Sui Yi stood for a while, then stepped forward. Once on the next level, her vision changed. The stone steps were gone, replaced by a vast battlefield. The battlefield was filled with people, both sides facing each other. Finally, a horn sounded, and they charged into the enemy camp, engaging in fierce combat. Blood was splattered everywhere; no place was unscathed, a crimson stain that stained the sky and the earth. The atmosphere was heavy; the sounds of fighting and the fading of lives made it hard to breathe. Sui Yi, however, watched this scene indifferently, unmoved. Such scenes were commonplace for her, so she remained unfazed.

She walked step by step into the midst of the fighting, stood in the center, closed her eyes, and after a short while, opened them again. The fighting was gone; only a group of old men stared at her in disbelief. Sui Yi wasn't quite sure what was going on.

"Quickly check the time, how long did it take him to get up here?" The Grand Elder asked the Master of Ceremonies excitedly after seeing Sui Yi.

"Replying to the Grand Elder, three incense sticks."

"Heavens!" she exclaimed, standing up and walking over to Suiyi to examine her closely.

"What's up?"

"Oh! It's nothing! Congratulations, you've successfully climbed the Heavenly Ladder!"

"Isn't there still ninety-eight floors left?"

"Hehe! The last ninety-nine levels are the 'Question of the Heart,' also known as the 'Question of the Heart within the Illusion.' If a person's Dao heart is the most steadfast, then breaking through the illusion means they have completed all ninety-nine levels!" The Grand Elder explained, stroking his beard.

"Oh! Has my companion arrived yet?"

"You're the only one who's arrived so far. You've broken the record with the shortest time in all these years."

"Oh!" Sui Yi didn't care, even if she had unintentionally succeeded in showing off.

Not long after, Suiyi heard a "whoosh" and a person appeared in front of her. Unsurprisingly, the second person to climb the Heavenly Ladder was Ziyou.

Ziyou stopped and, upon seeing Suiyi, ran towards her.

"When did you come up here? How long have you been here? Are you hurt?" Ziyou asked worriedly, holding her hand.

"No, I was just a few steps ahead of you."

"Boy, can't you see all these living people around us?" The First Elder asked, looking at Ziyou who was still chatting with Ci Ning.

"Huh?" He was a little confused and looked at the main hall, where there were many elderly people with the air of immortals.

"Greetings, Sect Leader! Greetings, Elders!"

"Oh? You know us?"

Ziyou smiled faintly, "The assessment is the most important event in the sect. The fact that you are all sitting together, and judging from your ages and demeanor, you are definitely not ordinary disciples. Moreover, your seating arrangement makes it clear who you are!"

"Haha! You have a good eye, kid. Now let me ask you, have you taken a fancy to any of us old men as your master?" the Ninth Elder asked.

"Me?" Ziyou asked, pointing to himself.

"Yes! It's you of all!"

"I see that all the elders are very powerful, but when I was at the foot of the mountain, someone told me that I was suited to cultivate under the Grand Elder. I wonder if the Grand Elder would be willing to accept me as a disciple?"

"You really trust that person down the mountain that much?"

"Although he did not reveal his identity, he knew everyone present very well, so his identity is definitely not ordinary."

"Haha! You're right, he is indeed extraordinary. He is our Grand Elder." The sect leader laughed and said to the two of them.

"No wonder!"

"Aren't you surprised? The supreme leader of a sect would actually choose to open a small restaurant and cook fried rice for people."

"Everyone has their own ambitions, and the Supreme Elder is nearing ascension! He is better able to see through obstacles when he is outside."

"Excellent! Cultivators defy the heavens, and the most important thing in this process is to examine one's heart. Only by starting from the heart can one break through and surpass oneself." The Grand Elder was very satisfied; he was determined to take this disciple as his own!

"Little one, your name is Ci Ning, right?" the Ninth Elder asked, looking at Sui Yi.

"right!"

"So it was you who took my puppet?"

"Those puppets on that ladder were yours? Well, sorry, I'll return them to you." With a wave of her hand, Sui Yi conjured several puppets in front of everyone.

"It really is you! Fine, consider these puppets a small gift for us! Keep them! By the way, who gave you your spatial ring?"

"It's the Supreme Elder!"

Everyone was speechless, choked with emotion. The Supreme Elder truly treasured this disciple.

At this time, the people participating in the assessment began to appear in the main hall one after another. Within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, there were about three hundred people standing there. The sect leader stood up and looked at these fresh faces.

"Congratulations to everyone present on becoming a member of our Xuanfeng Sect. You have passed the Heavenly Ladder test, and you are the victors. However, there is one last test: to examine your spiritual roots so that we can assign you to a specific hall for cultivation. Please proceed to the training ground; the testing platform is already set up there. You only need to go there to test your spiritual roots!"

"Yes!" the crowd replied, and began to follow the leader to the training ground in an orderly manner.

Suiyi and Ziyou wanted to go along, but they were stopped!

"You two don't need to be tested! Just tell us about your spiritual roots," the elder said with a kind smile.

"Ziyou, fourteen years old, fire-attribute spiritual root. Qi Refining Level 8."

"Ci Ning, twelve years old, with a wood-attribute spiritual root, at the fourth level of Qi Refining."

"Not bad, not bad. The fact that you've mastered the basics at such a young age shows you have great talent. When the Supreme Elder returns later, Ci Ning, you'll be working under him from now on!"

This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!