The place where Emperor Huoyun resides.
Today, besides Emperor Huoyun and Bingyi, Prime Minister Dongguo Wuji has also come.
Lin Yun had previously noted Dongguo Wuji’s ranking on the Heavenly Gods List, where he is placed forty-seventh.
Additionally, Lin Yun had seen another name starting with Dongguo on the Heavenly Gods List, called Dongguo Ying.
Since Emperor Huoyun once mentioned that the Dongguo family has two immortals, Lin Yun guessed that the Dongguo Ying on the Heavenly Gods List is likely Dongguo Wuji’s father and the founder of the Dongguo family. He must be the one who fought alongside Emperor Huoyun to conquer the realm.
However, this Dongguo family founder, Dongguo Ying, rarely shows his face. Despite Lin Yun’s long stay in the Huoyun Empire and multiple encounters with the Dongguo family, he has never met Dongguo Ying. Usually, it’s Dongguo Wuji and his son, Dongguo Lie, handling the family’s affairs.
Moreover, Dongguo Ying ranks twenty-fifth on the Heavenly Gods List, which shows that his strength must be astonishing.
On the Heavenly Gods List, the top fifteen are the first-tier powerhouses of the Heavenly Gods Palace. Of course, this first tier can be further subdivided, for instance, the top three are the mightiest among the mighty.
With Dongguo Ying’s strength, he qualifies for the second tier, while Prime Minister Dongguo Wuji falls into the third tier.
Lin Yun knows well that, although he has never met Dongguo Ying, the Dongguo family’s immense influence in the Huoyun Empire is undoubtedly tied to him, both for his contributions and his formidable strength.
“Master.”
After approaching Emperor Huoyun, Lin Yun bowed with clasped hands.
“Lin Yun, your last challenge against Cao Jun brought much honour to His Majesty,” said Prime Minister Dongguo Wuji, smiling at Lin Yun from his seat nearby.
Hearing these words from Dongguo Wuji, Lin Yun was momentarily stunned.
The Dongguo family has always been hostile towards him, so why is Dongguo Wuji being so amicable today? Something feels off.
Could it be because he has stepped into immortality that the Dongguo family is changing their stance towards him? But if that were true, they would likely have approached him privately first, which has never happened.
“Prime Minister, you flatter me,” Lin Yun replied casually, his tone indifferent.
Faced with Lin Yun’s attitude, Prime Minister Dongguo Wuji was inwardly shocked. He had already sent his son to reconcile with Lin Yun and even gifted a large amount of Tribulation Pills, so why was Lin Yun still acting this way? Could Lin Yun truly intend to remain at odds with the Dongguo family forever?
Dongguo Wuji’s expression darkened slightly. He thought to himself, *My Dongguo family is no pushover. We’ve already lowered ourselves to you, and yet you act like this. Surely, my esteemed Dongguo family won’t grovel further to curry your favour?*
Thus, Dongguo Wuji gave a cold snort and fell silent.
“My disciple, let me introduce you. This is the patriarch of the Mu clan, Mu Yongtian,” Emperor Huoyun said, pointing to a hawk-nosed man seated to his left.
Emperor Huoyun continued, “The Mu clan is, in fact, the largest clan among the common folk of our Huoyun Empire. They have their own territory and rarely interact with the outside world. Moreover, the Mu clan is far from Dongyuan Prefecture, so you may not have heard of them. I’m introducing you today so you can get acquainted.”
“Patriarch Mu,” Lin Yun said, bowing with clasped hands.
“Lin Yun, I’ve long heard of your deeds. Today is the first time I’ve seen you in person. This is also the first time our Mu clan has had dealings with you,” Patriarch Mu said with a smile.
“You’re too kind,” Lin Yun replied with a faint smile.
Lin Yun knew full well that this wasn’t his first encounter with the Mu clan.
When he went to compete for the Great Kun Ruins, the Mu clan had also sent a team, though Lin Yun didn’t bring this up.
“Lin Yun, there’s still some time before the entry trial begins. Take a seat for now,” Emperor Huoyun said, waving his hand.
Lin Yun nodded and sat nearby.
“Master, could you tell me more about today’s entry trial?” Lin Yun asked.
“This entry trial is a series of arena matches. Each victory counts as passing one stage. The first stage is the easiest, generally speaking, any immortal can pass it,” Emperor Huoyun explained.
He continued, “Winning the first stage earns you one hundred Haoyue Crystals and unlocks the second stage. Passing the second stage grants a total of two hundred Haoyue Crystals, but seventy percent of new immortals joining the Heavenly Gods Palace fail at the second stage.”
“Oh? So most people can’t even pass the second stage?” Lin Yun said, surprised.
“Indeed. After all, those taking the entry trial are newly ascended immortals who haven’t been immortal for long. Among immortals, their strength is at the bottom,” Emperor Huoyun said.
He went on, “If you pass the second stage, you unlock the third stage. Passing the third stage earns a total of four hundred Haoyue Crystals. But even among those who reach the third stage, only a rare few pass it. Those who do are considered outstanding among new immortals.”
“What’s the highest record for the entry trial?” Lin Yun asked curiously.
“The record is the fourth stage, set by Li Yuan, who now ranks twelfth on the Heavenly Gods List. He passed the fourth stage, unlocked the fifth, but ultimately failed there, earning a total of eight hundred Haoyue Crystals,” Emperor Huoyun said.
“The fourth stage is the highest record? And it was set by Li Yuan, twelfth on the Heavenly Gods List,” Lin Yun marvelled quietly.
“By the way, Master, based on the reward progression, the total reward doubles with each stage passed, right?” Lin Yun asked.
Passing the fourth stage yields eight hundred Haoyue Crystals, so passing the fifth would yield sixteen hundred, and the sixth would yield thirty-two hundred Haoyue Crystals, by Lin Yun’s calculation.
“Yes, but seventy percent of immortals in the entry trial only pass the first stage, earning one hundred Haoyue Crystals. While the rewards grow significantly later on, sadly, no one has reached that far,” Emperor Huoyun said.
Don’t think one hundred Haoyue Crystals is trivial. The last time Emperor Huoyun and Emperor Xingwu wagered a thousand Haoyue Crystals, Emperor Huoyun was reluctant, showing how precious Haoyue Crystals are, especially for new immortals.
Lin Yun nodded, asking no further questions.
From nearby, the owner of the Taixu Tavern looked at Emperor Huoyun and said, “Emperor Huoyun, do you have confidence in your disciple? Why not predict how many stages he’ll pass?”
At these words, many eyes turned to Emperor Huoyun and Lin Yun, curious to hear what Emperor Huoyun would say.
