âElder, you know Lord Qin Jiu?â Chu Feng asked.
âAnswer my question first. Iâll answer any questions you have afterward,â the woman said.
âAll right. I donât know whether my legacy is from Lord Qin Jiu, but I acquired it from an ancestral land. I suspect that the creator of that ancestral land has inherited Lord Qin Jiuâs legacy, though his comprehension of the legacy might be incomplete. I developed a formation deciphering method based on that legacy, and that was what I used to pass through the stone.
âAs for the Rulerâs Bloodline, I am not too sure about it either. However, I have heard from some elders that my bloodline resembles the Rulerâs Bloodline,â Chu Feng replied.
âWeâll know with a quick test. Follow me,â the woman said.
She flitted across the passageway, and Chu Feng hurriedly followed suit.
Chu Feng was a little intrigued since he had heard that only the Seven Realms Sacred Mansion was able to test for the Rulerâs Bloodline. It left him wondering if the woman was from the Seven Realms Sacred Mansion.
However, he chose not to pose his question yet.
The two of them entered the beautiful second cavern and soon arrived at one of the floating palaces. It was already massive on the outside but even larger on the inside. In terms of size, it was comparable to the golden lake from before.
Inside the palace were pedestals and spirit formation gates that appeared to be assessment tools. They were emanating the aura of the Ancient Era, indicating the long history behind them.
One of them drew Chu Fengâs attention.
It was a sword-shaped tower that stood at around ten thousand meters tall. It appeared to be made out of white marble, but its surface wasnât reflective. It didnât emanate the aura of the Ancient Era, but it gave off a feeling that went even further back than that.
All other platforms looked ordinary compared to it.
Calligraphed majestically at the entrance of the tower were the words âTalent Evaluationâ.
However, what truly excited Chu Feng were the smaller words beneath âTalent Evaluationâ, almost like a signatureâSacred Heavenly Temple.
âEnter that palace over there,â the woman said.
It was the brightest structure here.
It stood at a height of over thirty thousand meters tall, and there was an unusual palace built on top of it. A weird statue that was vaguely similar to a toad stood at the entrance of the palace.
Chu Feng headed straight for the palace.
âElder, I canât enter the palace.â
The doors to the palace were tightly-closed, and Chu Feng couldnât figure out a way to open them.
âI probably have to activate it with something. Give me a moment.â
The woman disappeared from the spot, but she returned so quickly that it looked as if she had never left in the first place. It was clear that she was frighteningly powerful from the extreme speed she could move at.
Shoosh!
The woman tossed an item toward the palace.
Chu Fengâs eyes lit up at the sight of the item. It was a palm-sized stone that harnessed an amazing amount of spirit power. If Chu Feng could cultivate with that stone, he could very well raise his spirit power to the next level.
That would mean reaching God-cloak, a level comparable to that of Half-God!
Grar!
Just as the stone was about to hit the palace, the toad statue suddenly came to life, and its tongue shot out to grab the stone before swallowing it whole.
Chu Fengâs heart bled at that sight. Such a precious treasure was actually consumed by a mere statue!
Boom!
The palace doors finally opened.
Chu Fengâs heart skipped a beat. He sensed a whole new realm filled with incredibly pure and domineering spirit power beyond the doors.
âHurry up and enter the palace,â the woman urged.
Chu Feng quickly entered the palace, and the doors automatically closed behind him.
Weng!
Both the palace and the toad statue emanated blinding light that suffused every nook and cranny. Even weaker cultivators would have found it difficult to keep their eyes open.
âWorld Spiritist Bloodline Tier: Ruler,â the toad statue said.
The statue fell silent after giving its evaluation, and the palace reverted back to its original appearance. The doors didnât reopen, but Chu Feng was teleported out through a formation.
âElder, is the assessment completed?â Chu Feng asked in uncertainty.
Nothing had happened after he entered the palace, and before he knew it, he was already teleported out. He couldnât see what had happened outside while he was inside.
âYou do possess the Rulerâs Bloodline. I didnât think that you would have such outstanding talent. Youâre Chu Feng, right? Where are you from?â
The woman was growing increasingly curious about Chu Feng.
