Chapter 1 Entering the World

The small courtyard was caressed by a gentle breeze as Song Ci opened his eyes from his meditative state.

"Going out again?"

He called out to Gu Shen, who was preparing to climb over the wall to leave.

"Just taking a stroll."

Gu Shen explained helplessly, "The Guang Ming Sheng Dian (Holy Light Ceremony) outside is in full swing. It's not like we can just stay in the courtyard and meditate all day after finally making the trip here, right?"

After cultivating in the Dou Zhan Shen Yu (Battle God Realm), Song Ci had completely shed his previous impatience.

He had started meditating as soon as they arrived here.

"After being locked up in the ice sea for six years, it's normal to want to get out and move around," Song Ci said after thinking for a while. "Just be careful out there. Don't let your 'Lu Shi' identity be exposed."

"You're not coming with me?"

Gu Shen was a little surprised. "If I had known you had changed your personality, I wouldn't have bothered climbing the wall."

Song Ci grinned. "I originally wanted to stroll around this huge Guang Ming City, but unfortunately, the 'Xi Xin Chi' (Mind Cleansing Pool) trial is about to start. I'll meditate for a bit longer and then go meet the so-called Grand Elder of the Divine Hall. I was only angry last time because you didn't take me along to kill Wu Tuo. If it's just a casual stroll, you don't need to hide."

"..."

Gu Shen smiled, said nothing, and lightly jumped down from the courtyard wall.

What he was going to do, of course, wasn't just a casual stroll.

He didn't have many things to do this time in Guang Ming City, but each one was very important. Killing Wu Tuo… was the simplest and easiest thing.

The person he really wanted to kill was Jia Wei!

He had heard that Jia Wei was cultivating in the Hong Hu (Red Lake) all day long, and his realm had become even more exquisite after being titled [Guang Ming Bi Lei].

Gu Shen knew that killing a transcendent like Jia Wei wouldn't be as easy as killing Wu Tuo.

Before he was trapped in the ice sea, Jia Wei was already a fourth-tier extraordinary… very few people reached this level.

The title and the fourth tier were worlds apart; a casual strike could easily crush someone!

But fourth-tier transcendents could contend head-on with titled ones; slightly weaker ones, like the Storm Church's Jv Lu Sheng Zhe (Great Deer Sage), might not be easily defeated!

Gu Shen had always wanted to take a look near the Hong Hu (Red Lake), but unfortunately, it was Guang Ming City's biggest forbidden area, and was protected inside and out by the Divine Hall. Under normal circumstances, not even a mosquito could enter.

But these past few days were a special period.

Today was the day of the Xi Xin Chi (Mind Cleansing Pool) trial.

Those who signed up for the preliminary selection and passed would get the opportunity to go to the Divine Hall for the trial… The number of people in the preliminary selection was extremely large. Before crossing the Western Sea, Gu Shen had Chu Ling draft a virtual file for him, using the identity of a transcendent without a faction, to sign up for this Guang Ming Huo Zhong (Light Seed) trial.

Of course, he was keeping it a secret from Song Ci.

After walking through several alleys, Gu Shen reached out and wiped his face. The "Ghost Mask" silently changed his face.

During Guang Ming City's Holy Ceremony, every envoy group would receive care from the Divine Hall.

But…

Those vast numbers of "rogue cultivators" didn't get any special treatment.

The Saint Arbiter's resources were limited. Many transcendents who had come from thousands of miles away to the Western Continent to participate in the preliminary selection were of low realm and had ordinary talent. They just wanted to see the excitement of the "Huo Zhong (Light Seed) trial." These people certainly wouldn't be arranged special accommodations, nor would they receive any preferential treatment. Only those who passed the "Xi Xin Chi" (Mind Cleansing Pool) trial might be looked upon favorably by the Divine Hall.

Of course, if they discovered the beauty of the light after coming to the Western Continent and were willing to join the church, that would be another matter.

Gu Shen's plan for this trip was simple.

He just wanted to use this fake identity to join the Xi Xin Chi (Mind Cleansing Pool) trial team and see what kind of structure the Divine Hall had.

It was impossible to participate in the trial.

Gu Shen didn't know what abilities the "Xi Xin Chi" (Mind Cleansing Pool) forged by the Guang Ming Shen Zuo (Light Seat) had. If his true identity as the King of the Underworld was revealed… things would be serious.

Now he was wearing the [Shen Yin Dou Peng] (Cloak of Divine Concealment), concealing the power of authority, so he was very safe.

…

…

Guang Ming City divided its guests into different levels.

Envoys from different places were treated differently.

This was reasonable.

As for those rogue cultivators, Guang Ming City opening its doors and letting them come and go was already considered "preferential treatment." Those truly capable "rogue cultivators" would be hired by a transcendent family or consortium even if they didn't join any major power, either as an elder or a retainer. The kind of thing where someone lived a mediocre life and then was seen by the Huo Zhong (Light Seed) only happened in dreams.

