Chapter 1631

The next day, Yang Yu and the other fifteen disciples were all sent to the training ground.

"Finally, the assessment is here!" Yang Yu took a deep breath; he knew well how brutal the assessment was—among this batch of new disciples, few would make it into the top three.

"Senior Brother Ximen Wudi, don't hold back!" Yang Yu murmured, holding absolute faith in Ximen Wudi; though Ximen Wudi's cultivation was the lowest among them—only Peak Refining Body—he never doubted Ximen Wudi's abilities.

Not far away, Yang Yun, Yang Yurou, and others were watching this way, their eyes gleaming with malice.

"That Yang Yu is definitely going to lose," Yang Yurou sneered. "I'd love to see the look on his face when he fails."

"This time, we must win," Yang Yun said coldly. "Yang Yu will die for sure."

"Yang Yu's strength is formidable, but this time, there's no place for him!" Beside Yang Yun, his older brother Yang Tian'ao curled his lips into a cold smile, utterly confident in this assessment.

Amid the chatter, Ximen Wudi walked forward slowly, his posture upright, his face handsome, radiating a faint, indifferent aura of dominance, his eyes sharp and piercing.

Behind him, Ximen Wudi stood in a white robe, hands clasped behind his back.

Accompanying them were a man and a woman: the man had sword-like eyebrows and star-bright eyes, noble and imposing; the woman was breathtakingly beautiful, peerless in splendor.

These two were none other than Ximen Wudi and Mu Honglian; clearly, they had come to observe the ceremony and to assess how hard the disciples had worked during this period.

Ximen Wudi scanned the new disciples below, his spirit deeply satisfied—each exuded a powerful force, though not yet refined, still far stronger than ordinary disciples.

"Ximen Wudi, what do you think of these disciples?" A voice whispered into Ximen Wudi's ear—Mu Honglian's telepathic transmission.

"Not bad," Ximen Wudi nodded lightly, offering no further comment.

Mu Honglian smiled sweetly. "This batch of new disciples all have astonishing talent—no wonder they rank among the top ten prodigies on the Northern Wasteland Prodigy List. Even on the Nine Heavens Continent, they qualify as geniuses; their potential is truly heaven-defying."

"Hmm," Ximen Wudi remained nonchalant. "Without your guidance, none of them could survive ten strikes."

Mu Honglian smiled faintly; she knew Ximen Wudi's words were not modesty—they were fact. Though she had never taken disciples, she had trained them for a time and could clearly see the potential in these youngsters.

As they spoke, Ximen Wudi stepped onto the training platform, swept his gaze over the crowd below, then said gravely: "I won't repeat the rules of today's assessment—prepare yourselves!"

With that, Ximen Wudi turned and descended from the training platform.

"Fellow junior brothers and sisters, let's go," Mu Honglian waved her hand, and with Ximen Wudi, she vanished.

When they reappeared, they stood outside Cangqiong Pavilion.

"This is Cangqiong Pavilion—our residence," Mu Honglian pointed to the cluster of buildings nearby, where ancient trees towered, mountains layered one upon another, waterfalls cascaded and springs gushed, creating an illusion of a paradise beyond the mortal world.

Ximen Wudi stood silently, gazing at the scene before him, unable to help but sigh in admiration: "What a divine haven."

"This is the Inner Disciple zone, divided into four regions. The rest belong to the Servant Disciples. Choose your own dwelling," Mu Honglian explained with a flick of her sleeve. "As for you, Ximen Wudi—you'll take the storage shed."

Hearing this, Ximen Wudi paused, glancing at Mu Honglian as if to ask why.

Ximen Wudi knew well: Mu Honglian was the managing elder of Cangqiong Pavilion, wielding immense authority within the sect. To address him by name alone was inappropriate.

But to Ximen Wudi's surprise, Mu Honglian showed no offense—instead, she grinned mischievously. "What? Do you want to live next to me?"

At this, Ximen Wudi could only laugh and shake his head—this Elder Mu was truly humorous!

Yet he also knew Cangqiong Pavilion had its rules. Though he was an Inner Disciple, he could not defy them—and besides, this suited him fine: it kept him out of the spotlight.

Ximen Wudi shrugged and smiled, stepping in one direction—then halted, his gaze fixed on an ancient tree nearby.

The ancient tree was thick with foliage; atop its crown stood a black-clad youth, his jet-black hair whipping wildly, his narrow eyes sharp and piercing, a playful smirk on his lips as he studied Ximen Wudi with keen interest.

Ximen Wudi's gaze never wavered—he locked onto the youth, sensing the black-clad man's aura was immensely vast and powerful, far stronger than Qin Hu and Chen Xue.

"Ximen Wudi, this is Li Xuanye—ranked eighth on the Prodigy List," Mu Honglian glanced at the black-clad youth and introduced him.

"Eighth on the Prodigy List?" Ximen Wudi frowned slightly. "Still not quite as strong as Qin Hu."

