At Deer Mountain. The center.

There stood a high platform, roofed like a deer pavilion. In ancient legends, during the Investiture of the Gods by the Shang Dynasty, there was a structure called the Deer Pavilion, built by the Son of Heaven of that era.

It was said that this pavilion amassed the treasures of the entire realm, and the construction, a magnificent and opulent project, took a full seven years to complete. Hundreds of palatial halls and towers were erected—with bracketed eaves soaring, and carved beams painted with magnificent designs, a splendor beyond compare.

This Deer Pavilion, however, possessed no such extravagance. It was named the Deer Pavilion simply because it was situated on Deer Mountain.

Lu Yuan followed the map provided in the letter and arrived at the location of the Deer Pavilion. This Deer Pavilion was not excessively high; merely about thirty zhang tall, yet several li wide, making it vast indeed.

When Lu Yuan arrived, there were only a little over a hundred people present, so the vast platform was not crowded at all. As Lu Yuan stepped onto the pavilion, his arrival caused something of a stir.

Those who recognized Lu Yuan pointed and murmured amongst themselves. “That must be Lu Yuan, the unparalleled genius from the Jin State.” “Hmph, is that the unparalleled genius?

The one who scored six tens? His magical power seems rather low…” “Indeed.

It is said this man hasn’t even reached thirty years of age since he first began cultivating…” “What? Not yet thirty, and he’s already standing here, eligible for this intensive training and entry into the Hundred Kingdoms Assessment?

Truly an unparalleled genius. However, the Hundred Kingdoms Assessment is in three years.

Given his current strength, passing it will likely be quite difficult…” “That’s an understatement, it will be extremely difficult…” Lu Yuan listened to their discussions, quietly finding a corner to stand in. He casually took out his wine gourd.

Lu Yuan was the sort of person who could pull out a wine gourd for a drink in any setting, and naturally, among the more than a hundred people present, he was the only one doing so. A moment later, an aristocratic young master arrived—it was none other than Murong Huangfu.

As soon as Murong Huangfu appeared, a wave of praise erupted. Murong Huangfu was not only an unparalleled genius, but he was also older, possessed deeper foundational accumulation, and his magical power was profound, having reached the Fifth Level of the Great Dao Realm—a feat incomparable to Lu Yuan’s.

“Young Master Murong is truly an extraordinary talent…” “Young Master Murong has a very high chance of entering the Central Heavenly Dynasty.” Various discussions arose. Under the dazzling brilliance cast by Murong Huangfu, Lu Yuan lost much of his luster—and not just Lu Yuan; other figures like the peerless female cultivator Yue Nü Xiaoqing and the reincarnated Spirit Child Tiemuer also had their glow somewhat overshadowed.

Just as the crowd was discussing Murong Huangfu’s achievements, a figure entered their field of vision. The moment this figure stepped into the area, all eyes were drawn to him.

It wasn't because the person was exceptionally handsome—in fact, this middle-aged man was far from handsome. He sported an exceptionally long, dense white beard; this was Master Yuan Bufan of the White Ape Sect, the one with the thickest white beard Lu Yuan had ever seen, and one of the Five Great Masters of the Great Yue State.

In Yue State, there had long been two distinct lineages of cultivation: the White Ape lineage and the Yue Maiden lineage. In days long past, the White Ape instructed the Yue Maiden in the divine sword technique, enabling the Maiden to vanquish three thousand opponents with one strike, thus creating a myth.

From that point onward, two sects were established: the White Ape Sect and the Yue Maiden Sect, both holding considerable power within Yue State. And Master Yuan Bufan of the White Ape was the current Sect Master of the White Ape Sect.

Yuan Bufan stroked his beard: “There are several of us stationed here at the Deer Mountain base. I am one of them.

This time, everyone will undergo intensive training here for two and a half years, with the remaining half-year left for each of you to use as you see fit before the final Hundred Kingdoms Assessment…” “Rules are necessary for order. During these two and a half years here, there will naturally be certain regulations.” “Killing each other within this area is strictly forbidden.

Of course, if you absolutely insist on engaging in a life-and-death duel, it is permitted, provided three Great Masters agree and witness the fight. In that case, we will not interfere.

However, if a life-and-death duel occurs without the witnessing of three Masters, do not blame us for being ruthless. This is the fundamental rule here…” “Next, a ranking will be announced shortly.

This ranking will be compiled based on a comprehensive assessment of both your magical power and your past combat achievements. The purpose of this ranking is as follows: Our seven nations—Great Ye, Great Yue, Great Wu, Murong, Great Qin, Great Jin, and Great Yuan—jointly pooled immense resources to purchase an Enlightenment Treasure Pavilion from the Great Yong State.

This pavilion greatly assists in comprehending the Heavenly Dao, the laws of the cosmos, and the profound secrets of the myriad heavens. However, the Enlightenment Treasure Pavilion is only useful when entered by a single person.

It was decided that whoever ranks higher will be allocated more time within this pavilion…” “Immediately following this, the ranking will commence. Once the order is established, everyone will receive corresponding ranking points.

