Lu Jin'an, descending from the steps, greeted a group of junior monks and sisters, then took a step forward and vanished from the sight of everyone present.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for the delay. My name is Lu Jin'an, and I am the one conducting this evaluation."
"With this, I declare the formal commencement of today's evaluation."
As Lu Jin'an's voice echoed from the platform, everyone's gaze involuntarily followed—no one saw how he crossed the several kilometers of distance.
"Oh, the master of Wandao Zong, he is even more handsome than his portrait."
"It is said that Master of Wandao Zong has a profound mastery in space. As we can see today, it's indeed different from the ordinary."
"Who does he think he is? He's the youngest Ever-Perfected Saint in our human race's history."
"The Five Sects and the Seven Colleges, he's number one among his peers."
"He was the fierce guy who went to the two realms and single-handedly pursued and chopped five demon kings after breaking through the Ever-Perfected Saint realm."
"Not to mention our human race, looking at all the races at the same level, who dares to say they can suppress him? I really wish my child could become his disciple."
"Can he take disciples?"
"Just can't found a sect, why not take in disciples?"
"But he might not be interested in taking disciples. At his young age, taking in disciples would just be a waste of time."
"What if..."
The whispering fell with the start of the evaluation. As relatives, they naturally paid more attention to their own children, as there would be no point in doing anything if they couldn't enter Wandao Zong.
On the platform, Jiang Wuaya smiled slightly: "Master's proficiency in space has deepened."
Lu Jin'an smiled and thought in his heart, "To reverse the flow of the once-in-a-lifetime temporal river, one must continuously improve."
"Master Brother, have you had your breakfast yet? Just steamed buns filled with wild beef dumplings."
"No, you can have it," said Lu Jin'an, his gaze shifting to the juniors below, beginning their evaluation under the guidance of the inner-door disciples, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"I wonder if there are any usurpers from the upper realm among them?"
However, even if there are, they cannot be found. The upper realm's soul-reappropriation technique is almost perfect. If it weren't for his own foresight, he wouldn't have noticed Lin Mu... Only when one reaches the Zuo Zhi realm can one glimpse at it a bit.
After all, regardless of which soul-reappropriator it is, it's impossible for them to remain calm in their hearts when facing the question of 'Am I who I am?'.
Some with weak personalities will directly go into madness and demon possession.
That's why the upper realm lets its trash waste soul-reappropriate, it's a money-for-one-good-deal 'business'.
"Master Brother, do you have any favorites?" asked Jiang Wuaya, stepping back half a step. "Or does the Associate Sect Master still want to take a disciple?"
Lu Jin'an shook his head: "Just take a look, there are quite a few people this year."
"The world of great struggle." Zao Shi Dian Chief, also the third younger brother of Lu Jin'an, swallowed the steamed bun: "After you returned from the desolate realm, five sects and seven academies had a meeting to prepare for the arrival of the world of great struggle."
"The warlord era?" the chief of Tai Ji Dian, who is also Lu Jin'an's fourth sister-in-law, Guan Wen, clapped her hands. "Fifty thousand years ago, we teamed up with Yun Ding to defeat the alien race that came from beyond the heavens. Twenty thousand years ago, there was a mixed battle among all races and eventually confirmed the current situation. This time, it's unclear whether it's an external or internal issue."
"Whether external or internal, it doesn't matter. Our human race is stronger than being cannon fodder fifty thousand years ago, and stronger than contending with all races two million years ago," Zao Shi Ze bit into another bite of the bun. "Moreover, there's Master Brother. You've broken through... Huh?"
Zao Shi Ze raised his eyebrows in confusion: "Master Brother, haven't you reached the state of true wisdom? Did you encounter any problems during your seclusion?"
"I have a new idea," Lu Jin'an smiled. "I've decided to slow down."
"Hey, Second Brother, you're already on the path to uniting with the Dao. Go challenge Master Brother's position," Guan Wen playfully elbowed Jiang Wuaya.
Jiang Wuaya's eye twitched, and he subtly kept a distance, "If you want to go, go... and don't touch me."
"You're too funny, teasing the Second Master," Guan Wen said smilingly. "Who made you unable to touch women? Unless you become immortal, even a spiritual partner is hard to find."
Jiang Wuaya sniffed, refusing to argue with a woman.
"Brother, you mustn't play with fire," Lu Jin'an joked. "If Second Brother breaks his body, Fourth Associate Sect Master will go crazy."
"I have my limits," Guan Wen waved her hand, "I dare not really let Second Brother, who has the Pure Yin Immortal Body of 'Pure Yin Child', break his body."
"But it's fun to tease Second Brother occasionally to drive him crazy."
"Brother, what you said is very true."
Surrounded by a crowd of fellow students who chatted and laughed, Lu Jin'an occasionally glanced at the examinees participating in the evaluation below. He began to observe the future of some candidates with the 'Great Dharma Meditation Method', just in case he could find a problem.
Tai Chū Dian (Hall of Primordial Beginnings).
In the Tai Chū Dian, Pi Wan Yu, dressed in a deep purple robes and skirts, smiled as she pruned flowers. Behind her, the winter was quiet and the summer was filled with chirping birds.
"Everyone is delighted to see Master Brother, and those who are not too busy go to the mountain gate to greet Master Brother. Master Brother's reputation remains unchanged."
"The atmosphere of Master Brother and Jiang Wuaya's chatting is so good ~"
"So I sometimes don't understand, why some Sect's second-in-charge always want to seize Master Brother's power, steal Master Brother's woman, and even kill Master Brother."
"And then there's the matter of favoritism within the Sect, with inner-disciples bullying outer-disciples... still, our Wandao Zong is the best."
Dong Han interjected at this moment, "Otherwise, how could it become the number one immortal sect in the world?"
"Mhm." Xiaying nodded forcefully, about to speak when he saw the Associate Sect Master suddenly lift his head and look in a certain direction. After leaving a "going out for cultivation" and disappeared without a trace, he was left speechless.
At the front of the cave on the steep cliff at the back of Taichu Peak.
Pi Wan Yu, as she appeared, her eyes followed the figure stepping out from the open cave door, and her lips curled up into a malevolent smile.
With flowing silver hair, dressed in a white gown that is even whiter than snow, and her eyes covered by a black cloth, Mo Qingyue just appeared. Although there were no fluctuations of spiritual power to be seen, the hot summer seemed to be shrouded in a layer of frost, causing the temperature to drop sharply.
Mo Qingyue seemed like a goddess from the very core of her bones, radiating coldness.
Pi Wan Yu's eyes flickered with a strange look. She could sense that Mo Qingyue's cultivation had not improved much; what had she been doing in her seclusion for over a year?
But it didn't matter. Whether or not she informed her about Zhuo Nan Zhi's matter, how could her daughter stay as cold as an iceberg?
Thinking of this, Pi Wan Yu was about to speak, but then she saw the object she was holding in her hands and was taken aback: "A collar?"
She felt strange, so she asked, "Do you want to keep a dog or what kind of other pet?"
"Hmm..." Mo Qingyue's voice, barely opening her red lips, was cold and devoid of any emotion: "I've always wanted to keep... something... that only belongs to me..."
Pi Wan Yu didn't think too much about it and said instead, "Jin'an has returned. You know what he's been doing outside... Why are you in such a hurry? I haven't finished talking."
"Brother has returned..."
Mo Qingyue continued walking without pausing, saying something that made Pi Wan Yu even more curious.
"Just in time to try... the size."
...
