Zilei Peak stands majestically above the clouds and mist.

This towering main peak resembles a coiled giant dragon, its head proudly raised towards the sky. Surrounding it are several slightly shorter secondary peaks, guarding it like halberd-wielding warriors.

Zilei Peak’s body is a deep purplish-black, faintly covered with countless strange patterns, flowing with a subtle and noble cold light.

Above the peak, swirling purple clouds perpetually shroud it, with streaks of lightning like purple snakes dancing within, beautiful yet mysterious.

Meng Wuyan, one of Zilei Peak’s副峰主 (fù fēng zhǔ,副-peak masters), is currently climbing the mountainside.

Even he, to ascend the mountain, must take one step at a time, without the privilege of using magic to fly through the clouds.

Arriving at a prominent cliffside pavilion, Meng Wuyan stopped, folded the list in his hand into a flying letter, and sent it off into the distance.

“To the venerable峰主 (fēng zhǔ,峰-peak master) before the Ziji Hall and the Thunder Pool, I,副峰主 Meng Wuyan, humbly and respectfully submit this report:”

“I, your subordinate, having received great favor and holding this humble secondary position, have been vigilant day and night, fearing that I might fail your重托 (zhòng tuō, heavy trust) and the sect’s expectations. Now, the兴云试 (Xīngyún Shì,興雲-Cloud-Rising Trial) has reached its first stage, with heroes gathered and colorful clouds abundant.”

“Your subordinate has personally investigated, observing their actions and abilities closely, and has found several individuals who, though of diverse backgrounds—some humble, some extraordinary—possess exceptional endowments, deep-rooted spiritual potential, and firm resolve. They are truly unpolished jade and unrefined gold, future麒麟 (qílín, mythical beasts) and phoenixes. I respectfully present their salient points to your峰主:”

“First, Xiao Cailing. A girl from a mountain wilderness rogue cultivation background, her spiritual perception is profoundly keen. Without having cultivated advanced thunder methods, relying only on a trace of a minor inheritance and innate spiritual sensitivity, she managed to anticipate the trajectories of seven layers of thunder talismans in the引雷辨机 (Yǐnléi Biànjī, 引雷辨机-Thunder-Inducing Mechanism-Discernment) trial with a slight flick of her finger, drawing a wisp of the purest乾阳紫气 (Gānyáng Zǐqì,乾陽-Pure Yang Purple Qi) into her body, with faint phantom thunder beasts appearing around her. She is a natural talent, perfectly suited for thunder Dao cultivation.”

“Second, Situ Xing. This child comes from the Situ family, a noble scion of a prominent clan, who plays with stars as chess pieces and paints with sword light. His swordsmanship secretly aligns with the周天星轨 (Zhōutiān Xīngguǐ, Zhou-Tian Star Tracks). In the百兵争锋兴云小试 (Bǎibīng Zhēngfēng Xīngyún Xiǎoshì, 百兵争锋興雲-Hundred Weapons Contention Cloud-Rising Minor Trial), he shattered the九曜幻星阵 (Jiǔyào Huànxīng Zhèn,九曜-Nine Luminaries Illusory Star Array) with a single sword, displaying his sharp brilliance and proud, unyielding celestial spirit, truly outstanding.”

“Third, Huang Dang. A descendant of a famous general from Di Yuan Country, his bones are like iron, his will like a rock. Possessing a body tempered a thousand times and indomitable courage, he withstood three rounds of thunder strikes in the九劫雷道 (Jiǔjié Léidào,九劫-Nine Tribulations Thunder Dao) trial, his body scorched black but unyielding. Instead, under the invasion of thunder evil, he drew a wisp of the earth’s dragon脉之气 (mài zhī qì,脉之气-vein qi) to nourish himself, transforming tribulation into strength. His resilience is rare in the world.”

“Fourth, Ning Zhuo. With only a筑基 (Zhùjī, Foundation Establishment) mid-stage cultivation, he is not a Confucian cultivator, yet he claimed two first places in the two Confucian cultivation兴云 (Xīngyún) trials! Furthermore, in the诛邪堂 (Zhūxiétáng,邪-Evil-Slaying Hall) trial, he passed the three ‘questions of the heart’ and once again took first place! For this, he was awarded a magical treasure-grade功业浮屠塔 (gōngyè fútú tǎ, 功业-Merit Pagoda)!”

