And the red line was only half a meter away from the altar at the center of the Deep Valley.
"If you can step onto the altar, the third test is waived, and you directly advance to become an Outer Disciple!" The man’s final words stirred up a commotion among the crowd.
"Directly become an Outer Disciple?!"
"What does this mean?" People in the crowd began discussing. "Just walk over there?"
"Who can’t walk?!"
"There must be a trick! Could there be traps?!"
...
Duan Rong stood among the crowd, his eyes flickering. After the man announced the rules, he already knew what this first test was about.
Not long after the rules were announced, suddenly a melodious horn sounded in the valley.
Just at the moment the horn sounded, the sixteen figures sitting cross-legged at the offering tables under the four towering divine statues suddenly moved.
They flipped their hands and opened the covers of the incense burners in front of them, then sprinkled some kind of incense into the burners.
The incense, unknown in nature, caused thick smoke to rise the instant it entered the burner.
The figures then lifted the copper chains on both sides of the incense burners, their movements suddenly as swift as phantoms, their body techniques extraordinary, as they leaped and danced across the folds of the towering statues’ robes.
Wisps of thick smoke emerged from around the colossal divine statues!
Eventually, the sixteen phantom-like figures came to a halt.
On top of the statues’ heads sat four figures, each with an incense burner emitting thick smoke in front of them.
On the statues’ shoulders, two figures sat cross-legged, with pairs of thin smoke rising from the shoulders!
Beside the statues’ large feet, two figures also sat, likewise with pairs of smoke wafting up.
And four figures sat on the ground surrounding the statue, with four streams of smoke rising as well.
Sixteen figures, sixteen streams of smoke!
Duan Rong looked on in astonishment.
"This... isn’t this smoke offering?"
But as far as he knew, smoke offering was an auxiliary ritual method used when cultivating the Filthy Blood Divine Skill, and Fetal Concealment Scripture did not include smoke offering steps...
As the smoke billowed in the Deep Valley, atop a certain peak in the southeast of the valley, more than a dozen figures sat on alabaster chairs standing near the cliff edge.
This peak was quite steep, so why were there alabaster chairs on the summit? And who were the people seated on those chairs?
At the moment the smoke rose everywhere, a figure suddenly appeared, stepping on thin air, riding the wind, landing before the assembly on the peak.
Stepping on thin air and riding the wind can only be achieved by strong individuals in the Dark Grotto Heaven Realm, using the Power of Law.
This newcomer was Zhu He, one of the elders of Taiyi Sect’s Elder Hall and also the chairman of the Internal History Department.
This person was one of the only two candidates capable of contending for the next Sect Leader.
As soon as Zhu He landed, he clasped his fists and said, "Everyone, my apologies. I have arrived late!"
As soon as Zhu He spoke, several individuals rose from their seats to look at him.
One of them laughed, "No problem! Chairman Zhu is busy managing matters of the examination, many things to handle. Besides, the examination hasn’t started yet, so it’s not considered late."
As soon as this person finished speaking, another person snorted coldly and said, "Indeed. Chairman Zhu is busy with many matters, so naturally he doesn’t see us fellows as worth his attention. Being late means nothing, it’s good that he showed up at all!"
A sharp glint flashed in Zhu He’s eyes, but his face still carried a breezy smile, showing no sign of anger. The one who spoke against him was Ge Rusong, who had always been at odds with him.
While Zhu He remained silent, someone wanted to retort against Ge Rusong, but Zhu He signaled that person with his eyes, and they sat back down.
Zhu He walked to his seat, just about to sit down, when a soft female voice sounded from the far side.
"If Chairman Zhu didn’t come, I was going to have my Hanyan sit in your place. I’m afraid this child might lose her tune playing the zither if she stands too long."
The speaker was Lin Youjian, the only female elder in Taiyi Sect’s Elder Hall. People usually gave her extra respect, even Sect Leader Chu Qiushan often had no words against her, let alone Zhu He.
Seeing Lin Youjian tease him, Zhu He was not annoyed, smiling slightly and said, "Come, Hanyan, since your master has spoken. Come, take the seat."
Behind Lin Youjian stood a graceful female disciple, her hair tied up with a jade hairpin, wearing a moon-white underlay and a light blue dress. Perhaps to protect against the wind and sand of the peak, her face was covered by a white veil, through which a fair, slender face could be vaguely seen.
This woman was named Jiang Hanyan, and at this moment, she had a sword at her waist and a black ancient zither on her back.
Jiang Hanyan clasped her fists towards Zhu He, saying, "Hanyan wouldn’t dare! My master was just joking with Chairman Zhu. No need to take it seriously."
Lin Youjian, seeing Jiang Hanyan’s unyielding demeanor and apt response, couldn’t help but smile in appreciation.
Jiang Hanyan was Lin Youjian’s only disciple.
Being taken as a disciple by an elder of the Elder Hall meant being a core disciple of the sect, with a cultivation realm of at least the Qi Vortex Realm.
Seeing Lin Youjian’s appreciative gaze towards Jiang Hanyan, Zhu He said no more and quietly took his seat.
The seat next to Zhu He was empty, belonging to Sect Leader Chu Qiushan.
Yet in recent years, he rarely attended such gatherings.
After all, he would be stepping down in six years, which was unsurprising to these old folks.
And on the other side across from Chu Qiushan’s empty seat sat Lv Zhongtang.