My little sect, which disappeared a thousand years ago, has become a sacred site!

Gu Changyuan, with Gu Xing'er in tow, did not linger on the street. With a slight thought, he vanished once more.

The next moment, he was already holding Gu Xing'er, standing atop the tallest tower in the center of Tianren City.

The view from here is excellent, offering a panoramic view of the entire Celestial City.

The city was planned in a very orderly manner, with the central area being a bustling commercial and administrative district, while large, quiet residential and cultivation areas were distributed around it.

According to Su Tianhui, disciples who join the Holy Land have their own residence within their respective peaks.

There are also residential areas here, which are most likely purchased by the disciples themselves or obtained through tasks, for their own separate residences or to house their families.

Since non-disciples of the holy land cannot enter, some cultivators with families will probably choose to buy a residence here, as it is closer and more reassuring.

Gu Changyuan nodded slightly, once again affirming the Holy Land's governance capabilities.

Gu Xing'er nestled in his arms, curiously looking down and exclaiming "Wow!" She pointed her little finger at a building in the distance that smelled of food and had a huge banner with the character "食" (food) hanging on it, and looked at Gu Changyuan with longing eyes.

Gu Changyuan chuckled and ruffled her hair.

I'll take you out to eat later.

He didn't linger at the top of the tower. After taking in the sights of the Celestial City, he stepped out.

Space flows.

The scenery before my eyes changed in an instant.

The noisy hustle and bustle of the city suddenly faded away, replaced by a solemn, dignified, and boundless atmosphere.

They are no longer in the Celestial City.

Beneath my feet lies a gigantic plaza of unimaginable size.

The square was packed with people.

At a glance, at least several thousand cultivators have gathered here, but perhaps less than one percent will be able to enter successfully.

Gu Changyuan looked up and could clearly see that on the far right of the assessment area on both sides of the square was a three-section white jade staircase extending upwards.

At the end of the stone steps are three different pavilions, corresponding to the three trials of "Testing the Spirit," "Asking the Way," and "Asking the Heart."

This is precisely the testing point for the three trials of Heaven and Man chosen by most cultivators.

At this moment, long queues formed at the foot of each stone step, with cultivators taking turns to undergo preliminary verification by the disciples of the Holy Land. Only after passing the verification could they step onto the stone steps and begin the assessment.

On the far left of the square stands a strange, all-black platform that rises abruptly from the ground; this is the Ascension Platform.

At this moment, dozens of figures were struggling to ascend the Ascension Platform at different heights, as if climbing a ladder. Each step they took was extremely strenuous.

Around the two staircases, there were endless, lush spiritual plants, full of vitality.

At the very top, a row of high seats was set up, where ten elders and one grand elder sat.

They calmly gazed at the assessment areas on both sides, waiting for the successful candidates to come and receive the final evaluation and selection.

"Wow, the changes are really significant."

Gu Changyuan's gaze swept across the entire Tianyuan Mountain, and a photograph that only he could see appeared before his eyes, showing what this mountain looked like a thousand years ago.

He used to follow his old habit of taking photos through the system to record these things, wanting to see how things would change.

It's unbelievable that the once dilapidated hillside is now so lush.

"Look! That person is almost up the 80 steps!"

Just then, a cry of surprise suddenly came from the direction of the Ascension Platform, instantly attracting the attention of all the cultivators present.

Gu Changyuan's gaze also turned towards the Ascension Platform, following the exclamations of the crowd.

On the eightieth step of the dark platform, a slender yet upright figure stood steadily.

She was a girl who looked to be about twenty years old. She was wearing a simple light blue outfit that accentuated her agile figure.

Her long hair was simply tied up with a wooden hairpin, revealing her smooth forehead and a face that, though without makeup, was exceptionally beautiful.

At this moment, her face was slightly pale, her forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat, and her chest was rising and falling slightly. Clearly, climbing the eightieth step was not easy for her.

But her eyes shone with an astonishing brightness, filled with an indomitable will and unwavering faith.

She didn't linger for long. She took a deep breath and looked up at the eighty-first step, bending slightly as she prepared to continue climbing.

"Eighty steps! She really climbed eighty steps!"

"It's only the first morning! And we've already produced an 80th-level prodigy?!"

"Judging from her appearance, she seems to still have energy left! Could she be aiming for 85? Or even 90?!"

In the square, exclamations and whispers rose like a tide. Countless gazes were fixed intently on the girl in the blue dress.

Even the eleven high-ranking members of the Holy Land in the audience had a gleam in their eyes.

Especially the Supreme Elder in the center, who stroked his long beard, nodded slightly, and revealed a rare look of approval.

Name: Dugu Shiling

[Talent: Level Nine]

[Physique: Mystic Ice Jade Bone Body]

[Cultivation Level: Early Nascent Soul Stage]

The system's information appeared before Gu Changyuan's eyes at just the right time.

"The Mysterious Ice Jade Bone Physique...that's quite a promising talent."

Gu Changyuan nodded slightly and gave his evaluation.

With a talent level of nine, coupled with this special ice-type mutated spirit body and a remarkably tenacious will, he truly deserves to be called a genius.

Watching the girl named Dugu Shiling climb the Ascension Platform with difficulty but determination, and feeling the amazement and anticipation of the surrounding cultivators, a thought suddenly arose in Gu Changyuan's mind.

Although the Ascension Platform was a gift from the system back then, he had not personally experienced the specific rules and details of the trials.

Why don't you... go up and try it yourself?

Gu Changyuan had absolute confidence in his own strength and foundation.

He wanted to see what was so mysterious about the legendary Hundred Steps of the Ascension Platform, and what it could detect.

It will inevitably cause a sensation, and his disciples who have become the patriarch will naturally appear.

Without hesitation, Gu Changyuan changed Gu Xing'er's position, who was curiously looking around, and held her firmly in his arms.

Then, with a light step, he instantly appeared on the first step of the Ascension Platform.

"Huh? Someone else is going to ascend to the Ascension Platform?"

"Wait a minute! Look! He's holding a child in his arms!"

"He's planning to... take the other person through the Ascension Platform assessment?!"

Gu Changyuan's unusual actions instantly attracted the attention of the surrounding cultivators, and exclamations arose from all sides!

Ascending to the Sendai Peak tests one's personal aptitude, willpower, and potential; any form of trickery or external assistance is strictly prohibited.

If anyone attempts to join forces or carry another person, the special restrictions of the Ascension Platform will be activated, calculating the combined pressure on both individuals.

Therefore, no one has ever dared to try to lead a group to climb it, as that would be tantamount to suicide.

Even the Holy Land's deacons, who were responsible for maintaining order and registering people, were stunned and didn't know what to do for a moment.

The rules don't explicitly prohibit bringing people along, because nobody ever thought anyone would do that.

The moment Gu Changyuan stepped onto the first step, he did indeed feel a slight pressure acting on him.

It might have some weight for ordinary Qi Refining cultivators, but to him, it wasn't even a tickle.

"That's all there is to it."

Gu Changyuan thought to himself.

Since the pressure was minimal, he was too lazy to experience it layer by layer.

So, under the gaze of countless astonished eyes, Gu Changyuan, holding Gu Xing'er, raised his foot again.

This time, he didn't just step onto one step.

Instead, he took a single step and directly jumped to the fourth level.