A moment later, Han Li and the others walked out of the Linchuan Pavilion.

The grand hall was situated on a peak, at a very high altitude.

Nearby was a vast plaza, several times larger than the welcoming plaza, paved with white jade, emitting dazzling light with faint clouds floating above.

Walking on it, the towering mountains were all beneath one's feet. Being so high up naturally gave one a sense of control over everything.

Above the plaza, a magnificent, colossal palace floated in mid-air, surrounded by swirling mist, half-hidden, half-visible, like an immortal city in the clouds.

Upon the golden plaque above the palace were inscribed three vigorous golden characters: "Zhao Yao Palace."

"Zhao Yao Palace is where our sect tests the spiritual root aptitude of new disciples. A Deputy Dao Lord is stationed here, so be careful what you say once inside," Qi Liang instructed as they walked.

Han Li’s eyes flickered slightly upon hearing this.

As far as he knew, the Zhulong Dao was different from ordinary sects. There was no sect leader, but rather thirteen Golden Immortal-level Dao Lords who took turns managing the sect's power.

Beneath the Dao Lords were thirty-six Deputy Dao Lords, each said to be a supreme figure at the peak of the True Immortal Realm.

These Deputy Dao Lords were not just ordinary True Immortal Realm experts; each one had mastered the power of laws, making them true immortals with boundless divine abilities, far surpassing those rogue cultivators outside.

"Rest assured, Qi Fellow Daoist," Han Li replied, and Bai Suyuan also quickly responded in agreement.

As they spoke, the three had already landed in front of the floating palace.

The massive palace doors were tightly shut, with two handsome young disciples standing on either side.

Upon seeing Qi Liang, the two young disciples quickly bowed in respect.

"Is Deputy Dao Lord Xiong within?" Qi Liang asked.

"He is, but Deputy Dao Lord is in seclusion, and instructed us not to disturb him," one of the young disciples said with some difficulty.

Qi Liang frowned and said, "Did Deputy Dao Lord Xiong say when he would conclude?"

"He did not," the disciple replied.

Qi Liang's expression darkened slightly. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Please inform him that I have an important matter to request an audience."

The two disciples looked troubled and exchanged glances, but one of them took out a white token and whispered a message.

A full quarter of an hour passed before a white light appeared on the token, flickering once.

"Deputy Dao Lord invites you in," the disciple said, relieved, and waved his hand, casting a spell that slowly opened the doors.

"Let's go," Qi Liang said, stepping into the grand hall first.

The hall was extremely spacious, several hundred zhang in size, filled with waves of azure light. Dozens of cyan stone pillars stood around the hall, each with a statue of a strange beast coiled around it, including divine dragons, azure phoenixes, white tigers, and kirins.

The mouths of these beasts were all aimed at a dark cyan stone platform in the center of the hall, resembling an altar.

The surface of the platform was dozens of zhang in size, circular in shape, and covered with countless complex runes and countless speckle-like patterns, making it appear extremely mysterious.

At the far end of the hall was a white high platform, upon which sat a short, plump man. He appeared to be around forty years old, with thin, elongated mustaches on his lips. He was not wearing the white robes of the Zhulong Dao, but rather a magnificent golden robe, with a golden hat on his head, making him look like a wealthy merchant from the mortal world.

The short, plump man seemed to be upset about having his cultivation interrupted, and his face was somewhat gloomy.

"Greetings, Deputy Dao Lord Xiong," Qi Liang said with a bow.

Han Li glanced at the short, plump man on the high platform, and his pupils constricted slightly.

The man had an ordinary appearance and a short stature, but sitting on the high platform, he resembled a massive golden mountain standing in mid-air, emanating a powerful and extremely fierce aura, far surpassing Fang Pan and the octopus sea beast from before.

He secretly marveled at his power, and together with Bai Suyuan, he followed Qi Liang in offering a bow.

"Qi Elder, what urgent matter do you have that requires you to come while I am in seclusion?" The short, plump man didn't even look at Han Li and Bai Suyuan, directly addressing Qi Liang.

"Disturbing Deputy Dao Lord Xiong's cultivation is truly due to circumstance. This Fellow Daoist Li holds our sect's Zhulong Token and wishes to join our sect. I had no choice but to disturb Deputy Dao Lord's peaceful cultivation," Qi Liang explained apologetically.

"Oh, take out the Zhulong Token and let me see it." Hearing this, the short, plump man's expression eased slightly, and he spoke.

Han Li had already taken out the token. With a wave of the short, plump man's hand, the token immediately flew out of his grasp and landed in his hand.

"Yes, it is indeed the Zhulong Token." The short, plump man nodded. Only then did he raise his head and look toward Han Li, his eyes flashing with a light as if trying to discern the person's origins.

Just as the short, plump man's gaze landed on him, Han Li felt a chill in his heart. The surface of his skin felt as if it had been cut by knives and spears, causing a slight pain.

Seeing this, Han Li merely frowned slightly and said nothing.

"Since you hold the Zhulong Token, then first go to the Zhou Tian Immortal Platform and test your spiritual root aptitude." The short, plump man withdrew his gaze and casually waved his hand, casting a spell.

Buzz!

The dozens of stone pillars within the hall trembled slightly simultaneously, emitting dazzling azure light. The light flowed over the carved spirit beasts on the pillars, as if they had come to life.

The mouths of these spirit beasts suddenly spewed out streams of azure light, which entered the circular stone platform in the center of the hall.

