real combat, we'll teach them a lesson with our fists!"

Zhou Feng exhaled a heavy breath, nodded, and his gaze was firm.

Mu Qingqing then took Mu Wanqing's hand and softly explained to Yao Mengkang and the others:

"Our Mu family and the Zhou family have been on good terms for generations, and in our generation, the connection has become even closer. My cousin Wanqing and Brother Feng have been betrothed since childhood."

Upon hearing this, Yao Mengkang suddenly looked at Zhou Feng and Mu Wanqing.

Although Zhou Feng was furious just now, he stood next to Mu Wanqing, and there was an unspoken understanding and trust in their eyes. His anger had subsided considerably.

No wonder Mu Wanqing stepped forward without hesitation to help him out of the predicament.

Zhou Tian added with pride.

"My brother Feng and sister Wanqing are amazing! They both broke through to the Spirit Sea Realm when they were at the eleventh level of the Qi Refining stage, relying on their own accumulated strength! Their initial Spirit Sea was nearly a thousand feet long!" He gave a thumbs up.

Breakthrough to the Spirit Sea stage at the eleventh level of the Meridian Opening Realm!

A hint of approval flashed in Yao Mengkang's eyes.

This is truly genius, with a foundation far surpassing that of ordinary ninth or tenth level breakout practitioners.

Although not quite at the twelfth level of Xuan Yuanpo's ultimate realm, he was still among the top in the nearly 100,000 candidates. No wonder he had the confidence to face the provocations of the Houtu and Jin Gang factions.

Mu Wanqing smiled slightly, poised and graceful.

"Compared to Junior Brother Xuanyuan's feat of defying the peak upon first entering the Spirit Sea, our meager cultivation is really nothing."

Her gaze swept over Xuan Yuanpo and Yao Mengkang, filled with genuine admiration.

Xuanyuan Po nodded slightly in response.

Yao Mengkang smiled and said:

"Senior Sister Mu is too modest. The assessment is approaching, and the candidates are a mixed bag. We will need to look after each other and work together."

Everyone nodded in agreement, temporarily suppressing their previous displeasure, and turned their attention back to the ten examination rooms that were about to open.

The first round of selection is about to begin.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away from the capital city of Qinglu.

On the edge of a broken land with an extremely unstable spatial structure, a figure in black quietly appeared; it was none other than Lin Shouzhen, the Sword Master of the Bright Heart.

He gazed ahead at the enormous canyon shrouded in a deathly gray-black mist, with twisted stone pillars resembling wailing human faces standing at its entrance.

For the first time, a slight ripple appeared in those once calm and unwavering sword-like eyes.

He held a Soul Jade in his hand, its surface cracked and its aura utterly lifeless. The guidance of the Soul Jade, along with his own sense of the lingering aura of the Holy Path, clearly pointed to the depths of this infamous forbidden land.

"The Abyss of Silent Souls..."

Lin Shouzhen muttered to himself, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.

"So he perished here. What was that old devil doing in a place like this?"

He found it very strange.

The rules of the Silent Soul Abyss are unique and exert a great suppression on the strong.

Although Xuan Gu's lifespan is nearing its end, he would never venture into such a dangerous place without a reason.

Moreover, although the traces of the battle left here were blurred by the strange rules within the abyss, he could still feel another chilling power lingering, which gave him a vague sense of familiarity and dread.

Looking again at the decree in his hand, issued by the sect with strong wording, ordering him to investigate the truth and retrieve the sacred remains and status, Lin Shouzhen showed a hint of difficulty.

Venturing deep into the Abyss of Silent Souls was by no means an easy task, even for him; it was extremely risky.

After a moment's hesitation, he put away the Soul Jade, turned around, and transformed into an elusive sword light, shooting straight towards the direction of Qinglu Royal City without further hesitation.

In some situations, it's necessary to first understand the situation from this place.