“Your subordinate dares to plead: to win the devoted allegiance of such unparalleled talents and future stars, ordinary rules cannot bind them, nor can worldly gains move them. What makes Zilei Peak unique in the world is this紫霄神雷道场 (Zǐxiāo Shénléi Dàochǎng,紫霄-Violet Heaven Divine Thunder Dao Field), and the supreme opportunity of body-tempering in the Thunder Pool at the mountaintop, which attracts elites from across the cosmos.”

“Such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to personally visit a sacred land and directly face the Heavenly Dao far surpasses thousands of spirit stones and tens of thousands of Daoist texts! It will surely make them feel our peak’s utmost sincerity in seeking talent and our broad-mindedness. They will know that Zilei Peak is not only the supreme authority of the thunder Dao but also a peerless Dao field for achieving excellence and opening up the future! Thus, good birds will choose their trees,麒麟 (qílín) and phoenixes will arrive, the great Dao can be expected, and the prosperity of our peak is within sight!”

“Your subordinate deeply understands that this request may be presumptuous, but for the sake of the sect and the future, my heart burns like fire, and I must speak! I humbly implore the峰主 (fēng zhǔ) to discern your subordinate’s foolish loyalty and graciously grant approval. Then, the sect will be fortunate, and the great Dao will be fortunate!”

“Your subordinate, Meng Wuyan, awaits your command with the utmost trepidation!”

“Again, I bow my head!”

The flying letter quickly disappeared beyond Meng Wuyan’s sensory range.

Meng Wuyan stood, gazing up at the peak, waiting silently.

Zilei Peak’s body vibrated slightly, humming with a long, dragon-like sound.

The mountain’s sound resonated, rushing straight into the clouds.

The purple clouds shook. The next moment, the sky suddenly dimmed, neither twilight nor full darkness.

An intensely concentrated imperial purple quickly spread and stained the purple clouds. This purple was deep, heavy, far surpassing all luxurious silks and jewels in the world.

The imperial purple clouds churned ceaselessly, becoming thick and magnificent, pressing down in layers like an emperor’s crown with hanging tassels, in strict order. In the center of the purple clouds, a bottomless Ziwei vortex eye slowly opened, silently and majestically looking down upon this world.

Even though Meng Wuyan had witnessed this scene many times, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of oppression, awe, yearning, and reverence.

Meng Wuyan’s purple eyes narrowed further, watching the thunder snakes in the cloud eye rapidly expand, transforming into dragon-like shadows.

The purple intensity gathered in Meng Wuyan’s eyes grew richer.

Suddenly, his heart stirred, and he murmured, “It’s coming.”

In an instant! A glorious heavenly thunderbolt struck down from the core of that vortex eye!

The brilliance of the lightning was so intense, as if it concentrated the will of heaven and earth. Its core was an extremely dazzling white incandescent sharpness, while its edges flowed with purple molten fire that could melt stars.

It judged yin and yang, sorted out the cosmos, rewarded and punished all things, possessing supreme majesty!

The thunderbolt struck the indestructible black iron-rock bone of Zilei Peak!

“Boom!!!”

It was a deafening roar, as if the framework of heaven and earth had been shaken. The peak rock, where it was struck, instantly turned into molten purple jade glaze, and then the thunderbolt transformed into surging light streams, rushing down inside the mountain body like a torrent.

Wherever the imperial purple light stream passed, it instantly activated the thunder traces on the mountain body, which resembled blood vessels.

Billions of thunder traces lit up, as if countless dragons were soaring. In just an instant, they dimmed as the light stream departed. But even that fleeting spectacular sight had brought Meng Wuyan enough shock, bringing tears to the eyes of this powerful Nascent Soul-level demon cultivator.

“The secrets of the Thunder Dao are all within it, all within it!” he cried out in his heart, both shocked and moved.

It was a feeling that made his entire being tremble.

If one hears the Dao in the morning, one can die in the evening without regret!

With just one thunder strike, the imperial purple rapidly faded, the thunderclouds lightened, returning to the previous light purple clouds and mist, lazily floating.

The Violet Heaven Divine Thunder that had just torn through the sky and shaken the cosmos, and the irresistible Heavenly Dao pressure, all seemed like a grand, fleeting illusion.

