In the inner courtyard of the Sacred Land of the Mist, Jiang Yun and his ten followers descended gracefully from the sky. Nine of the followers wore masks to conceal their faces and forms. When their feet touched the ground, no one dared to approach or even speak. An eerie silence fell over the courtyard. Jiang Yun smiled calmly and looked at the senior and junior disciples with interest. A system panel appeared in Jiang Yun's mind.
Name: Ye Chen
Identity: Son of Destiny, Sacred Son of the Blood Demon Sacred Land, Main Disciple of the Sacred Land of the Mist
Affiliation: Sacred Land of the Mist, Blood Demon Sacred Land, Hidden Ye Family
Cultivation Level: Nirvana Level 1
Body: Sacred Bones (Excavated), Sacred Dragon Body, Eternal Demon Body
Special Occupation: -
Skills: (Saint-Level Skill: Blood Demon Arts) (Saint-Level Skill: Dragon Fist) (Saint-Level Skill: Dragon Breath) (Saint-Level Skill: Absorption) (King-Level Skill: Dragon Spear Sky Piercer) (King-Level Skill: Star Step) (King-Level Skill: Heaven Piercing Thrust) (Heaven-Level Skill: Sky Splitting Palm) (Heaven-Level Skill: Rootless Finger) (Heaven-Level Skill: Black Turtle Sword)
Weapons: Semi-Emperor Spirit Ring (Saint-Level), Peacock Feather Fan (Saint-Level), Black Dragon Spears x3 (Level 9), Earth Dragon Spirit Armor (Level 9), Lightning Explosion Talismans x7 (Level 9)
...
Luck: Gold (5,000,000)
Name: Zhang Xinye
Identity: Daughter of Destiny, Main Disciple of the Sacred Land of the Mist
Affiliation: Sacred Land of the Mist, Ancient Zhang Family in the Central Continent
Cultivation Level: Nirvana Level 6
Body: Water Emperor Body, Water Emperor Heart
Special Occupation: -
Skills: (King-Level Skill: Water Cage) (King-Level Skill: Water Bullet) (King-Level Skill: Formless Water) (King-Level Skill: Oneness with Water) (King-Level Skill: Water Vortex) (King-Level Skill: Water Spear)
Weapons: Water Turtle Spear (Level 9), Soft Water Spirit Armor (Level 9)
Luck: Gold (2,000,000)
Jiang Yun was pleased to see their luck had increased significantly and looked at a female disciple standing next to a disciple within the group. The system panel appeared again in Jiang Yun's mind.
Name: Li Xinyuan
Identity: Former Empress of the Starry Dynasty (Reborn), Direct Disciple of the Holy Deity
Affiliation: Sacred Land of the Mist
Cultivation Level: Nirvana Level 1
Body: Stardust Body
Special Occupation: -
Skills: (Saint-Level Skill: Starless Sword) (Saint-Level Skill: Stardust) (Saint-Level Skill: Star Step) (Saint-Level Skill: Comet) (Saint-Level Skill: Stardust Finger)
Weapons: Stardust Mirror (Emperor-Level), Stardust Sword (Saint-Level)
Luck: Gold (8,000,000)
As he was examining the panel, the disciples began to discuss Mu Shuyuan, who was standing beside Jiang Yun. They said:
"Why is Senior Disciple Mu Shuyuan following that wicked person?"
"This world is so cruel to her."
Whispers spread throughout the courtyard, but soon, the pressure from Nirvana Level 9 cultivators Ming Hai, Wang Bai, Wang He, Long Teng, and Mo Jun silenced everyone immediately. They had initially intended to kill, but Jiang Yun sent a message saying not to, so they only released their pressure.
Ye Chen felt a surge of anger when he saw Mu Shuyuan standing beside Jiang Yun. He thought to himself that Mu Shuyuan belonged to him alone and would not allow anyone to touch or follow her. He approached Mu Shuyuan to speak but had to dodge quickly when he found his hand encased in jade. He was shocked and quickly retreated, shouting, "Jiang Yun, what do you want?"
