Shi Yinhua remained silent, his eyes unable to hide his astonishnt.
It wasn’t because of Erlang’s infantry but the various systems in place, which gave the impression that Song Lin was an experienced cultivator rather than a newcor blessed with luck.
Regardless, Shi Yinhua deeply admired Song Lin’s skill and courage.
According to the intelligence he received, last ti Song Lin blocked Ziyuan’s escape route, earning great rit and gaining the favor of the temple master.
Just this display of bravery was enough to make others pale in comparison.
Watching Song Lin’s figure as he directed the crowd, Shi Yinhua felt sothing stir within his Dantian and suddenly his confidence surged: "But I’ll soon surpass him."
On this trip to the Five Thunders Heavenly Master’s Conference, he would have a certain opportunity.
The temple master said that once he seized this chance, entering Divine Establishnt would only take an instant.
Soon, Song Lin packed up and prepared to depart for i Mountain Jungle.
Having traveled there once before, he was familiar with the route, and no unexpected incidents occurred along the way.
He soon arrived at i County.
The Taoist Temple was grand, located at the edge of the bustling city, occupying its pri area.
From outside the city, one could see a steep peak standing in the center of the Taoist Temple.
This was Fierce Sun Peak, which the Jungle Taoist Master Huoyun True Person had drawn over from hundreds of miles away.
To this day, the tale remains a legendary story that people never tire of discussing.
The three approached the Taoist Temple and stated their purpose.
"Please, all three of you, co inside."
They passed through layers of corridors.
Each checkpoint was guarded by Taoist soldiers.
In addition to the Rampant Soldiers, there were house guardian pythons coiled around beams, and housekeepers cast from rcury.
A Taoist led Song Lin and the other two to a back garden.
A young Taoist with white hair squatted on the path, absorbed in examining the soil before him.
As soon as they entered the garden, an odor akin to manure hit them.
The white-haired youth blocked their way, raised his index finger to his lips, signaling the guide Taoist to keep quiet.
"Carefully observe!" The white-haired youth glanced at Song Lin and spoke softly.
Song Lin was not bashful; he squatted beside the white-haired Taoist.
Peering closely, he discovered several small holes in the soil, and through these holes, he could see a microcosmic kingdom within.
Within it were armies, citizens, and a king clad in black armor.
The kingdom reeked terribly, and the people thrived among the stench, even trading dung on the streets.
Soon, the white-haired Taoist stood up.
"This is Scarab City. If one practices it into perfection, scarab soldiers—impervious to blades or spears—can be summoned. Hmm, who are you?"
"I’m Song Lin from Xuanke Temple. May I ask your esteed na?"
The guide Taoist answered first, "This is Hua Qing, the disciple of Master Huoyun."
"Song Lin? I’ve heard of you, a cultivator with first-rank True Qi, very impressive." Hua Qing smirked slyly, "But I’m also... It’s ti for the liturgy, shall we go together?"
It turned out Hua Qing was also entering Divine Establishnt on this day.
The two arrived at Whitejade Square.
Both sides of the square were lined with Taoists dressed in a variety of colored robes.
The number of Taoists was several tis that of Xuanke Temple.
There were no shortage of Divine Establishnt cultivators.
The i Mountain Jungle boasted a well-structured organization of the Three Capitals, Five Masters, and Eighteen Heads, and its personnel did not appear bloated—it oversaw the million population of ilin County.
Transposed to a previous life, it would at least be comparable to a first-tier city.
Standing before a gigantic five-colored altar was a flaming-haired, red-browed Taoist.
The Taoist wore resplendent multicolored robes, his appearance strikingly heroic. Upon seeing him, it was as if beholding an erupting volcano, its heat scorching one’s very soul.
Terrifying—this was a Purple Mansion expert beyond Core Formation?
Song Lin averted his gaze, startled inwardly.
The newly-appointed Divine Establishnt cultivators stood before the altar, a total of four.
The Huoyun Taoist approached them, and they quickly bowed to him.
"Hua Qing, disciple of i Mountain Jungle, Hua generation, is hereby conferred the Supre Three Five True One Alliance Power Talisman and an eighth-rank Upper Immortal Capital Director rit Officer appointnt."
"Thank you, Taoist Master!"
"Song Lin! You are hereby conferred the Supre Three Five True One Alliance Power Talisman and an eighth-rank North First Shangguan Three Officials Divisional Chief in charge of two thousand n."
"Thank you, Taoist Master!"
Song Lin stepped forward to accept the talismanic certificate.
