"Little one, you’ve been doing quite well lately. But when it truly matters, it’s still up to your old grandma to step in!" Sensing Nie Kong’s thoughts, Qing Yue became incredibly smug, chuckling with an air of seniority. If the environment weren't so restrictive, she would have already slipped out of the beast tablet to show Nie Kong her grandmotherly flair.

Hearing this, Nie Kong’s face darkened. This little spirit herb had always possessed the nature of seizing an inch and demanding a mile; given an opportunity, it would surely puff up its tiny chest and boast. Since she had finally found someone to confirm things with, she wouldn't miss the chance to show off.

"Qing Yue, it seems you've forgotten about the 'Life-and-Death Spirit Seal' between us. If something happens to me, your life won't be so pleasant either," Nie Kong grumbled internally, unable to hide his annoyance as he reminded the slightly overconfident spirit herb.

"So boring, you don't know how to cooperate with your grandma at all."

Qing Yue muttered dejectedly, having been struck at her weak spot by Nie Kong's words. "Grandma feels about the same as you do... the shape on that Battle Spirit Listening Divine Platform is indeed identical to the red robe worn by that living dead. If Grandma guesses correctly, that red robe likely possesses a trace of sentience."

"A red robe can gain sentience?" Nie Kong couldn't help being stunned for a moment. All things possessed vitality, which implied the possibility of gaining sentience—but to hear Qing Yue suggest that an item of clothing worn by that giant might possess spiritual qualities still caught Nie Kong by surprise.

"Not gaining sentience, but possessing spiritual quality... and only potentially so."

Qing Yue corrected him. "That Battle Spirit Listening Divine Platform, I don't know how it was constructed... the aura on the platform is completely isolated, so Grandma isn't entirely sure. Only by going up and experiencing it firsthand... can I figure it out."

"That's true."

Nie Kong nodded almost imperceptibly.

Just as Qing Yue described, on that 'Battle Spirit Listening Divine Platform,' one could only see with their eyes and hear with their ears; beyond that, nothing could be sensed. It seemed like an independent little space completely cut off from the outside world.

"Buzz!"

Suddenly, a faint hum emanated from beneath the 'Battle Spirit Listening Divine Platform.'

Immediately following, a ball of violet light appeared at the base of the red pillar and swiftly flowed upward along its surface. In the blink of an eye, the violet light shot out from the top of the column, hovering above Zhan Rufeng's head, condensing into a thin booklet.

"..."

"Violet Edict! That kid Rufeng is quite good!"

"Our Battle Clan has nine types of Violet Edicts... I wonder which one he obtained?"

"..."

Soft murmurs drifted from among the Battle Clan disciples.

The nearby outer disciples exchanged glances filled with envy, though their previously tense mood had quietly eased.

The spiritual edicts obtained from the 'Battle Spirit Listening Divine Platform' were categorized from weakest to strongest: White Edict, Blue Edict, Violet Edict, and Gold Edict. Under normal circumstances, obtaining a Blue Edict was most likely, followed by a White Edict, then a Violet Edict, and a Gold Edict was the rarest possibility.

To acquire a Violet Edict was indeed exceedingly rare; Zhan Rufeng could be said to have kicked off this 'Listening to the Spirit' session on a good note. "Whoosh!" A subtle sound echoed again in the void above the platform. The thin booklet condensed from the purple aura actually began to turn by itself, and five large characters instantly imprinted themselves into the eyes of everyone nearby: "Blood Soul Listening Tide Edict!"

"..."

"Unexpectedly, it's the Blood Soul Listening Tide Edict! Excellent!"

"Among all the Violet Edicts, this Blood Soul Listening Tide Edict ranks fifth."

"..."

Not only were the Battle Clan disciples happy for Zhan Rufeng, but even the Elders like Zhan Tianlun, the Clan Leader Zhan Yunlan, and the two Grand Elders showed faint smiles, clearly quite satisfied with the outcome.

"Hoo..." The pages of the book turned faster and faster. Large swathes of script flickered and shifted within the observers' sight, but the naked eye could barely capture the specific content. In just a few short seconds, the booklet had flipped to its final page.

Next, the booklet, with a "whoosh," transformed into a streak of purple light and melted into Zhan Rufeng's brow. The next moment, Zhan Rufeng opened his eyes, sprang to his feet, beaming so widely that his mouth struggled to close.

Then, the 'red robe' covering Zhan Rufeng’s body receded like a tide, instantly condensing into a mass and detaching from his body, returning to the red pillar to reform into patterned lines.

Glancing at Zhan Rufeng as he walked toward the steps, Nie Kong's gaze returned to the red pillar. He said to Qing Yue, "If the so-called 'Battle Spirit' isn't that giant, but rather a wisp of aura separated from that red robe, it might be difficult for it to probe my secrets."

"Grandma thinks so too," Qing Yue replied with a grin. "Little fellow, you have the Prison Fire Underworld Spring on you. That fellow has also gained sentience, though it's still in the infant stage of a water spirit. While not of much use, it could be handy when necessary."

"And then there’s Xiangxiang, that tender little sprout. Its spirituality is much stronger than the Prison Fire Underworld Spring, but alas, it hasn't achieved full sentience yet, so it’s not much use in a critical moment like this. But don't worry; the most important thing is that you still have your Grandma Qing Yue, a thousand-year spirit herb. If that little robe dares to have any wicked thoughts, Grandma can crush it to death!"

"Good—then I shall wait and see."

Hearing Qing Yue boast about herself, Nie Kong smiled secretly, truly letting go of the worry that had been nagging him.