This was the real world, and it was incredibly cruel.

So the "Xi Xin Chi" (Mind Cleansing Pool) trial was also divided into several batches. Those who were lucky enough to pass the preliminary selection, but had no background or strength, were placed in one group for the trial.

The big figures in the envoy groups, as well as the young geniuses favored by the Divine Hall, were in another group.

Gu Shen mingled in the crowd of rogue cultivators, and no one noticed anything unusual.

He entered the Divine Hall's forbidden area all the way, and from afar he saw the towering mountain of the extreme west, with countless rays of light converging on the top of the mountain.

Gu Shen only glanced at it before retracting his gaze…

[Shen Ji] (Miracle) – The Mountain of Sunset.

Within the forbidden area, waiting for night to fall would reveal countless rays of light falling on the mountain, and eventually the new day would also rise from this divine mountain.

If he wasn't mistaken, the Guang Ming Shen Zuo (Light Seat) probably placed a part of his "Huo Zhong" (Light Seed) on this mountain to support every night in Guang Ming City.

What Gu Shen wanted to see was the Hong Hu (Red Lake).

Under the guidance of the Saint Arbiters, this team passed along a small path near the Mountain of Sunset, and could see the Hong Hu (Red Lake) not far away.

The rogue transcendent cultivators who saw this miraculous scene were all filled with emotion.

They had come to Guang Ming City to see this scene with their own eyes, and being able to see it… was already considered fulfilling their wish.

"This Mountain of Sunset doesn't look very high, how does it manage to gather the light of the world?"

"And the Hong Hu (Red Lake)… even from this far away, you can feel the majestic source energy."

These rogue cultivators came from all over the world, and their realms were indeed not high; reaching the third tier was a rare occurrence.

The Five Continents were vast. Many transcendent cultivators in small places lacked talent and had ordinary strength, so they couldn't get the approval of major powers. They preferred to stay in small places and live carefree lives. The tundra region of Northern East Continent had a large number of transcendents who hadn't been recruited by the Three Schools. As long as these people didn't violate the law, Changye was too lazy to care what they did.

[Shen Hai] (Deep Sea) gave them a new life, which was the deep-water area trial.

They could rely on the computing power of the deep-water area for cultivation on their own.

The rules of the transcendent world were far more cruel than they appeared on the surface. Truly precious resources were often already decided internally.

This seemingly fair and just Huo Zhong (Light Seed) selection in Guang Ming City…

Was no exception.

Gu Shen looked around, and there were a few "strong" people among these rogue cultivators, but that was only in comparison to the rogue cultivators… These people might have a chance to pass the Xi Xin Chi (Mind Cleansing Pool) trial, but they would seem very ordinary if placed in a major power.

Although Guang Ming City superficially offered enough "Huo Zhong (Light Seed) dreams" as creations and opportunities, freely to those transcendent cultivators who met the conditions,

In reality, the chances of getting this creation were one in a thousand.

Suddenly, a voice rang out from the crowd.

"Although the Mountain of Sunset and the Hong Hu (Red Lake) are good… Changye's Xue Jin Cheng (Snow Forbidden City) is even better."

This voice attracted many gazes.

Including those of the Saint Arbiters.

The speaker was an ordinary-looking middle-aged man. He glanced at the Hong Hu (Red Lake) and said calmly, "The Hong Hu (Red Lake) does contain a large amount of source energy, but if you go to Changye's Qing Zong (Grave Mound) Cemetery, you'll know that that is the real 'miracle land'. The amount of transcendent source energy in the Qing Zong (Grave Mound) is several times that of the Hong Hu (Red Lake)."

Hearing this, Gu Shen couldn't help but smile.

On one hand, it was because what he said was right, and he felt happy after hearing it.

There was no denying that the Hong Hu (Red Lake) was indeed a miracle land.

But in terms of the amount of source energy, it couldn't compare to the Qing Zong (Grave Mound).

Countless deceased people were lying in the Qing Zong (Grave Mound). Their source energy had not dissipated, but was being absorbed by the great array and constantly circulating in the cemetery.

In terms of the amount of source energy, the Hong Hu (Red Lake) was far behind.

Gu Shen smiled for another reason. Now was the Xi Xin Chi (Mind Cleansing Pool) trial. Everyone had come to Guang Ming City in the Western Continent with reverence for the "Guang Ming Huo Zhong" (Light Seed), stepping into this sacred Divine Hall, and suddenly you said "The Hong Hu (Red Lake) is not as good as the Qing Zong (Grave Mound)", how were the Saint Arbiters supposed to react?

"What do you know?"