Chu Feng was conflicted, but he didnât think that the woman was a bad person. Not to mention, all of the people whom he cared about had already been kidnapped by a mysterious man, so there was nothing for him to fear anymore.
âI am Chu Feng from the Holy Light Galaxyâs Chu Heavenly Clan.â
âHoly Light Galaxy? Are you referring to the Ancestral Martial Galaxy?â the woman corrected him.
âAh, yes. It used to be called Ancestral Martial Galaxy,â Chu Feng awkwardly replied.
âItâs truly Godâs Era. Itâs one thing for outstanding juniors to appear in top-notch powers, but even prodigies of your caliber are rising from the languishing Ancestral Martial Galaxy,â the woman remarked.
She turned her gaze back to Chu Feng, only to see the latterâs eyes fixed on the sword-shaped tower.
âYou have been staring at that from the moment we got here. Would you like to give it a try?â the woman asked.
âCan I?â Chu Feng asked excitedly.
âYes. You just have to stand on top of the pedestal,â the woman replied.
âThank you, elder.â
Chu Feng rose into the air and stood on top of the pedestal. The pedestal simply trembled for a brief moment before falling silent.
âElder, how is the result?â Chu Feng flew down from the pedestal and asked.
âPassable,â the woman replied.
âPassable?â
Chu Feng was surprised to hear that verdict. He had always been unmatched in terms of his talents, but why was his result here a mere âpassableâ?
âElder, is this item related to the Sacred Heavenly Temple?â Chu Feng asked.
His intrigue with the sword-shaped tower stemmed from its association with the Sacred Heavenly Temple. After all, that was the most mysterious ancient remnant in the world of cultivation, containing untold treasures.
âThere are still people in the present Ancestral Martial Galaxy who know about the Sacred Heavenly Temple?â the woman asked teasingly.
âI donât just know about it. I have entered it too,â Chu Feng replied gleefully.
âYou did? Ah. When your cultivation was still low?â the woman asked.
âIndeed, I was still weak when it happened. Elder, how did you know that?â Chu Feng asked.
âThe Sacred Heavenly Palace is one of the unresolved mysteries in the world of cultivation thatâs rumored to be related to the Immemorial Era. I donât know whether this talent assessment platform is truly related to the Sacred Heavenly Temple or not, but I do know that the Sacred Heavenly Temple is a holy land all cultivators sought to visit.
âSince you have been in the Sacred Heavenly Palace before, you should know about the Sacred Temple Beads. As long as you have Sacred Temple Beads in your possession, youâll be able to directly enter the Sacred Heavenly Palace no matter where you are,â the woman said.
âYes, I am aware of that,â Chu Feng replied.
âNo one knows where the Sacred Heavenly Temple is, except for the fact that you can enter it through the Sacred Temple Beads. There are different tiers to the Sacred Temple Beads, which, in turn, determine the tier of the fortuitous encounters and treasures you can acquire.
âBack in the Ancient Era, many powers did everything they could to acquire the Sacred Temple Beads. Those who got their hands on a Sacred Temple Bead would use it right away in hopes of acquiring valuable treasures. There are limited treasures inside the Sacred Heavenly Temple, and no one wants to miss out on them. As a result of the scramble for them, the higher tier Sacred Temple Beads were practically depleted by now.
âIn contrast, there are still plenty of lower tier Sacred Temple Beads around. Itâs just that those treasures are hardly worth anything much. Some sects and clans would send their juniors in there while they are weaker just to have fun. In fact, quite a few people have been to the Sacred Heavenly Temple before. Those beads arenât worth much anyway,â the woman said.
âThey arenât worth much?â Chu Feng sighed.
He had regarded those Sacred Temple Beads to be an invaluable treasure, but the woman before him actually deemed them to be worthless. But again, considering all of the treasures sprawled around the area, she did have the right to say those words.
âElder, you are truly knowledgeable,â Chu Feng complimented.