"Tch, just wait and see," as Qing Yue was muttering, Zhan Tianlun's resonant voice boomed through the space again: "Two!"

"Zhan Zichuan!"

"Five-Nine, Four-Five, Four!"

"Eight!"

"Zhou Danjin!"

"Five-Nine, Three-Nine, Three!"

"..."

Under Zhan Tianlun's shouts, figures emerged from the crowd, then ascended the platform, listened to the spirit, and obtained their spiritual edicts...

Everything proceeded in an orderly fashion.

Nie Kong felt quite emotional. By this point, nearly forty people had ascended the stage. Of those, about thirty-odd Zhan Clan disciples had all managed to withstand up to the 'Forty-Nine Battle Sound' or 'Fifty-Nine Battle Sound,' and all their cultivation levels were either Third or Fourth Tier.

This was considering that the 'Heart Condensing Art' they had practiced beforehand was merely for foundation building.

Once they acquired the suitable spiritual edicts from the 'Battle Spirit Listening Divine Platform,' their cultivation was bound to advance by leaps and bounds in a very short time. Observing these young disciples in their teens and twenties, one could see the immense effort the Battle Clan invested in cultivating its juniors. Perhaps this was the very root of the Battle Clan's enduring strength. For a sect to remain prosperous, both top-tier powerhouses and excellent juniors were indispensable; otherwise, decline and ruin were inevitable.

"Five-Eight!"

Suddenly, Zhan Tianlun's shout interrupted Nie Kong's contemplation. It was five-eight; after one more person, it would be his turn.

"Li Xiao!"

A handsome youth in white robes stepped out of the crowd.

"Six-Nine, Five-One, Four!" Watching Li Xiao, Zhan Tianlun's face showed a slight hint of appreciation. "Go up!"

"Yes!"

Li Xiao responded respectfully and slowly walked up the steps ahead.

Nie Kong's focus sharpened slightly. In today's drawing results, those who had listened to the 'Sixty-Nine Battle Sound' seemed to be clustered towards the end. Li Xiao was a Fourth Tier Black Spirit Master and the first person today who had listened to the 'Sixty-Nine Battle Sound' to step onto the 'Battle Spirit Listening Divine Platform.' Nie Kong wondered what he would ultimately gain.

"Buzz!"

The moment Li Xiao’s feet touched the 'Battle Spirit Listening Divine Platform,' the red pillar seemed to sense it, vibrating faintly. A low hum rippled out, lingering around everyone’s ears. For a moment, almost everyone's attention shifted to him.

Li Xiao closed his eyes and sat cross-legged on the platform quietly.

"Whoosh!"

The patterned lines flowed swiftly and condensed into a mass at an even faster speed, shooting out from the pillar and enveloping Li Xiao’s body. The expansive red robe, beautiful like the glow of sunset, undulated slowly, as if responding to a command.

"Hum."

Under everyone's gaze, nearly a minute passed before a loud tremor sounded from beneath the platform. Another thick ball of violet light emerged from the base of the red pillar, shooting up the red column in an instant, reaching the apex.

Violet!

This was the third time it had appeared today! Besides Zhan Rufeng initially, there was one other Fourth Tier Battle Clan disciple who had managed to withstand the 'Fifty-Nine Battle Sound.'

Seeing the violet light condense into the shape of a booklet, everyone paid even closer attention.

Especially the outer disciples, whose eyes were filled with expectation. For them, even though they were envious and jealous of Li Xiao, who had listened to fifty-one heart-drum sounds, they still hoped he would obtain a better spiritual edict. Given the current situation, they, the outer disciples, formed a collective—glory might not be shared, but mutual loss was highly possible.

Soon, the book opened with a "whoosh," but what was revealed first was not writing, but a drawing. The picture depicted a small figure in a red robe, its body exaggeratedly bent and folded, looking from a distance like a strange, long saber.

"..."

"Look, it's the Nether Blade Pictorial Records!"

"It's actually the third-ranked Violet Edict, the Nether Blade Pictorial Records!"

"Damn it, such a good spiritual edict went to an outer disciple."

"..."

The moment the drawing appeared, the group of Battle Clan disciples erupted in commotion, their chattering filling the space.

"Quiet!"

Zhan Tianlun glared at them.

The Battle Clan disciples finally quieted down, their faces still showing resentment, but they were helpless deep down. The decision to absorb outer disciples was made jointly by the Clan Leader, the Grand Elders, the Elders, and even the Ancestors; they could not object.

But even if they agreed in principle, they still hoped that the superior Battle Clan spiritual edicts would go to those of pure Battle Clan blood. For the outer disciples, obtaining some White or Blue Edicts would suffice. Yet now, the 'Battle Spirit Listening Divine Platform' had actually granted Li Xiao the Nether Blade Pictorial Records—how could they remain calm?

However, the 'Battle Spirit Listening Divine Platform' made its selection entirely based on Li Xiao’s physical condition and aptitude, unaffected by their will.

At this moment, the Battle Clan disciples could only watch helplessly as the 'Nether Blade Pictorial Records,' having finished flipping, melted into Li Xiao's brow. But when Li Xiao stepped down from the 'Battle Spirit Listening Divine Platform,' hostility, to varying degrees, flickered in the eyes of the Battle Clan disciples.

Zhan Yunlan and the others were fully aware of the friction between the clan disciples and the outer disciples but didn't take it too seriously. After all, absorbing outer disciples was a long-term endeavor, and such phenomena wouldn't vanish immediately.

"Very good!"

Li Xiao, who had walked down the steps, gave a slight bow. Zhan Tianlun then flipped open the scroll in his hand, a smile even appearing on his rugged face: "Five-Nine!"