Ling Xiao took a deep breath and stepped through the stone gate behind Elder Bai.
Beyond the gate, he found an unexpected world.
An old man sat cross-legged in the center, a small dog lying beside him.
Ling Xiao couldn’t gauge the old man’s cultivation, but he was certain it far surpassed Elder Bai’s.
The old man sat in the middle of a circular room, surrounded by murals depicting countless figures from ancient times.
They were densely packed, impossible to count at a glance.
Some had three heads and six arms;
Some had wings sprouting from their backs;
Some were born with three eyes;
Some had bird heads and human bodies;
Some had monkey-like heads and brains;
…
There were simply too many, overwhelming anyone who looked.
“These murals are the Divine Sealing Record. Those with high comprehension can gain insights from them, and this is how we test you!” the old man said calmly. “I ask, you answer. You have ten breaths to comprehend each question. Answer correctly to continue; fail, and you leave. Each question is worth one point. Understood?”
“Understood!”
“Good, let’s begin. First question: How many figures are in the murals?”
This was simple for Ling Xiao. In his soul-entering state, it took mere moments.
“Three hundred sixty-five!”
The old man’s expression remained unchanged. Answering the first question wasn’t difficult; the ten questions grew harder as they went.
“Second question: How many types of martial art techniques are depicted in the murals?”
“Thirteen thousand six hundred!”
Truthfully, Ling Xiao was stunned by his own answer.
Three hundred sixty-five figures using thirteen thousand six hundred techniques—how was that possible?
But closer inspection revealed the murals were dynamic, visible only to those with strong enough souls.
“Well done!” The old man finally glanced at Ling Xiao, surprised by how quickly he answered. Previous youths who answered the first two questions always used nearly all their time.
“Third question: How many types of items are in the murals, including weapons, hidden weapons, armor, and so on?”
“Nineteen million three hundred eighty thousand!”
Ling Xiao answered instantly.
“Oh? You’re the first to get this right. Many before forgot to check the items in the figures’ storage rings,” the old man said, growing more astonished.
The Divine Sealing Record’s wonder lay in this: with sufficient comprehension and soul strength, one could see the items in the storage rings, yielding the true count.
This surprised Ling Xiao further. Three hundred sixty-five figures possessed over ten million items, each vastly superior to his Snowfall Sword, sparking envy.
“Fourth question: How many figures in the murals use fire-based mysteries?”
This was clearly harder.
One had to identify not only the mysteries used but also their attributes. Without enough comprehension, it was impossible.
“Six!”
Ling Xiao’s answer came swiftly.
“Hmm?” The old man’s surprise deepened. Answering the fourth question correctly was rare. In the sect’s history, before the expansion, fewer than ten per assessment—never more—had done so.
“Fifth question: How many use thunder-based mysteries?”
“Twenty-five!”
Ling Xiao paused slightly this time. Thunder mysteries were less obvious than fire ones, requiring him to catch the truth in the murals’ fleeting movements.
Joy!
Absolute joy!
Excitement gleamed in the old man’s eyes.
Even the dog beside him barked twice.
How could he not be thrilled? In past assessments, no more than one disciple—sometimes none—answered the fifth question.
Ling Xiao’s performance was remarkable.
“Sixth question: Be cautious. How many figures in the murals possess star-based inner spirits?”
This was indeed difficult.
Inner spirits were invisible unless used.
To discern them, one had to inject soul strength into the murals and spar with each figure to draw out their inner spirits.
This time, Ling Xiao took longer.
After about eight breaths, he opened his eyes and said, “Two hundred thirty-three!”
The answer itself no longer mattered to him.
He suddenly noticed that after retrieving his released soul strength, his Shanhe World had transformed dramatically.
Previously, the Shanhe World had only land, with a dark, empty sky.
Now, the sky held sun, moon, and stars.
He sensed that, though his Shanhe Wuhun hadn’t upgraded, it was markedly stronger.
His soul’s integration with the Shanhe Wuhun had also increased, reaching twenty percent!
In that moment, Ling Xiao even felt the old man’s eager anticipation.
His heart jolted.
He had only aimed for a perfect score in this stage, but now it seemed continuing might cause trouble. A perfect score could draw too much attention.
Comprehension wasn’t a qualification, but it could be more terrifying than one.
Ling Xiao didn’t want to cause a stir.
Better to hold back. With his current scores—full marks in the first stage, plus extra points in the second and third, equating to two perfect stages—the third stage didn’t need to be perfect to be acceptable.
The assessment’s so-called perfect score of 100 was actually 60, with 40 points from extra bonuses.
Potential offered 20 extra points, combat skills 10, and comprehension 10.
So far, only Leng Hao and Ling Xiao had earned extra points.
Since Leng Hao was taken by Jinguang Tianzun, there was no competition.
Ling Xiao calculated he could score 56, more than enough to pass. Even if only three or four were admitted, he’d qualify.
There was no need to be overly conspicuous.
Thus, when the old man asked the seventh question, Ling Xiao claimed he didn’t know.
Though he said so, he used the ten breaths to re-examine the murals, gaining significant insights.
The mysteries in the murals were far more refined than those of mortal martial artists.
As a result, he instantly comprehended the third form of his technique, Condensed Water, and the fourth, Ice Heart.
This speed astonished even Ling Xiao.
He had labored to master two sword forms before, yet now he grasped the third and fourth instantly, even forming vague ideas for the fifth.