Meng Wuyan still stood with folded hands in the pavilion, his dark blue robe sleeves gently fluttering in the breeze, no longer flapping wildly as before.

His emotions gradually settled down, and then a point of white light flew down from the mountaintop.

The white light landed in Meng Wuyan’s hand, reverting to a flying letter—the very one he had sent earlier.

Meng Wuyan poured his divine sense into the letter, immediately focusing on the blank space at the end.

Not a single word, no trace of a magical seal.

His heartbeat imperceptibly paused for a moment, and in the depths of his eyes, a profound disappointment welled up. This was followed by a worry about the future, like vines缠绕 (chánrào, entwined) in his heart; and a hint of indescribable weariness quietly crept onto his brow.

Meng Wuyan remained silent for a few breaths, then slowly put away the flying letter, and again looked up, as if he could see the Zilei Pool at the mountaintop, and the Ziji Hall beside the pool.

The mountain wind ruffled a few strands of hair at his temples. He finally let out a soft sigh, raised his arms, bowed, and then slowly turned around.

Step by step, he walked heavily and silently down the mountain path, his figure quickly swallowed by the rugged rocks.

Zhu Xie Hall’s main hall.

The palace was grand but not luxurious. The cold stone bricks were massive, emanating a deep black, and giant iron pillars supported the vaulted ceiling. The walls were engraved with massive talismans for suppressing evil and slaying demons, exuding a murderous aura.

Zhong Dao sat behind the massive black iron desk at the head of the hall. His broad shoulders and back were ramrod straight, like a lone peak. The desk’s edges were sharp, just like his own well-defined personality.

After finishing a scroll in his hand, Zhong Dao’s sharp gaze could not conceal his cold fury. He looked at the vast, empty hall, as if to burn through the invisible air.

“Sycophants! Occupying positions without doing work!” Recalling the recent discussion with the main peak’s high-ranking officials after his divine sense was drawn into the great formation, Zhong Dao grew even more enraged.

His heart was burdened, and his experiences in the officialdom of Feiyun Country resurfaced in his mind.

Those selfish desires hidden beneath grand facades, those overt and covert struggles under the rules—where there are people, there is a “jianghu” (江湖, martial world), and the Myriad Manifestation Sect was no exception.

A deep disappointment and an indescribable sense of frustrated isolation transformed into cold tides, spreading from the depths of his being.

His straight back appeared even stiffer than iron, and the deep vertical furrow between his brows revealed a force like that of a knife or an axe.

The atmosphere in the hall was oppressive and heavy, and the guarding cultivators dared not even breathe loudly.

The captain of the guards sighed secretly, then thought for a moment and quietly stepped out of the ranks. He took out a jade slip from his怀 (huái, bosom): “Reporting to the堂主 (táng zhǔ, hall master), your subordinate has something to report. The first stage of the兴云小试 (Xīngyún Xiǎoshì, Cloud-Rising Minor Trial) has concluded, and one branch hall has announced its first-place winner and awarded a magical treasure-grade功业浮屠塔 (gōngyè fútú tǎ, Merit Pagoda) as a prize.”

Zhong Dao’s expression paused slightly. He naturally understood what a magical treasure-grade first-place prize implied.

“Did this person pass the three ‘questions of the heart’?” His gaze rested on the captain of the guards, immediately placing immense psychological pressure on the latter.

The captain of the guards instinctively lowered his head, his voice becoming clearer and louder: “Your Excellency is discerning. This person’s surname is Ning, given name Zhuo. He is a young man full of vigor. When responding to the three questions, he did not dodge and maintained a firm attitude. When asked the last question, he directly said, ‘Why regret? Why fear!'”

“Hmm.” Hearing this, the deep vertical furrow between Zhong Dao’s brows subtly relaxed a fraction, and the cold fury in his eyes also diminished a bit.

“To have such awareness and disposition, not bad.” Zhong Dao thought of himself. “Is there any intelligence gathered?”

This was only natural.

If a cultivator took first place in the first stage of the兴云小试 (Xīngyún Xiǎoshì), the Zhu Xie Hall would naturally follow up extensively, actively investigating to strictly prevent evil cultivators from disguising themselves and infiltrating.

The captain of the guards was quite perceptive of the atmosphere. Seeing Zhong Dao’s anger dissipate somewhat, he was also genuinely pleased.