As expected, a Saint Arbiter on the side of the team frowned and scolded coldly, "The Hong Hu (Red Lake) is the cultivation place of the Guang Ming Shen Zuo (Light Seat) for nearly a hundred years, and the source energy you can feel here is only one percent, no, one-thousandth, of the Huo Zhong (Light Seed) that is being emitted."

"Why not say one ten-thousandth?"

The middle-aged man asked with a smile, "Only the Hong Hu (Red Lake) has the Shen Zuo (Light Seat) sitting in it, doesn't the Qing Zong (Grave Mound) Cemetery? Isn't the Huo Zhong (Light Seed) of the Bai Shu Shen Zuo (White Technique Light Seat) a Huo Zhong (Light Seed)?"

As soon as this was said, many people laughed.

They were here to participate in the "Xi Xin Chi" (Mind Cleansing Pool) trial, but that didn't mean they were believers of the Guang Ming Church.

Previously, these people's worship of the Mountain of Sunset and the Hong Hu (Red Lake) was from the bottom of their hearts.

Because they had never seen a miracle land…

But now someone stood up and said that the Qing Zong (Grave Mound) was better, causing a dispute with the Saint Arbiters, and they were happy to watch the excitement.

"This is the Divine Hall!"

The Saint Arbiter couldn't refute for a moment, staring at the middle-aged man and said, "What is your intention in saying these words? Are you really here to participate in the 'Xi Xin Chi' (Mind Cleansing Pool) trial?"

The middle-aged man looked at the spear in the other's hand and asked with a smile, "I'm just telling the truth, what? Is the Saint Arbiter going to commit violence in public? Are you going to stab me to death with your spear just because I said a few truths?"

"You!"

The Saint Arbiter glared angrily.

The surrounding trial participants gathered around.

The place became more and more noisy, and other Saint Arbiters soon arrived.

Before long.

The crowd made way, and a sickly young man pushing a wheelchair came to the front.

This young man had a faint smile on his face. Although he was wearing a snow-white Guang Ming (Light) robe, the deep blackness in the depths of his pupils made everyone who met his gaze feel uneasy.

"Lord Yao."

The Saint Arbiter greeted in a low voice, then silently retreated.

Yao Jin nodded lightly.

He raised his hand, and someone immediately handed him a file. Yao Jin only glanced at it and retracted his gaze.

He smiled and sized up the middle-aged man in ordinary clothes, and asked softly, "Zhou Li, the file says you were born in the Western Continent and lived in East Port for half your life. Although your talent is mediocre, and you only cultivated to the fourth level of Shen Hai (Deep Sea) in twenty years, you haven't violated any laws. Your file is very good."

Zhou Li's expression was calm, and he met the young man in the wheelchair's gaze.

"But I don't believe that people from East Port would say such things… It is said that the Gu family has cultivated a group of 'night watchmen' who are willing to dedicate their lives to them. All the night watchmen have gathered in Guang Ming City for this trip to the West."

Yao Jin handed the file back to the Saint Arbiter, and said calmly, "If I'm not mistaken, you should be from the Gu family, right?"

"Lord Yao."

Zhou Li smiled and said, "Although I don't understand what you're saying, if I say I am, are you going to kill me? Or are you going to cancel my trial qualification?"

"How could I?"

Yao Jin smiled, "The Guang Ming City Huo Zhong (Light Seed) trial welcomes anyone to participate… including the Gu family's night watchmen. Whether you're here to gather intelligence or to admire the Hong Hu (Red Lake), the Divine Hall welcomes you with open arms. As long as you don't insult the Shen Zuo (Light Seat), the Saint Arbiters won't take action."

As soon as this was said, the eyes of those rogue cultivators became subtle.

Everyone thought this would cause a dispute.

But now it seemed that Yao Jin, who was in charge, was very magnanimous and didn't blame the person who was causing trouble at all.

"You live in a small place like 'East Port', and you may not have seen the world, so you know nothing about the 'Hong Hu' (Red Lake)… that's understandable."

After saying this, Yao Jin smiled to himself and stopped looking at Zhou Li.

He turned to face all the trial participants here and said loudly, "Everyone, the Huo Zhong (Light Seed) trial is the biggest event in the Western Continent! On the day of the final selection, the Divine Hall will open up permissions for all transcendent cultivators. At that time, everyone can come to the Hong Hu (Red Lake) and personally watch the final trial!"

The last part of this trial ceremony was to cross the Hong Hu (Red Lake) and face the Shen Zuo (Light Seat).

The crowd was filled with cheers.

Gu Shen looked at the Hong Hu (Red Lake) shrouded in mist in the distance, and was lost in thought.

His mind wasn't on this small farce.

From very far away.

He saw the dark shadow on the Hong Hu (Red Lake).

He didn't know if it was an illusion… but that dark shadow was also looking at him.