The second floor, the sky gradually darkened. The assessment was paused at this time.

The assessment was no simple matter. Though it appeared to consist of only three parts, the latter two heavily taxed the examinee’s spirit, draining both offensive power and swordsmanship cultivation.

Under such circumstances, without an intermission, the fourth assessment would surely suffer a significant drop in standard. Seeing that the day was already late, everyone decided to rest for the night and resume tomorrow.

Thus, everyone temporarily dispersed. However, the reactions from the various factions after dispersing were quite spectacular.

For instance, the Qin Kingdom felt immense pressure. The best score Qin had ever achieved was three perfect tens, and Lu Yuan had already reached three tens.

If Lu Yuan secured just one more ten, he would surpass Qin's historical record. Qin Mu, a major power in the Southern Territory, possessed a greater reputation than the Jin Kingdom, and now they were on the verge of being overshadowed by Jin; the pressure was naturally immense.

Meanwhile, in a palace adjacent to the Five Wheels Palace, the contingent from Mount Hua had gathered. Mount Hua had long arranged for personnel to wait there.

Qu Qingchen, Sun Qingchi, and Lu Qingtao from the Northern Peak were all present. The three looked at Lu Yuan with considerable satisfaction.

They had initially only sent Lu Yuan to test the waters, never expecting him to create such a miracle. Three perfect tens in the initial three assessments meant the possibility of entering the Hundred Kingdoms Assessment was growing stronger by the day.

Qu Qingchen, Sun Qingchi, Lu Qingtao, and the others now understood one thing. Under the threat of the Sword Sect, if the Sword Qi Sect wished to maintain its standing or grow stronger in the future, it would depend entirely on this youth; he was the hope of Mount Hua’s Northern Peak.

“By the way, there is one more matter I need to discuss with you, but it will be better if Sect Master Chu explains it later,” Qu Qingchen remarked. “What matter?” Lu Yuan asked.

“What matter? It concerns the origins of the Mount Hua Immortal Sect,” Qu Qingchen explained briefly.

Just then, several overwhelmingly powerful auras were felt outside the door. Qu Qingchen raised his hand and opened it, and Chu Duan, along with the esteemed members of the Sword Sect and Qi Sect, had arrived.

“Indeed, what we are about to discuss now is the origin of the Mount Hua Immortal Sect,” Chu Duan announced loudly. The assembled members of the Mount Hua Immortal Sect filed into the room.

“Hua Mountain. What is Hua Mountain?

You reside here, yet do you know its origins?” Chu Duan’s voice was resonant and powerful. “The Mount Hua Immortal Sect was founded by Ancestor Tongxiao,” Lu Yuan knew only this much; Mount Hua’s history only recorded up to that point.

“Correct. In the past, Ancestor Tongxiao founded Hua Mountain here,” Chu Duan nodded.

“Ancestor Tongxiao did not originally hail from the Jin Kingdom. Five thousand years ago, he arrived in the Xi Kingdom.

Ancestor Tongxiao’s origin was a place called the Hua Kingdom.” Hua Kingdom. He had never heard of it.

Chu Duan continued, “On the great earth, besides the Central Celestial Dynasty anchoring the center, there are hundreds of nations, some strong, some weak. Our Jin Kingdom is considered extremely weak.

There are four major strong nations. The strongest in our Southern Territory is the Great Yong Kingdom.

Similarly, in the south, there is a nation that is incredibly powerful. Though not as mighty as the Great Yong Kingdom, it is still formidable.

That nation is the Great Hua Kingdom.” “In the Great Hua Kingdom, there exists an extremely powerful Immortal Sect called the Nine Flowers Immortal Sect.” Once by the Nine Rivers, I gazed toward the Nine Flowers Peak; the Heavenly River hung like green water, showing forth the Nine Fu Rong blossoms. I wish to wave my hand—who would follow me?

You are the host here, resting among the clouds and pines. This Nine Flowers Immortal Sect was divided into nine peaks: Tiantai, Tianzhu, Ten Kings, Lotus, Arhat, Duxiu, Furong, Xianhua, and Xianlu.

The original Venerable Tongxiao originated from the Xianhua peak lineage, one of the latter three. However, during Venerable Tongxiao’s time, the branch of the Xianhua Peak had largely declined, and even the entire structure of the Xianhua Peak had been abolished.

Venerable Tongxiao harbored great ambition from a young age, wishing to restore the Xianhua lineage and re-establish the peak. But at that time, he offended those from the Ten Kings Peak, the foremost peak of the Nine Flowers Immortal Sect, and was consequently obstructed by them.

At that time, Venerable Tongxiao wished to revitalize the Xianhua Peak. But the condition set by the people of the Ten Kings Peak was: “You may rebuild the Xianhua Peak if, in the assessments held by the various nations under the Central Celestial Dynasty, you can achieve six perfect tens.

Not just you—any member from your Xianhua Peak who achieves this can rebuild the peak and reclaim the treasures of the Xianhua Peak.” That’s right. The treasure of the Xianhua Peak was the reason the Ten Kings Peak acted this way.

The foundational treasure of Xianhua Peak was a cultivation method that terrified all the other gardens. After Xianhua Peak declined, this treasure fell under the custody of the Ten Kings Peak members.

This condition set by the Ten Kings Peak was undoubtedly designed to make things difficult. The assessment held by the Central Celestial Dynasty for the nations was always extremely arduous.

