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

At Tianze Square, the testing in ten examination rooms is in full swing.

A huge crystal monument stands in front of each examination room.

Each time a candidate places their hand on the testing array, the corresponding text on the crystal tablet will light up, displaying their bone age and range of bone density, making the result immediately clear.

Yao Mengkang and others, who had not yet reached the fifth examination room, along with many other waiting cultivators, were all closely watching the testing situation ahead.

However, the scene that came into view evoked different feelings in everyone.

"Bone age 21, beyond the limit, eliminated!"

"Eighth level of Meridian Opening, not up to standard, eliminated!"

"Spirit Sea Realm Level 1, Spirit Sea: 88 zhang, below standard, eliminated!"

"Eighth level of the spiritual sea realm, spiritual sea: 780 feet, eliminated!"

"Bone age 31, Spirit Sea Realm level 8, eliminated!"

The cold voice rang out again and again, accompanied by the flashing red light on the crystal monument.

One by one, the young cultivators who came full of hope left with pale faces, dejected expressions, or resentful looks.

Some people just laughed it off, looking relaxed.

People like Yao Mengkang, Xuan Yuanpo, Mu Wanqing, and Zhou Feng are young, powerful, and have a solid foundation.

They had absolute confidence in this first hurdle.

The current wave of elimination is nothing more than sifting out the sand for them; it's insignificant.

Some people looked nervous and their palms were sweating.

Most of these people are those whose abilities are just barely above the standard.

Or, if they are nearing the age limit and see such a high elimination rate, they can't help but feel uneasy and lack confidence in the upcoming assessments.

A small group of people, their faces flushed red and their eyes darting around, were restless in the line.

They either knew they were a little too old, or they were aware that their own level of understanding was somewhat lacking.

They had hoped to slip through the cracks, but seeing how strict the testing was, they couldn't help but feel uneasy.

One by one, those who shared the same plight were ruthlessly dismissed, leaving them with feelings of shame and regret.

If I had known this would happen, I would have left on my own initiative to avoid making a fool of myself here.

"Ha, so some people actually dare to come here with a spiritual sea dozens of feet deep? What do they take the Heavenly Dao Academy for?"

Shi Yue of the Houtu Sect sneered.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was enough for many people around to hear, eliciting a low chuckle.

Although Jin Wufeng of the Jin Gang Sect did not speak, the cold, sharp curve of his lips revealed his attitude.

Zhou Tiancan looked at the dejected people leaving, scratched his head, and said in a deep voice:

"So many people were eliminated... It feels so strict."

Mu Qingqing said softly, "After all, the Heavenly Dao Academy is a sacred place on the continent, so its requirements are naturally extremely high. Only the true elites can stay."

Yao Mengkang nodded slightly, his gaze calm.

This is just the beginning of the real competition among geniuses. Of the nearly 100,000 people who passed the first test, only one or two out of ten will be able to pass.

Meanwhile, deep beneath the imperial palace in Qinglu Royal City, in a simple cave dwelling.

The space rippled slightly, like water rippling, and a figure in black appeared in the cave without warning, as if he had always been standing there.

The middle-aged man, dressed simply, who was sitting cross-legged on the futon, was Xia Wushang, the guardian saint of the Great Xia Dynasty. Suddenly, he opened his eyes and his pupils shrank!

He had no idea how the other person had gotten in!

After seeing the person's face clearly

Xia Wushang was deeply shocked, and his face showed an undisguised look of astonishment. He immediately stood up.

His tone was unusually solemn, with a hint of barely perceptible respect.

"The Sword Master Mingxin? It's actually the Sword Master Mingxin himself who has come here!"

He was inwardly groaning, wondering how he had managed to summon this god of death!

Although Mingxin Sword Master Lin Shouzhen's cultivation level is still at the seventh realm, the throne level.

However, his understanding of the rules of swordsmanship has reached an unbelievable level, and his killing power is unparalleled among his contemporaries.

It is a terrifying existence that is truly capable of defying saints and has a record of successfully killing them!

His status within the Heavenly Dao Sect is extremely special; even many eighth-realm saints treat him with great respect.

Xia Wushang knew very well that although he was an eighth-realm saint, if he were to fight to the death with this Mingxin Sword Venerable, he would most likely be the one to perish!

Lin Shouzhen glanced at Xia Wushang indifferently, not paying any attention to the other's shock.

He cut to the chase, his voice as sharp and cold as his sword.

"The Mysterious Bone fell into the Abyss of Silent Souls, and I was ordered to investigate. This place is within the territory of your Great Xia Dynasty. What have you discovered?"

Xia Wushang dared not be negligent, and quickly composed himself, saying with a bitter face.

"Sword Master, you are wise. I noticed the strange phenomenon of the Saint's fall yesterday and immediately wanted to go and investigate."

"But that place is deep within the Abyss of Souls!"

"As you know, Sword Master, that place is extremely sinister. The stronger the person who enters, the more terrifying the taboos and dangers they will trigger."

"I dared not venture deeper rashly. I only know that there was another aura present at the time, an aura as vast and boundless as an abyss!"

"I myself do not know what kind of being this is."

As he spoke, he carefully observed Lin Shouzhen's expression.

"Since your sect's powerful expert perished within the territory of my Great Xia, I should give your sect an explanation, both morally and logically."

Seeing that the other party made no response, Xia Wushang continued his story, speaking in a manner that was half true and half false.

"After much thought, I wondered if we could dispatch some cultivators with lower cultivation levels, such as those at the Opening Meridian Realm and the Spirit Sea Realm, to form a small team, carry special magical artifacts, and attempt to enter the outer area of ​​the Silent Soul Abyss for preliminary exploration."

"After all, the Silent Soul Abyss is relatively 'friendly' to low-level cultivators, so perhaps we can find some clues there."

He shrugged, his face showing both helplessness and sincerity.

"But right now is the time for the Heavenly Dao Academy to enroll students. The royal city is a mixed bag, with various forces gathered together, making it extremely difficult to maintain stability. We simply can't spare any manpower."

"I could only make arrangements for this matter after the assessment is over, but I didn't expect that Sword Master would personally come..."

Xia Wushang explained in a rambling manner, trying to maintain his dignity as a saint while avoiding offending the Mingxin Sword Venerable in the slightest.

However, he noticed that when he mentioned "dispatching cultivators at the Opening Meridian Realm and Spirit Sea Realm",

A faint, yet sharp, glint suddenly flashed in Lin Shouzhen's usually calm and collected eyes!

The Opening Meridian Realm, the Spirit Sea Realm, and the Silent Soul Abyss are friendly to the weak.

The Heavenly Path Academy conducts its entrance examination.

Nearly 100,000 young cultivators from all over the Eastern Region.

Several seemingly unrelated clues were connected at this moment as if by an invisible sword light!

Lin Shouzhen looked at Xia Wushang, who was still complaining incessantly, and his lips seemed to twitch very slightly.

That wasn't a smile, but rather a playful expression of having found an interesting solution.

He had been considering how to complete the mission without causing too much of a commotion, while still effectively exploring the Silent Soul Abyss.

Now it seems that a ready-made "path" has been laid out before us.

Moreover, this path might be more hidden and more interesting than he originally planned.