A tall, slender woman took a step forward, her figure as graceful as a willow swaying in the breeze, yet her imposing aura was natural and innate. A long, dark blue sword hung diagonally at her waist, and she flashed forward—

The next moment, they suddenly appeared in an empty spot in the pavilion.

Ruan Qing'an bowed slightly: "Sect Master."

Seeing her expressionless face, Zhan Hongyuan understood a bit and shook his head with a smile, "Have you lost track of time again while cultivating? No wonder Elder Ruan is so young and has reached this level. But you still need to rest well."

"Cultivation is rest."

Ruan Qingan answered succinctly.

Upon hearing this, Zhan Hongyuan felt even more helpless, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he said, "Let's see, the spiritual root test is about to begin."

"Shen Changlin, let's begin."

Upon hearing Zhan Hongyuan's voice again, Shen Changlin finally snapped out of his daze and looked away from Ruan Qing'an—she remained as unapproachable as ever, like the bright moon hanging high above.

Clearing his mind of unnecessary thoughts, Chen Changlin took a deep breath, raised his hand and placed it on the black stone tablet, and then—

After a brief pause.

A thunderclap suddenly exploded out of nowhere, and rosy light descended from the sky, breaking through the celestial mist that lingered above the floating island, unfolding a magnificent and splendid road as if a divine miracle had descended.

But the strange phenomena didn't stop there. Countless towering figures emerged from the sky, their auras surging with immense power, yet their faces were all indistinct. Their identities varied—swordsmen, wielders of blades, Taoist priests… each following a different path, yet—

Under the vision, all the saints turned to the center in worship.

At the center of the strange phenomenon was Shen Changlin, who was pressing one hand on the stone tablet. His eyes were closed, as if he was sensing something.

The moment the strange phenomenon occurred, the entire audience was already indifferent.

Until a moment later—

"A celestial phenomenon, all saints pay homage..."

"It's really true?!"

The elders watching from the sidelines were taken aback. They had initially found it somewhat puzzling that Zhan Hongyuan had sent Ruan Qing'an to the mortal realm to fetch Shen Changlin, but now—

That's not simple, it's extremely complex!

Shen Changlin, standing before the black stone tablet, opened his eyes at that moment. A fierce glint flashed in his deep black eyes. The next moment, all the strange phenomena dissipated, and he concealed the light in his eyes.

When he looked up again, he was once again a kind and innocent young man with clear eyes.

Shen Changlin asked in alarm, "Sect Master, what is this?"

Zhan Hongyuan's smile remained unchanged, and his gaze towards Shen Changlin became even more gentle: "It seems the rumors are true."

"It is recorded in ancient books that this is a unique phenomenon that only a truly transcendent physique possesses. Those who possess it do not have spiritual roots. They do not need to rely on spiritual roots to communicate with the spiritual power of heaven and earth. For them, their bodies are the best spiritual roots."

"Just as water-elemental people find it difficult to cultivate fire-elemental techniques, this type of physique is not affected by spiritual roots. They are not restricted by spiritual roots, and all the paths in the world favor those who possess them."

"Once you embark on the path of cultivation, there are no more constraints!"

The more he spoke, the more fervent Zhan Hongyuan's eyes became: "Shen Changlin, do you know, this is the innate Dao Body!"

Shen Changlin was slightly taken aback, momentarily confused but impressed.

Meanwhile, in the pavilion not far away, Ruan Qing'an finally cast a glance at him, and looking at the scene there, his heart stirred slightly.

"interesting……"

037: [What's wrong, ancestor?]

Ruan Qing'an narrowed his leaden-gray eyes: "It seems that this sect leader has a considerable understanding of innate Dao bodies."

Being born with a Dao physique is indeed a unique privilege. As the male protagonist of the original story, Shen Changlin is also the chosen one of this world. His innate Dao physique was given to him by the Heavenly Dao. It is his greatest advantage and the foundation for his rapid growth and breakthroughs, but it is also a fatal flaw.

Recalling the original owner's actions in the original text, after encountering a bottleneck due to limited talent and difficulty in breaking through, he set his sights on Shen Changlin, wanting to seize his innate Dao Body and refine it into a human pill.

Moreover, it wasn't just the original owner of this body who had this idea.

Ruan Qingan sighed, "Shen Changlin is like Tang Sanzang's flesh."

037: [So, does that mean Zhan Hongyuan might be thinking—]

Before the system could finish speaking, Ruan Qing'an's eyes suddenly turned cold, and she pursed her rosy lips: "Let's take another look."

However, we must be careful.

The chaos caused by Shen Changlin ended quickly. At Zhan Hongyuan's invitation, he stood aside and waited. Then, the others who had passed the test began to touch the black stone tablet in turn to examine their spiritual roots. Among them were many people with excellent single spiritual roots.

Unfortunately, with Shen Changlin's brilliant talent preceding him, the elders' gazes still lingered on him, sometimes subtly, sometimes overtly.

What a promising talent! A truly outstanding prospect!

They're basically the kind of kids who can thrive even if left to their own devices. It's worry-free, effortless, and time-saving. What wonderful young men they are!

It took another full hour before everyone finished their inspection.

Most people were left behind, with only about 10% standing alone on the edge with Shen Changlin, waiting.

Zhan Hongyuan stood with his hands behind his back and said to the remaining majority of people, "The spiritual root test is complete. You have all become disciples of my Myriad Paths Sect. From this day forward, you are outer disciples of my sect!"

"Although there are limitations in talent, diligence can make up for shortcomings. Countless geniuses have died on the path of cultivation. You should not be constrained by your talent."

After saying that, Zhan Hongyuan looked at Shen Changlin and the others on the other side: "You all have good talent and have a second chance. You can choose to become disciples of the elders of each peak and become inner disciples or even personal disciples. Similarly, if you do not wish to, you can go to the outer sect."

"The elders have extended an invitation, and you may choose which peak to join. Now, do as you see fit."

Zhan Hongyuan waved his hand and lightly sat back down in the main seat.

Those who could only become outer disciples had already been sent away from the floating island by him, leaving only Shen Changlin and the others.

The most eye-catching of them all is naturally Shen Changlin.

"Shen Changlin, would you be willing to join my Danfeng?"

"No, no, how about considering Qi Peak?"

"My Zhenfeng is still the best; all I'm missing is a direct disciple!"

"You are nothing but heretics. In the end, realm is the most important. Those born with the Dao body are destined to join my Martial Peak!"

For a moment, the elders invited him one after another, and the other disciples who had passed couldn't help but look at Shen Changlin with envy. However, Shen Changlin's gaze subconsciously turned to Ruan Qing'an.

She sat cross-legged on the spot, her eyes half-closed.

Cold and aloof, like the bright moon, nothing touched him, not even a glance was cast his way, he was too proud to approach anyone—everyone has a tendency to admire the strong, and Shen Changlin was no exception.

Among the many elders, Ruan Qing'an was the strongest and the one he knew best. He had not only saved his life but also guided him into the Dao.

Shen Changlin had already made up his mind.

But just as he was about to speak—

'Boom!'

The entire floating island was suddenly shaken by the impact, and countless powerful techniques bombarded the barrier. Not only that, several disciples who had been recruited suddenly screamed in agony, and a large amount of blood mist surged from their bodies, attacking the barrier from both inside and outside!

The bodies of these disciples were all shattered into a bloody mist, and each of them had a hidden weapon left by others inside their bodies, which was now shaking the foundation of the floating island. At a glance, they were disciples sent by several aristocratic families.

All the elders' expressions hardened: "A powerful enemy has invaded!"

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