From ancient times until now, since this assessment began, only people from the Great Yong Kingdom among the Southern Nations had ever achieved six perfect tens; no other nation had ever managed it. Yet, even knowing the Ten Kings Peak was setting a trap, Venerable Tongxiao had no choice but to accept the assessment.

Venerable Tongxiao was indeed a peerless genius; though his talent did not match the Second Generation Ancestor or Yan Cangtian, he was still remarkable. In the end, he earned five perfect tens, failing on the final one.

Ultimately, he still failed to complete the assessment and was subsequently tormented by the Ten Kings Peak members. In anger, Venerable Tongxiao fell ill, was severely harassed by the Ten Kings Peak members, and was finally forced to leave the Great Hua Kingdom, arriving in the Jin Kingdom where he subsequently founded the Mount Hua Immortal Sect, beginning its five-thousand-year legend.

However, Venerable Tongxiao had suffered too much humiliation within the Nine Flowers Immortal Sect of the Great Hua Kingdom. After arriving in the Jin Kingdom, although he established a high-grade Immortal Sect, the accumulated grief in his heart became unbearable, and he finally died in indignation.

Before his death, Venerable Tongxiao left these words: “Should any disciple or descendant of the Mount Hua Immortal Sect in future generations reach six perfect tens, they may return to Nine Flowers Mountain and reclaim the supreme treasure of the Xianhua Peak.” This supreme treasure might indeed be a supreme treasure. While the allure of wealth is powerful, the more important aspect for members of a righteous Immortal Sect is fulfilling the dying wish of their master, ancestor, or founding ancestor—it is an obligation for the successor.

It was lamentable that for five thousand years, no one had achieved these six tens, and now, Lu Yuan had secured three. There were three assessments remaining.

If Lu Yuan could achieve perfect tens in the remaining three, he might succeed in claiming the final treasure. Chu Duan looked at Lu Yuan: “Strive for it, those six tens—the founding ancestor’s dying wish.” In fact, it was more than just the founding ancestor’s wish.

If Lu Yuan could achieve six perfect tens, the Mount Hua Immortal Sect’s chances of growing into a major power under the Central Celestial Dynasty’s scrutiny would increase significantly. If Lu Yuan attained six tens, the reputation of the Jin Kingdom would rise greatly, making it easy to completely suppress the Yuan Kingdom.

If Lu Yuan achieved six tens, there would be countless benefits. But could he?

In the nearly one hundred nations to the south, only the Great Yong Kingdom had ever produced someone with six perfect tens. How could a remote place like the Jin Kingdom compare to a powerful entity like the Great Yong Kingdom?

Although the Great Yong Kingdom was not as powerful as the Central Celestial Dynasty, it was still terrifyingly strong. What counted as significant figures—those at the third or fourth levels of the Great Dao Realm—in the Great Yong Kingdom?

The night was profoundly quiet. Those who had come earlier had already departed.

Lu Yuan sat alone, meditating. Because Lu Yuan had secured three perfect tens and due to the dying wish of Mount Hua’s founding ancestor, Chu Duan provided him with substantial resources.

Lu Yuan sat cross-legged, beginning to regulate his breath. Among these resources was an exceedingly rare Heavenly Spirit Perfection Pill.

This Heavenly Spirit Perfection Pill was a supreme medicinal treasure for those in the Longevity Stage. Even for those in the Great Dao Realm, its medicinal power was quite potent.

Looking at the pill in his hand, it was about the size of an egg, entirely crimson, exuding a look of absolute fullness. Lu Yuan sensed the spiritual energy surrounding his body, feeling limitless power cascading around him.

Ten spirit beasts of the exotic-beast grade providing power simultaneously was an almost terrifying prospect; his spiritual energy grew stronger every moment. Without hesitation, he swallowed the Heavenly Spirit Perfection Pill.

After taking it into his mouth, he felt a searing heat in his abdomen, as if countless miniature volcanoes were erupting within him, their medicinal power exploding into his body. Lu Yuan activated the Cloud Dragon Ten Transformations, having already mastered seven transformations.

Having cultivated this far, he felt the Cloud Dragon Ten Transformations within him had undergone a subtle change, constantly absorbing the energy from the detonations within his body, like small volcanic eruptions. What formidable spiritual power!

Lu Yuan felt his power strengthen considerably. He had reached the peak of the initial stage of the Great Dao Realm, the first level of grasping the Great Dao.

Unfortunately, reaching the second level of the Heavenly Law was still extremely far off. The Great Dao Realm was not like the Longevity Stage, Body Tempering Stage, or Qi Refining Stage.

In the Great Dao Realm, advancing even one level was incredibly difficult. That difficulty was simply staggering.

Of course, once an advancement was made, the resulting changes could overturn the heavens and earth; the increase in combat power per level was immeasurable. Now, with ten exotic-beast grade spirit beasts assisting, and aided by the Heavenly Spirit Perfection Pill, reaching the peak of the first level of the Great Dao Realm was already quite an achievement.

As for the second level of the Great Dao Realm—Heavenly Law—that required comprehending the Heavenly Law itself. This was something Lu Yuan could not achieve yet.

The Heavenly Law was something mysterious and abstruse. Now that Lu Yuan had entered the Great Dao Realm, his eyes could perceive the traces of heaven and earth, but mastering the trajectories between heaven and earth was too difficult, too difficult indeed.

It seemed it would take a considerable amount of time to reach the second level of the Great Dao Realm. It was rumored that during the Hundred Kingdoms Assessment, there were esteemed figures at the fifth and sixth levels of the Great Dao Realm.

The difficulty there would be unimaginable!