There were many treasures in here, and the woman looked to be an affable person. If he could get on good terms with the woman, she might just casually give him something as a parting gift. Even the stone she had unhesitatingly fed to the toad statue earlier would be enough for him to become a God-cloak World Spiritist!
âI heard stories from my master and my elders,â the woman replied.
âElder, are you acquainted with Lord Qin Jiu?â Chu Feng asked.
âI donât know him, but my master is close with him,â the woman replied.
âOh? May I know who your master is?â Chu Feng asked out of curiosity.
The woman simply smiled in response. Knowing that this was a sign that the woman was unwilling to talk about this, he didnât probe any further on.
âElder, are you from the Seven Realms Sacred Mansion?â Chu Feng asked.
âIâm not,â the woman replied.
âBut I heard that only the Seven Realms Sacred Mansion knows of the way to verify the Rulerâs Bloodline?â Chu Feng asked.
âHow can you blindly trust things you have only heard of?â the woman replied.
âThatâs true. Elder, you mentioned something about the Godâs Era earlier on. May I know what that means? Does it have something to do with juniors?â Chu Feng asked.
âYou havenât heard about Godâs Era? News should have already spread by now,â the woman said.
âIt hasnât been long since I left the Ancestral Martial Galaxy, so Iâm afraid that Iâm still lagging behind in terms of recent news,â Chu Feng replied with an awkward smile.
âFollow me,â the woman said.
She led Chu Feng out of the palace and pointed at the starry sky above them.
âThatâs the sign heralding the arrival of Godâs Era,â the woman said as she looked at the massive silhouette looming over the Seven Realms Galaxy.
She shared the Immemorial Eraâs prophetic stone tablet that had surfaced thirty thousand years ago.
âCountless heroes there are treading the path of cultivation, but few are able to leave their name under the relentless flow of time. Should a day come where a colossal avatar appears amidst countless stars, a prodigy shall rise to godhood within a century.â
Those were the words that were interpreted from the prophetic stone tablet.
âI understand. The prophecy means that when a massive avatar looms over the world, a formidable junior will rise within a century and achieve godhood. Godhood, in this case, doesnât refer to True God level but a real god that towers above everyone else,â Chu Feng said.
âThatâs right. The commencement of Godâs Era means that thereâll be a junior who stands out amongst everyone else. Your talent for martial cultivation is so-so, but you can work harder on your world spiritist talent. There might just be a place for you in Godâs Era too,â the woman said.
âMy talent for martial cultivation is so-so?â
Chu Feng was rendered speechless by that evaluation. However, considering the womanâs unfathomable strength, she did have the right to evaluate his talent.
âElder, are you not a junior?â Chu Feng asked.
âOf course not. If I was a junior, the rest of you wouldnât have any place in Godâs Era,â the woman replied with a chuckle.
Despite her gentle demeanor, she was extremely confident in her own strength.
âElder, may I ask who you are? Why do you have so many treasures?â
From the golden lake containing the silhouettes of real dragons, the Sacred Heavenly Templeâs talent assessment platform, the world spiritist bloodline evaluation method that was said to be exclusive to the Seven Realms Sacred Mansion, the countless treasures she had in her palaces, and her own unfathomable, the woman was definitely a formidable figure in the world.
Furthermore, despite her tremendous strength, she actually had a master who was on close terms with Lord Qin Jiu.
Chu Feng was extremely curious about what the womanâs background was.
âDonât bother asking. Itâs useless,â the woman said.
âElder, itâs a fortuitous encounter for me to have been able to meet you. I wonât forget anything that happened here,â Chu Feng said.
âYouâre an interesting one. I would have loved to be friends with you, but itâs a pity that our sect has strict rules. My apologies.â
Right after saying those words, the woman suddenly appeared in front of Chu Feng and placed her palm on his head. An incredible burst of energy gushed into Chu Fengâs body.
Under the blast of energy, Chu Feng felt like his body, mind, and soul were being ripped apart.
âWhatâs wrong, Chu Feng? Are you fine?â Eggy asked anxiously.
However, her voice also sounded strained. The energy had also permeated into his World Spirit Space to attack Eggy.