Only three seconds? He's already the Lord of All Realms, so it doesn't matter.

At Chen Shi (7-9 AM), Ye Xuan arrived at the forbidden area behind the mountain on time.

Gray mist billowed at the entrance to the valley, where several deacons were already waiting.

The one leading the group was still the same gray-robed deacon from the Trial Academy from yesterday. He nodded slightly when he saw Ye Xuan arrive.

"The Dao Seeking Arena is a three-tiered illusionary realm with three thousand steps. The first three tiers correspond to cultivation."

The more realms you break through, the higher your rating will be. If you feel you can't keep up, you can use your token to exit, but the assessment will then be considered a failure.

After saying that, the steward handed over a jade token with the character "问" (ask) engraved on the front and intricate teleportation array patterns on the back.

"This token can only be used within the illusionary realm; crush it to release it."

The assessment period is three hours. Those who fail to break through to the fifth level within the time limit are considered to have failed.

Ye Xuan took the token, which felt cool to the touch.

He glanced around and realized that he wasn't the only disciple participating in the inner sect assessment today. There were also three other formal disciples who had just broken through to the Golden Core realm, each holding a token and standing solemnly before the mist.

"Everyone, come in."

As soon as the gray-robed deacon finished speaking, the gray mist at the mouth of the valley suddenly parted, revealing a passage that could only accommodate one person at a time.

As Ye Xuan stepped inside, the moment the mist closed in, the surrounding scenery spun around him.

When everyone opened their eyes again, they found themselves in a vast expanse of white fog.

This fog is colorless and odorless, yet it isolates us from all external perception.

Ye Xuan tried to activate his spiritual power and found that his internal circulation was normal, but the blue and white energy of his Daoist robe and the illusory willow tree in his dantian had fallen into silence, as if suppressed by some kind of rule.

"The first level is to seek the truth through the heart."

A soft voice came from the mist, its direction indiscernible.

Before he finished speaking, the white mist suddenly surged and condensed into several phantom images, which were the various predicaments that Zhao Wusheng had encountered inside and outside the sect.

Those illusory figures materialized, approaching step by step with considerable pressure. With each step, the fog thickened, gradually making it difficult to breathe.

Ye Xuan remained expressionless. He used his perception to penetrate the surrounding fog and saw that the other disciples were all facing the same situation.

As those phantoms drew closer, both the body and mind would be under immense pressure. One disciple, whose willpower was weaker, found it particularly difficult to overcome this first hurdle…

But these illusions are based on Zhao Wu's memories and are meaningless to him.

He was completely unaffected and could even clearly perceive the array patterns flowing within the mist.

"Disperse."

Ye Xuan suddenly unleashed his spiritual power, sweeping across with the pure pressure of a Golden Core Realm cultivator. The figure shattered like a bubble, and the white mist naturally dissipated.

The scene before them suddenly changed, transforming into a land of crimson lava.

At this moment, a heat wave hits you, the rocks under your feet are scorching hot, and in the distance, a volcano is erupting, with lava cascading down like a waterfall.

"The second level is to inquire about one's innate qualities."

The soft voice rang out again. Of the three disciples besides him, aside from the one with a weaker mind who was still trapped in the first level, the other two were now also facing this illusion.

Ye Xuan looked down and found that his Taoist robe had been replaced with ordinary cloth clothes, and ninety percent of his spiritual power was sealed, leaving him with only a meager cultivation level at the early stage of Foundation Establishment.

In the lava river ahead, a floating bridge made of scorching hot rocks appeared, swaying and rocks constantly collapsing.

"Those with insufficient physical constitution cannot bear the great Dao! This bridge must be crossed purely with the body's vital energy and blood."

Someone was encouraging themselves by talking to themselves, and Ye Xuan heard it all, thus understanding the rules.

He raised his eyebrows, looking at the scorching lava in front of him. If someone who had just broken through to the Golden Core stage had the physique to handle this strange illusion, they might have found it troublesome. However, having lived two lives, his physical body had long surpassed that of others of the same level under the nurturing of his Daoist robe and the Immortal Willow.

As he stepped onto the bridge, a burning sensation came from the soles of his feet. However, Ye Xuan's blood and qi flowed naturally within his body. Although there was no spiritual power to enhance him, a strong vitality protected his meridians.

When we reached the middle section, the bridge suddenly shook violently, and several stones collapsed at the same time.

Ye Xuan swayed slightly, using the remaining half of the rock as leverage, and leaped through the three-zhang gap, landing steadily on the opposite bank.

The churning river of lava gradually faded away, and the third illusion that followed was a pitch-black starry sky.

Countless points of light hung like stars, each containing different fragments of Daoist principles, talismans, alchemical principles, formations... They appeared chaotic, yet they were interconnected.

"The third level is about comprehension."

"There are three thousand fragments of Dao traces here. Those who can comprehend one hundred of them within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn can pass through."

This time, I will definitely remember this: I cannot be impatient, I cannot be impatient, I cannot be impatient!

Ye Xuan looked up and saw a wisp of incense hanging in the center of the starry sky, already burning a little over an inch.

He closed his eyes. Although his senses were suppressed, he could still perceive subtle signs and not to mention predict the future.

Consciousness spread out like a net, instantly capturing the three nearest points of light—

The first one is an incomplete sword manual, with only the first three moves, but the sword intent is awe-inspiring.

The second one consists of several variations of the basic runes, arranged in a chaotic manner.

The third item is a mantra for controlling fire in alchemy, but it is missing a key element.

Ye Xuan's mind raced. He could deduce the subsequent variations of the three sword techniques, and the variations of the runes could be summarized into nine basic combinations. The missing parts of the fire control incantation could be filled by the circulation rules of the blue and white energies in the Daoist robe...

As time passed, relying on his own perception and understanding, he deciphered the mysteries of the stars in the sky one by one.

Seventy, eighty, ninety...

The moment the hundredth Dao mark was comprehended, the starry sky suddenly brightened, and all the points of light, like rivers flowing into the sea, surged into Ye Xuan's brow.

Having broken through to a higher realm, Ye Xuan looked at the three who had originally traveled with him, and saw that only a woman remained standing beside him. He couldn't help but feel fortunate:

"If it weren't for this senior sister, I'm afraid I would have encountered a lot of trouble on my first visit."

The fog in front of them completely dissipated, until a towering staircase came into view, with three thousand steps, each step inscribed with a different cultivation technique incantation.

"The first three levels have been passed. If you ascend the three thousand steps before you, your rating will increase with each step you ascend."

"If one completes the three thousand steps, one will be granted the title of 'Taoist Child.' Would you two like to continue?"

Ye Xuan looked up at the top of the stairs, where mist swirled and the end was nowhere in sight.

The senior sister beside him was already considering giving up. After hesitating, she crushed the token in her hand and withdrew from the assessment.

Ye Xuan ignored the changes around him and stepped onto the first step instead of staying on the steps in front of him.

In an instant, an invisible pressure descended, not only suppressing cultivation but also oppressing the soul.

This pressure was like a pupil looking down from the sky, trying to dissect the secrets of all his spiritual paths.

Although the blue and white energy of the Taoist robe and the illusory image of the immortal willow in the dantian were suppressed, they instinctively circulated slightly, forming a cycle to resist this force.

Ye Xuan walked steadily up the steps.

The pressure on the first few steps was bearable. He discovered that the inscriptions on these steps were all cultivation techniques collected by the Holy Sect. Their quality varied, but if one had the leisure and energy, one could study them at will.

"Judging from this, there must be something good up there!"

As he spoke, Ye Xuan didn't keep track of time; he just kept moving upwards.