He continued, “We are still investigating. Ning Zhuo doesn’t seem to be from Feiyun Country. However, according to the latest intelligence, he has already exchanged for a stone plaque.”

Zhong Dao: “Oh?”

His brows relaxed a bit more: “It seems this child has a promising future, and his talents should be among the top tier of this Feiyun Grand Assembly. If the situation is true, he is somewhat—similar to me in my youth.”

“It seems the cultivation world—is not entirely made up of sycophants and idlers. The righteous path is not without successors; there will always be new talents to inherit our will and uphold righteousness. There are those with iron bones to bear righteousness, and those with loyal hearts to illuminate history.”

Zhong Dao nodded slightly, feeling much relieved. He immediately ordered a thorough investigation into Ning Zhuo, to clarify all aspects of his background.

Seeing Zhong Dao’s anger subside, the captain of the guards breathed a sigh of relief, feeling glad to be able to share his superior’s burden, and silently returned to his post.

Zhong Dao was about to deal with the next scroll when he suddenly looked up at the captain of the guards halfway back: “What kind of兴云小试 (Xīngyún Xiǎoshì) were Ning Zhuo’s first two first places in?”

The captain of the guards immediately stopped, took a few more steps forward, and respectfully reported: “They were both Confucian cultivation minor trials. And Ning Zhuo is not a Confucian cultivator.”

“Oh?” Hearing this rather unexpected answer, Zhong Dao developed some new interest in Ning Zhuo.

Zhong Dao was well aware of the Confucian cultivators’ style of conduct.

“To achieve first place in a Confucian cultivation trial as an outsider shows that this child has an upright character.”

“Not bad, not bad,” Zhong Dao nodded, muttering softly.

He waved his hand at the captain of the guards.

The captain of the guards bowed and retreated, returning to his post. He thought to himself: After this incident, his superior would likely have a very good impression of Ning Zhuo.

“If I meet Ning Zhuo in the future, just for today, I’ll have to make him treat me,” the captain of the guards mused inwardly. His original intention wasn’t this, but it didn’t prevent him from secretly envying Ning Zhuo.

Given Zhong Dao’s cultivation, combat power, and prestige, to be valued by him would save a newcomer so many detours.

Zhong Dao buried himself in handling a scroll, his efficiency noticeably higher than before.

Taking advantage of a brief respite, he recalled the Seven Peaks Assembly not long ago, and a cold gleam flashed in his eyes.

“They intend to act against Wen Ruan Yu, and Qin De is key.”

“I must strictly guard this person and also contact Duanmu Zhang to warn him of the Seven Peaks’ schemes.”

With this thought, Zhong Dao directly wrote a flying letter.

The letter contained only one line: “Life is what I desire, righteousness is what I desire; if I cannot have both, brother Duanmu, can you sacrifice your life for righteousness?”

He and Duanmu Zhang were old friends, and such a short sentence was enough.

In another洞府 (dòngfǔ, cave abode).

Ban Ji’s face was ashen, staring intently at the jade plaque in his hand.

The jade plaque was a magical artifact for communication, but no matter how Ban Ji urged it, there was no response.

He had lost contact with Panshi Niangzi and couldn’t reach her at all.

“But Che Zhuzi is still here—I’m afraid Panshi Niangzi is more likely than not to have met with misfortune.”

“So, how much intelligence has Ning Zhuo obtained? Has he already detected me?”

“Damn it!” Ban Ji clenched his fist, his eyes flickering with hatred.

He had already learned that Ning Zhuo had exchanged for a stone plaque, which was earlier than him. Currently, Ban Ji had only achieved two first places, still needing a third.

“Panshi Niangzi cannot be relied upon, but what about the others?”

“What are Monk Wangyan, Tie Hai, Liu Qingyan, and the others doing? Can they play any role at all?!”

Meanwhile.

The Ban family ancestral hall.

Clang, clang—

A mechanism creation, almost filling the entire hall, suddenly made worrying sounds.

Under normal circumstances, slowly moving wooden blocks, at this moment, fell down one after another.

The supervising cultivators noticed the anomaly, took it very seriously, and immediately investigated.

“Something has gone wrong with Ban Ji.”

“What on earth happened to him? Who did he provoke? How could his luck be so severely suppressed?!”

“Investigate, quickly and thoroughly!”

In the back hall of the ancestral shrine, a flurry of activity immediately broke out.