The benefits of Divine Establishnt went far beyond titles and ranks. Apart from positional elevations, Divine Establishnt cultivators could exchange spells at i Mountain Jungle and gain the privilege of cultivating in Cave Heaven Blessed Land for ten days annually.
Cave Heaven Blessed Land was a mystical realm where cultivators experienced various enhancents.
For instance, cultivation sped up, fire magic beca easier to comprehend, additional Divine Skills were learned, and so forth—akin to comprehensive empowernt.
The i Mountain Jungle’s i Mountain Blessed Land offered ti-twisting benefits; ten days inside corresponded to one day outside.
With the liturgy ceremony concluded, it was ti for the main event.
The Huoyun Taoist stepped forward, surveying the surroundings.
Among the dozens of Taoist Temples, over a hundred Divine Establishnt cultivators and more than two hundred Qi Refinent disciples held their breaths in concentration.
"The Five Thunders Heavenly Master’s Conference is the legacy of Shenxiao Taoist, left a millennium ago. Whoever earns the recognition of the Five Thunders Heavenly Master Order shall obtain the Heavenly Master’s Token passed down by Shenxiao Taoist."
"This conference will last thirty days, equivalent to three hundred days in i Mountain Blessed Land. Should one beco unable to endure, they need only cry out to withdraw. Within the conference, life and death are of no consequence! Does anyone wish to exit now?"
Having co this far, no one chose to quit.
Even if Song Lin felt perplexed by the proceedings, withdrawing was not an option.
The Huoyun Taoist swept his sleeve.
A transformative surge of energy rushed forth, spreading mana over a hundred miles.
Dark clouds swirled into a massive vortex, drawing everyone into its heart.
Swish!
The sky dimd, as a blood-red moon hung overhead.
Its eerie light illuminated the earth.
A thousand-foot-tall mountain lood ahead of the crowd.
Suspended above the mountain was a crystal-like red token shaped like the peak itself.
Under the blood moon’s glow, the token flickered with a crimson light. Inscribed with intricate lightning patterns were the small-seal-scripted words "Five Thunders Heavenly Master Order."
Swish!
Beneath the token stood three figures.
"Every ten years, the Five Thunders Heavenly Master’s Conference comnces. Those who wish to challenge it, step onto this mountain."
Swish!
Hundreds of cultivators simultaneously stepped into the mountain’s range.
Song Lin was no exception.
The mont his foot landed, the scenery shifted.
Everything transford into pitch-black chaos, where visibility was lost entirely.
Not a single person remained in sight—only solitude enveloped him.
"Is this the trial?"
Song Lin was puzzled.
Could demonic monsters erge from this darkness?
Song Lin stayed guarded for a long ti, yet nothing happened.
Was this trial ant to test perseverance?
Thinking so, Song Lin sat cross-legged, cald his breath, and focused on his Spirit Platform.
Chaos knew no sense of ti or space.
A mont beca an eternity; an eternity felt like a fleeting instant.
How long had passed was unknown, but his inner turmoil reached the brink of madness.
ditating seed impossible; intrusive thoughts grew rampant, like Heavenly Demons tempting his soul.
The overwhelming loneliness drove him to the verge of insanity.
After a long ti, his mindset returned to tranquility.
Driven by boredom, Song Lin concocted an idea.
"What if I entered a fictional world instead?"
Song Lin manipulated his thoughts to traverse between fiction and reality, eventually imrsing himself fully in a narrative world for cultivation.
A magnificent grand hall.
Huoyun Taoist observed the i Mountain Blessed Land through the sand table on his desk, joined by the Three Capitals, Five Masters, and other senior mbers.
Only half a stick of incense had burned, yet eighty percent of the participants had withdrawn.
"This generation is rather lacking. The ’Stillness’ trial has only begun, and so many have already been eliminated."
"Their minds are too weak—they cannot endure the loneliness of millennia."
"Haha, Fifty steps mocking a hundred—we were all eliminated once before."
The senior mbers laughed.
"Hua Qing has a good chance of passing the first trial. As for the others, it’s uncertain; no one has reached the third trial in two hundred years."
Shenxiao was the first i Mountain Temple Master, and no one has claid the Heavenly Master’s Token he left behind.
Perhaps it remains restricted to Divine Establishnt cultivators, making it difficult to overco the thods left by a Purple Mansion expert.
Even Huoyun Taoist was curious about what the ancestor’s legacy truly contained.
"Maybe Shenxiao Ancestor never intended for it to pass on, and only designed this trial as a way to temper the participants’ mindsets," soone proposed.
Others watched with keen interest.
For those living long lives, thirty days was insignificant.
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