Suddenly, a large piece of jade shot toward him but disappeared with some unknown force, and Lin Qingyi's voice was heard.
"Enough, Mu Shuyuan. Are you going to kill your junior disciple?"
Mu Shuyuan responded calmly, "I have never considered him a junior disciple. Apologies, Master." Ye Chen was furious and asked why he was not treated like the other women, but kept his thoughts to himself.
Lin Qingyi was troubled by the situation and was shocked to see that all of Jiang Yun's followers, including Mu Shuyuan, had reached Nirvana Level 9 in just over 6 months. She thought to herself, "How is it possible to reach Nirvana level in such a short time? He must have some secrets he hasn't told me."
Jiang Yun paid little attention to the incident. He was slightly surprised to see Li Xinyuan's increased luck, but when he saw the Holy Deity and many elders coming out to the inner courtyard, he showed a slight bow of respect.
The Holy Deity smiled and waved, causing a large tower to float into the sky, saying, "Everyone who wishes to go to the Secret Realm must be a main disciple or above. The tower has 10 floors. The top 100 with the best times will receive a quota for exploring the Secret Realm. Alright, let's begin. Those who wish to participate, please fly into the tower."
Jiang Yun and his followers quickly flew up, and other disciples followed without delay. As Jiang Yun entered the tower, he encountered a room full of illusions and obstacles. However, with his mind skills, he passed through them easily and entered the second floor almost immediately.
Everyone outside was astonished to see someone pass the first floor so quickly, but they were even more surprised when 12 people had passed the first floor in less than 30 seconds.
One of the main elders said, "As expected of the Sacred Son. I initially didn't have high hopes for the chosen followers of the Sacred Son, but they have strong minds and powerful cultivation levels. How did the Sacred Son do it?"
Another main elder said, "The first disciple of the Holy Deity is also quite skilled. Although slightly slower than the Sacred Son's followers, it is still impressive for someone who has been training for only 6 months."
Another main elder asked Lin Qingyi, "Your third disciple, Mu Shuyuan, is incredibly strong and talented."
Lin Qingyi smiled but did not answer, thinking to herself, "How long has Mu Shuyuan been this strong? Her body is so mysterious that there are only a few techniques she can practice."
As the tests progressed, the Holy Deity remained calm, while Lin Qingyi smiled proudly.
Jiang Yun passed the second floor in less than 10 seconds and quickly reached the tenth floor, easily overcoming the remaining 8 floors, as they involved battling the past forms of the ancestors of the Mist Land. Each floor took less than 10 seconds. The other elders were shocked and conversed excitedly.
"Congratulations on having another Emperor in the Sacred Land of the Mist!"
"This is what true genius looks like."
"We must gain the most benefits from this Secret Realm. Haha."
Other disciples were anxious as they had bets on who would be first or in the top 100. They prayed that their chosen ones would succeed. When Jiang Yun reached the tenth floor, he felt a powerful presence stronger than that of a Semi-Emperor. Then, a man appeared from the void and said,
"You are my heir, right?"
Jiang Yun smiled, and the Emperor continued, "Are you interested in inheriting my legacy? I can offer you Emperor-level techniques or Emperor-level weapons, even cultivation techniques at the Emperor level."
Jiang Yun confidently replied, "I am interested."
The Emperor smiled and threw an Emperor-level sword to him. Then, he waved his hand, and many people appeared and were captured, including his followers, junior and senior disciples, and others he knew who participated in the test.
The Emperor said, "If you kill them all, you can take everything."
Jiang Yun smiled and replied hesitantly, "Not interested."
The Emperor asked, "This is an Emperor's legacy. Just kill these small fries, and you can have everything. You can find more beautiful women or better followers. Are you really not interested?"
Jiang Yun smiled and answered, "Not interested."
The Emperor asked further, "I can offer you a legacy greater than that of an Emperor, just by killing these small fries, and you'll get everything."
Jiang Yun smiled and responded, "Not interested."
The Emperor smiled and said, "You are truly interesting. Congratulations. You have passed the test."
