I was born a god, the son of the Demon Lord.

Xu Yuan's face instantly fell.

The bead let out a low, dramatic laugh.

"Hehehehehe! You unlucky little guy who bravely ventured into the sacred land of Taiyuan, welcome to the gathering place of geniuses, the paradise of talent."

"Western Guardian Shen Jiuyuan—prompts an inquiry into his identity."

"Trigger Clause: The rule set by the third-generation guardian, Mo Qianchen—'When newcomers to the temple are asked about their identity, all members present must complete the welcoming ceremony and self-introduction in the most enthusiastic, unique, and memorable way.'"

"Now--"

The bead spun around, and the tone rose.

"Please take your positions, everyone present. The ceremony begins."

The hall was silent for a full three seconds.

Lin Qingyue closed her eyes and patted the table three times.

Damn it!

Tianxing had already jumped up from his seat, his face filled with the resolute thought that "I might as well die a spectacular death since I'm going to die sooner or later anyway."

"Come on! Sister Yue, show us! Let the newcomers see—"

He shouted at the top of his lungs, "Our warmest emotions! The most touching welcome!"

Lin Qingyue covered her eyes and pointed at his nose: "You go first—"

"Me first, me first!" Tianxing lifted the hem of her purple robe and dashed to the center of the hall. "Sister Yuan, you follow me!"

Xu Yuan felt like dying. She glanced at Shen Jiuyuan and thought to herself, "I should have sewed his mouth shut! It's been so long since the new recruits came that I've forgotten about this!"

Shen Jiuyuan was also looking at her, his expression clearly saying, "Are you all sick?"

But there was no time to explain.

Because Tianxing started at zero frames.

He pushed off with both feet, spinning one and a half times on the spot, his purple robe fluttering. When he landed, he knelt on one knee, his right hand on the ground, and his left index finger pointing to the sky.

"To uphold justice for all living beings!"

He roared, sprang up, leaned back at a 45-degree angle, crossed his arms over his chest, and slightly raised his chin, exuding a disdainful air that seemed to overflow the screen.

"Slay the evil spirits of the world!"

Before he finished speaking, he rested his chin on one hand, crossed one leg over the other, and floated in mid-air, looking exactly like an enlarged version of the "Thinker" sculpture... if the Thinker were a chuunibyou teenager with dyed white hair.

"Controlling the changes of heaven and earth and stars—"

He suddenly opened his eyes, gave Shen Jiuyuan a thumbs up, then turned it over so that his thumb was pointing downwards.

"The Fourth Generation Guardian of Taiyuan—"

Lin Qingyue walked to his side with her eyes closed, her movements as stiff as a puppet being held by strings.

She raised her right hand, bringing two fingers together in front of her eyebrows, as if giving a military salute, or perhaps trying to hide her expression of utter despair.

"Protect the peace of the four directions." Her voice was as flat as if she were reciting a eulogy.

Xu Yuan floated over from the other side, wearing the most perfunctory smile in the world, her hands clasped together above her head, making a gesture that was hard to tell whether it was a prayer or a surrender.

"May all spirits be protected."

Then all three of them turned around at the same time—

Tianxing stood with his hands on his hips, one foot on a light platform formed in the void, and his chin tilted back at a 30-degree angle.

Lin Qingyue stood sideways, one hand behind her back, the other clenched into a fist and placed against her chest, suppressing an impulse to beat the white-haired man next to her to death.

Xu Yuan stood on the far right, raising one hand with his fingers spread, his smile frozen into a mask.

"Eastern position—ruling the stars and destiny—Shattered Star Tian Shu—Celestial Star!"

When Tianxing introduced himself, he also did a spin and made a heart shape with his hands.

"Northern position - upholding the order of all laws - cold mirror and frost - Lin Qingyue."

Lin Qingyue finished reading it expressionlessly, as if she were reading her own verdict.

"South direction - the opportunity for spiritual development - Crimson Feather Golden Radiance - make a wish."

Xu Yuan exhaled, his breath containing three parts helplessness, three parts shame, and four parts murderous intent to dig Mo Qianchen out of his grave and beat him up.

The three of them turned to face Shen Jiuyuan at the same time.

Tianxing made an inviting gesture.

"Guardian of the West—Shen Jiuyuan! Welcome to the ranks of guardians of the Taiyuan Holy Land! We've prepared a special introduction for you! Come on, brother!"

Shen Jiuyuan sat on the stone seat.

His expression went through a series of phases—blank, understanding, shock, and a kind of stress reaction similar to mental pollution—before he suddenly stood up and rushed towards the door.

"Bang!"

A layer of crimson-gold light shot out from the black bead, blocking his path head-on. The bead spun around once, its tone cheerful.

"No one may leave until the ceremony is complete."

Shen Jiuyuan swung his scythe wildly at the light shield, sparks flew, but the shield remained unmoved, not even leaving a white mark.

Tianxing swaggered up from behind, his hands tucked into his sleeves, his shoulders shrugging, and the curve of his mouth was textbook-perfect for being punchable.

"Little brother~ Don't run away~ Surrender quickly, give up resistance, and join our warm family!"

He tilted his head, his eyes narrowed to slits, and he exuded an aura that said, "I'm already crazy, so don't expect me to be normal either."

Lin Qingyue and Xu Yuan stepped forward from the left and right, their spear tips and daggers simultaneously pressing against Shen Jiuyuan's shoulders.

Wishing you a smile: "Come on, new member! Show off your wisdom!"

Lin Qingyue smiled with tolerance and compassion: "Since we are one—please begin your introduction."

"remember,"

Tianxing peeked out from behind Shen Jiuyuan, put a hand on his shoulder, and lowered his voice.

"You have to fit in with our introduction. If you don't pass the test, you can't leave. That's the rule."

He gave Shen Jiuyuan a bright smile.

"Everyone who comes here has to go through this. Relax and you will soon be baptized by the wisdom of Taiyuan."

"Hurry up and read it, I've even written out the words for you!"

Shen Jiuyuan: ...Why didn't I die in the Ten Thousand Demon Cave?

And in the corner of the main hall—

Xu Nanyi curled up into a golden ball of fur, squeezing herself completely into the crevice of the stone seat, leaving only her two round eyes showing.

Shen Xizhou's dragon body coiled into a circle, tightening its grip more and more, like a silver snail trying to tuck its head into its shell.

The two cubs looked at each other.

"...Xiaozhou."

"Um."

"What was my master doing just now?"

"...I don't know. I don't want to know."

"I didn't want to know, but I saw it!"

[Sister Tongzi, does Yiyi have to go through this too? Can you guarantee Yiyi won't die? ಠ_ಠ]