"Qin Hu is the seventh-ranked disciple of my Cangqiong Saint Disciple Mansion. For Li Xuanye to match him is already impressive."

"So you're certain of your bet then?" Ximen Wudi asked with a smile.

"Of course," Mu Honglian brushed back a strand of hair from her forehead and smiled sweetly. "Qin Hu is an alchemist—his cultivation talent is naturally weaker. Li Xuanye, however, is extraordinary: born with a Thunder Body, he cultivates Flame Art. Combined, that's how he reached his current level."

After hearing Mu Honglian's words, Ximen Wudi rubbed his chin. "Since you're so confident in your disciple, let's raise the stakes."

"You're serious?" Mu Honglian regarded Ximen Wudi with keen interest, deeply impressed by his boldness—he always surprised her, and this time might be no different.

"Absolutely," Ximen Wudi shrugged.

"Fine, I'll match you," Mu Honglian tilted her head, smiling at Ximen Wudi, her face radiant as a blooming flower, her grace captivating all who passed—many stopped, rubbing their eyes in disbelief.

"Sister Honglian's smile is so beautiful it's practically bubbling!"

"Really? Does Sister Honglian smile like that for everyone?"

"Of course! Otherwise, how could she be ranked third among Inner Disciple beauties?"

Amid the murmurs, Mu Honglian once again linked arms with Ximen Wudi, clinging to him like a little bird.

Ximen Wudi coughed awkwardly, silently cursing Mu Honglian—this third-ranked Inner Disciple beauty, pretending to be a girl, acting so affectionate—it was unbearably awkward!

The two chatted and laughed as they entered a valley within Cangqiong Pavilion—a vast, empty valley with only one ancient pavilion, its surface carved with the marks of time, steeped in an aura of antiquity.

Ximen Wudi and Mu Honglian entered the valley; Mu Honglian headed straight for the pavilion. "I'm entering seclusion. Don't disturb me."

With that fleeting remark, Mu Honglian vanished.

Ximen Wudi took a deep breath and turned his gaze upward—to the pavilion's peak.

There stood a stone table and several stone chairs, wreathed in wisps of fairy mist, ethereal vapor swirling, and faint celestial melodies echoing.

Sitting there was a white-haired elder, calmly sipping tea. Seeing Ximen Wudi, he lifted his gaze, studied him carefully, then stroked his beard. "You're Ximen Wudi?"

"Disciple Ximen Wudi bows to Elder Uncle," Ximen Wudi hurriedly performed a junior's salute; though the white-haired elder was but a lingering soul, his aura of authority remained unshakable.

"So it is," the white-haired elder murmured, smiling with profound depth. "Long ago, I once did a favor for Old Man Mu—he sent disciples into Cangqiong Pavilion."

"You knew Elder Mu?"

"An old friend," the white-haired elder smiled. "Would you like to become my disciple? My final one."

"Elder Uncle, you…"

"You need not worry. I will find you a safe place, I guarantee you'll be safe and sound, no danger at all. Once you leave Hengyue, you may seek me out, and I will teach you everything I know without reserve." The white-haired old man laughed heartily, quite warm and enthusiastic.

"May I ask for the name of my grandmaster uncle?" Ximen Wudi ventured.

"My name is Mu Yun."

"Mu... Mu Yun." Ximen Wudi froze, gulping hard. Why did that name sound so familiar? It seemed he'd heard it somewhere, but exactly where, he could not recall.

"Grandmaster uncle, may I ask your honored surname?"

"Such a trivial matter, let it be!" Mu Yun waved his hand, then sat down cross-legged and continued sipping tea. In those wise, deep old eyes, a strange glint still flickered. "This old man observes that your bloodline is mixed, yet perfectly suited. Before the tribulation, you must have been an unrivaled overlord. If you can comprehend a forbidden secret art, it can help you charge into the Heavenly Realm."

"Thank you, Grandmaster Uncle Mu Yun." Ximen Wudi cupped his hands and bowed.

"I should be going. Quickly receive your spirit token, inscription talisman, and battle-platform token, then follow me for training." The white-haired old man waved his hand. "Remember, do not reveal your identity."

"I will obey the master's command." Ximen Wudi bowed respectfully once more, then withdrew from the valley.

Mu Honglian had long prepared the spirit token and rune talisman. Ximen Wudi took the inscription talisman, turned and walked out of the Sky Pavilion, heading straight for Jade Maiden Peak. His target was a pavilion on Jade Maiden Peak — the Scripture Pavilion, the place where Old Man Mu kept his treasured classics.

"After so long, I've finally returned." Mu Honglian gazed into the empty sky, a smile mixed with tears, her expression tinged with sorrow. There, her most painful memories were buried. She had not forgotten — her parents' grudge still lay right here before her.

While she was lost in melancholy here, Ximen Wudi had already crossed the misty void and landed at the Scripture Pavilion.

This pavilion was not very large, only a hundred zhang across. Dust filled the pavilion, and even the tables, chairs, and benches were coated in dust.