Jiang Yun stopped smiling and returned to a cold expression. He exited the testing tower, and everyone present was shocked. Some were overjoyed, while others wanted to flee the Sacred Land due to gambling debts. When they learned that someone had passed the test and that the first to pass was the Sacred Son, Lin Qingyi smiled slightly and said to the Holy Deity, "I told you he had nothing wrong with him, despite the bad rumors over the past 6 months."
The Holy Deity nodded slightly. Later, Ye Chen arrived at the tenth floor. He was almost tricked but was saved by Long Xichao's warning, allowing him to pass the test just in time.
Lin Qingyi smiled broadly and said to the Holy Deity, "I told you there was nothing wrong with the disciple I chose, didn't I?"
The Holy Deity smiled at her but said nothing, as he noticed something unusual about Ye Chen but did not mention it to her.
When Ye Chen came out, thinking he would be number one, he was shocked to see Jiang Yun, Mu Shuyuan, and the other 9 followers standing calmly, with a tense silence around them. Unsure of what to do next, Ye Chen thought to himself that Jiang Yun and the others must not have passed the test, so he had come out before them, smiling with pride. However, a warning sound rang out:
"Kid, move quickly!"
Ye Chen was confused before seeing a massive fireball heading straight for him. Terrified, he tried to defend himself, but it was immediately dissipated. A cold voice said:
"Even though you are a follower of the Sacred Son, that doesn't mean you can kill anyone you want. Do you want to be disqualified?"
Gao Yuan smiled and said, "I apologize."
The voice responded, "Don't let it happen again. Otherwise, you will be the one who dies."
Ye Chen was paralyzed and unsure of what to do. He felt humiliated, but seeing his former maid, he approached her to speak. However, she ignored him and turned away as soon as he got close, thinking:
"You have a problem with such a terrifying person and still want to drag me down with you? I only have one of Jiang Yun's followers, and I'm not even sure if I could win without using an Emperor-level weapon."
With a flushed face, Ye Chen forced a smile and laughed. After a while, Zhang Xinye came out, and half a day later, the top 100 ranks were announced. Some disciples were smiling with joy, while others were filled with sadness as the main elder announced the ranks:
[Rank 1: Jiang Yun - Time: 1 minute 30 seconds]
[Rank 2: Mu Shuyuan - Time: 2 minutes 30 seconds]
[Rank 3: Ming Hai - Time: 2 minutes 40 seconds]
[Rank 4: Chang Ming - Time: 2 minutes 45 seconds]
[Rank 5: Chen Wei - Time: 2 minutes 46 seconds]
[Rank 6: Wang Bai - Time: 2 minutes 50 seconds]
[Rank 6: Wang He - Time: 2 minutes 50 seconds]
[Rank 8: Mo Jun - Time: 2 minutes 53 seconds]
[Rank 9: Gao Yuan - Time: 2 minutes 54 seconds]
[Rank 10: Long Teng - Time: 2 minutes 56 seconds]
[Rank 11: Chang Qian - Time: 3 minutes 02 seconds]
[Rank 12: Li Xinyuan - Time: 10 minutes 02 seconds]
[Rank 13: Ye Chen - Time: 16 minutes 00 seconds]
[Rank 14: Zhang Xinye - Time: 19 minutes 21 seconds]
...
…..
[Rank 41: Gu Qingxue - Time: 36 minutes 25 seconds]
….
[Rank 65: Guan Mengyao - Time: 42 minutes 30 seconds]
...
…..
…..
[Rank 100: Li Dongyu - Time: 51 minutes 45 seconds]
When the rankings were announced, everyone was astonished, as the previous fastest time was 16 minutes 34 seconds, achieved by Lin Qingyi. Everyone was so shocked they could hardly speak, as a new record had been set with an extremely fast time. Although everyone knew Jiang Yun had come out very quickly, they were still surprised by the others' impressive performance, especially Mu Shuyuan, who ranked second. No one had anticipated her performance, and it would be hard for anyone to break this new record. The main elder himself had no further comments and said, "In 21 days, those in the top 100 will gather at the main plaza. You may disperse now."