The runes on the stone platform were all lit up, emitting brilliant light and forming a semi-transparent circular light sphere with countless star-like lights flickering on it, making it appear extremely mysterious.

"Fellow Daoist Li, please," Qi Liang said, looking at Han Li.

Han Li nodded and stepped onto the stone platform.

A surge of grand, hot energy suddenly rose from the stone platform and entered his body.

Countless colorful light spots immediately appeared within the light sphere, rotating rapidly and appearing extremely chaotic.

Han Li's expression changed slightly. He felt that wherever this hot energy flowed, the condition of his body was exposed as if under sunlight.

As it flowed near his mind, a surge of hot energy suddenly came and entered his brain.

Han Li was startled. Most of the vast spiritual power in his mind immediately shrank, turning into a single point, retaining only one-tenth or one-twelfth of his spiritual power.

The hot energy flowed around in his mind and quickly retreated, continuing to flow through his body, and soon returned to the stone platform.

The spherical light罩 on the stone platform dissipated, but the countless runes did not disappear with it. Instead, they gathered in one place, forming a blurry human figure, emitting blue, black, blood, purple and other colorful lights, but it was not very bright, but looked very chaotic.

Qi Liang looked at the blurry figure and frowned slightly.

"Low aptitude, the cultivation techniques practiced in the past are impure and mixed, the blood and energy in the body are rich, and it seems that some demon blood power has been absorbed, but it is also chaotic and unsystematic... Not even a single immortal aperture has been opened, and being able to cultivate to the early stage of True Immortal is already the limit." The short, plump man showed a look of disdain on his face and said without concealment.

Hearing this, Qi Liang seemed a little surprised and couldn't help but look at Han Li more. As for Bai Suyuan, a trace of surprise also flashed in her beautiful eyes.

Han Li touched his nose, not feeling lost at all because of the short, plump man's words. He nodded to him and turned around and walked off the stone platform with a calm expression.

The light on the stone platform dissipated completely, restoring its previous calmness.

The short, plump man moved and was about to turn around and leave.

"Deputy Dao Lord Xiong, please wait a moment. This Bai Suyuan is a junior disciple of Elder Bai Fengyi. She also wants to join the sect this time. Please test her spiritual root aptitude as well." Qi Liang said.

The short, plump man's face showed a trace of impatience, but when he heard the three words Bai Fengyi, his expression changed slightly.

"Hurry up!" He glanced at Bai Suyuan and waved his hand again, casting a spell.

Buzz!

The stone pillars in the hall once again emitted dazzling azure light, and the huge light sphere condensed again around the stone platform.

Bai Suyuan took a light breath and stepped onto the stone platform.

Countless runes appeared in the light sphere, but unlike Han Li's, these runes were all silver-white in color and crystal clear.

Rumble!

The entire hall suddenly shook, and the statues of strange beasts on the stone pillars in the hall let out bursts of roars, and a strange and grand wave echoed in the hall.

"What's going on?" Qi Liang's face changed, and Han Li was also taken aback.

The two of them then looked at Bai Suyuan on the stone platform.

On the high platform, the short, plump man suddenly stood up, his eyes showing excitement.

The light sphere on the stone platform quickly disappeared, and countless silver runes gathered in one place, condensing into a silver figure.

The figure was pure silver-white in color, extremely bright, like the bright moon in the night sky.

What was even more peculiar was that seven faint light spots appeared on the chest of the figure, flickering uncertainly.

"This... this is the legendary Moonlight Immortal Body, and seven immortal apertures were awakened innately!" The figure flashed, and the short, plump man appeared out of thin air on the stone platform, his face showing excitement.

He then thought of something and immediately waved his hand, casting a spell.

All the light on the stone platform disappeared, revealing Bai Suyuan's figure, and the silver figure also dissipated with it.

"Are you called Bai Suyuan? You are a descendant of Elder Bai Fengyi, and your aptitude is indeed good, very good." The short, plump man's attitude was extremely amiable, and he said softly.

"Yes, Suyuan has met Deputy Dao Lord Xiong." Bai Suyuan was just wrapped in a huge force, isolating her perception, and did not know the surrounding situation, and was a little confused at the moment.

But she was quick-witted and did not lose her composure.

"I see that your bones are not very old, how many years have you cultivated to this day?" Seeing this, the short, plump man's eyes were even more satisfied, and he asked again.

"Reporting to Deputy Dao Lord Xiong, Suyuan started her spiritual practice at the age of three, and has been practicing for more than fifty years now." Bai Suyuan hesitated and said.

Hearing this, surprise appeared in the eyes of Han Li and Qi Liang under the stage, but the short, plump man nodded, as if he had expected it.

With the Moonlight Immortal Body and seven immortal apertures awakened innately, it is natural that fifty years of cultivation to the late stage of Deity Transformation is nothing.

As long as there are suitable techniques, and proper training, he even has the confidence to let Bai Suyuan break through to the Mahayana realm and ascend to immortality within a thousand years.

With such a top-notch aptitude, it is not impossible to advance to Golden Immortal in the future.

…………

Recommend a great work by my friend Chen Dong, "Holy Ruins", hehe, fellow Taoists who haven't read it, you can take the time to take a look ^^

Rise in ruin, revive in silence.

Oceans turn to dust, thunder and lightning wither, that wisp of faint mist approaches the earth once again, the shackles of the world are opened, and a brand new world unveils a corner of its mystery...