The method for earning ranking points is regulated as follows: Ranking points can be earned through challenges and through comprehensive performance in the Sword Dao Chamber, the Dharma Dao Chamber, and the Speed Chamber. The higher your rank, the more time you can spend in the Enlightenment Treasure Pavilion…” “In one month, there are a total of three hundred and sixty hours…” “And we have two hundred participants…” “The arrangement is generally like this: The first-place individual may use the Enlightenment Treasure Pavilion for twenty hours in one month.” “The second through fifth places may use it for twelve hours.” “The sixth through tenth places may use it for eight hours.” “The eleventh through thirtieth places may use it for three hours.” “The thirty-first through the hundredth places may use it for two hours.” “The hundredth through the two hundredth places may use it for half an hour.” After the White Ape Master Yuan Bufan finished speaking, the more than two hundred people present gasped in unison.

This… The difference between first place and last place was too vast! The first-place recipient could spend twenty hours in the Enlightenment Treasure Pavilion in a single month—nearly two full days of focused enlightenment.

While those ranked below one hundred would only get half an hour, which would pass in an instant. This… this is ruthless!

It is entirely a system geared toward the elite! But upon reflection, the Deer Mountain training base’s elite-centric model made sense.

Consider the situation: if they didn't operate this way, how could they possibly succeed? The Hundred Kingdoms Assessment required not the common masses, but the elite of the elite.

Therefore, the focus was placed on cultivating superior talent, giving rise to this structure. Everything depended upon the ranking.

The ranking would not be based on testing, but on the intelligence reports detailing everyone's current magical power and combat record. Of course, if someone possessed new intelligence or a new achievement, they could report it here, and Yuan Bufan would adjust the ranking on the spot.

Indeed, after the national qualification assessments concluded, some individuals had displayed stronger magical power or more recent, noteworthy achievements, and Yuan Bufan was busy making corrections. Finally, the ranking for the two hundred participants was complete.

First Place: Murong Huangfu. This individual truly lived up to the title of unparalleled genius, standing at the Fifth Level of the Great Dao Realm.

Second Place: Zhong Heming. A venerable master from the Formless Execution Gate, one of the four major immortal sects of the Great Qin State.

His magical power was supreme, reaching the Fifth Level of the Great Dao Realm, utilizing Formless Sword Qi that was utterly peerless. Third Place: Murong Shi.

A master from the Murong State, possessing the strength of the Fifth Level of the Great Dao Realm. Among these seven nations, the Murong State was the strongest; up to sixty individuals from their nation could qualify for the Hundred Kingdoms Assessment.

Great Qin State ranked second with forty spots, while the other five nations only had twenty individuals each permitted to enter the final assessment. Seventeenth Place: Yue Nü Xiaoqing.

The foremost talent of Yue State, possessing the exquisite and unpredictable Yue Maiden Divine Sword technique. Thirty-Third Place: Venerable Yuanyang.

The individual with the strongest record from the Jin State, utilizing the Morning Sun Heart Method and the Morning Sun One-Qi Sword, paired with a complete spiritual sword—how could he not be formidable? One Hundred Thirty-First Place: Tiemuer.

The Reincarnated Spirit Child, currently at the Third Level of the Great Dao Realm, though he already had a documented victory against someone at the Fourth Level of the Great Dao Realm. One Hundred Thirty-Third Place: Old Ancestor Blood Sword.

One Hundred Eighty-First Place: Lu Yuan. Magical power at the First Level of the Great Dao Realm, the weakest overall.

His highest recorded feat was defeating the Earth Cult Demon Marquis, who was also at the First Level of the Great Dao Realm. He should have ranked last, but the bonus from the six tens provided a significant uplift.

This ranking stunned many. Almost no one had anticipated that Lu Yuan, with his score of six tens, would be placed so low, at a mere one hundred eighty-first position—it was almost unimaginable.

The gazes directed at Lu Yuan grew strange, yet Lu Yuan himself remained remarkably composed. In this assessment, there were several individuals at the Fifth Level of the Great Dao Realm, and the Fourth Level was the mainstream.

In terms of raw strength, he was indeed ranked quite far down; he wasn't even sure who would win if he fought someone at the Third Level of the Great Dao Realm. Furthermore, his greatest achievement was defeating a First Level Dao Realm foe, the Earth Cult Demon Marquis.

For such magical power and such a record, ranking 181st was not bad; if it weren't for his designation as an unparalleled genius, ranking near the bottom at 200th would have been entirely normal. He was indeed an unparalleled genius, but one who had not yet matured.

Many others, however, had already come into their own. Lu Yuan truly did not dwell on his temporarily low ranking.

What did a low rank matter? He could still catch up.

As long as he possessed strength, there was always room to climb. As for receiving less time in the Enlightenment Treasure Pavilion now, that was unavoidable—it was simply the consequence of his insufficient current strength.

He absolutely could not let the six tens achieved during the qualification assessment make him arrogant or complacent. Those six tens were heavily influenced by luck; for instance, in the endurance test, without the Five-Colored Tribulation Cloud, he likely wouldn't have scored a six out of ten!

Truthfully, within the Great Dao Realm, he was still a novice, having just entered its threshold. The road ahead was long, with a full two and a half years remaining.

In the future, he would climb much higher in the rankings. Yuan Bufan announced: “You will undergo various trainings and assessments here.

These rankings are temporary. If you are not strong enough, you will immediately be pulled down, but if you prove yourself sufficiently strong, you can continuously ascend.

The rankings will be finalized on the last day of every month, determining the allocation of time in the Enlightenment Treasure Pavilion for the following month.”