Lu Yuan’s first destination upon entering the Great Yong Kingdom was the Central Harmony Plaza, situated before the Imperial Palace.
The name Zhongyong (Central Harmony) was far from ordinary.
The Way of the Mean was the path of the noble person, achieving harmony between Heaven and Man, thereby reaching the utmost perfection, utmost benevolence, utmost sincerity, ultimate Dao, supreme virtue, and the complete integration of the inner and outer self.
The Central Harmony Plaza was unexpectedly vast.
When Lu Yuan arrived, he found perhaps several thousand people gathered, possibly nearing ten thousand. If the sheer number wasn't astonishing enough, these attendees were outrageously powerful; almost everyone present was at the third level of the Great Dao Realm or higher, their auras soaring toward the heavens.
The combined presence of nearly ten thousand individuals reached a critical peak, an aura powerful enough to shatter the sky and cleave the earth.
This was...
Have most of the ten thousand qualified cultivators from the Southern Regions, eligible for the Hundred Kingdoms Assessment, gathered here?
When Lu Yuan and the other fourteen arrived, many gazes turned toward them.
“Only fourteen people? Which country are they from?”
“Don’t recognize them.”
“Don’t recognize them.”
“But looking at them, none of their magic power seems particularly high.” The Jin Kingdom was simply too remote. Among the two hundred forty-nine nations in the Southern Territories, virtually no one recognized those from Jin. Lu Yuan might be a Supreme Being of an Immortal Sect in Jin, but here, facing nearly ten thousand cultivators, he possessed little imposing presence. The famous Lu Yuan of Jin was utterly unknown in this place.
Lu Yuan felt a wry helplessness; it was only natural that his fame in the Southern Territories was limited.
A moment later, dozens of cloud chariots arrived—it was Murong Huangfu and his entourage. Once they arrived, many people present recognized them.
“Isn’t that Murong Huangfu?”
“Yes, that’s Murong Huangfu, the peerless genius from the Murong Kingdom. I heard he recently reached the Grandmaster Realm.”
“The Grandmaster Realm! That’s quite something. Yes, among us here, he’s considered quite remarkable.”
“He’s a strong competitor.”
Lu Yuan shrugged. Murong Huangfu had indeed reached the Grandmaster Realm, and his fame far surpassed his own. However, Lu Yuan was quickly consoled; almost no one recognized the people from the Great Qin Kingdom when they arrived either. If even the contingent from Great Qin wasn't widely recognized, being from the minor Jin Kingdom was nothing to fret about.
After Murong Huangfu’s party was seated, another group of cultivators approached. This group was distinct from the rest; they were clad in ragged clothing, and their leader was an overwhelmingly heroic great man. This man was exceptionally tall, nearly two meters, with a square jaw, possessing an innate air of surveying the clouds with disdain. Lu Yuan had never encountered anyone like this in the Jin Kingdom.
Who could this be...?
“Isn’t that Xiao Fengxiong from the Hundred Poverty Kingdom?”
“That’s Xiao Fengxiong, another peerless genius who has reached the Grandmaster Realm.”
“Indeed. He and Murong Huangfu are equally renowned, and he is known for his immense heroism. He’s also highly likely to enter the Central Celestial Court.”
Peerless geniuses who had reached the Grandmaster Realm carried significantly more prestige; many people knew them.
Lu Yuan reached for his wine gourd, intending to take a drink, just as another contingent arrived. The leader of this group was a handsome young man who looked not much older than Lu Yuan. The group behind him clearly deferred to him as their leader, and the aura emanating from this youth seemed to be... Grandmaster Realm.
“Who is this one now? A Grandmaster Realm expert so young?”
“I heard he is Yin Wuji from the Heaven-Leaning Kingdom. He practices the Nine Yang Divine Art, the pinnacle of all Yang techniques in the world. He reached the Grandmaster Realm early and is also a peerless genius highly likely to enter the Central Celestial Court.”
Clearly, the arrivals were not yet complete. A moment later, another person arrived, appearing honest and somewhat dull-witted, yet no one dared to treat him as a simpleton. His aura was incredibly potent, subtly hinting at the... Grandmaster Realm. Another Grandmaster!
What kind of joke was this? How could there be so many Grandmasters?
Lu Yuan was struck speechless with shock.
In the Jin Kingdom, encountering a Grandmaster was rare; what was going on here? To have so many Grandmasters was staggering.
While stunned, Lu Yuan caught the name and background of this seemingly honest man: Guo Kan from the Sculpture Kingdom. This kingdom was rumored to have a profound history, supposedly populated only by great eagles, with no common birds—just eagles soaring overhead, hence the name Sculpture Kingdom.
“He just looks like a blockhead. How can such a dull person cultivate to the Grandmaster Realm? What am I, a peerless beauty, supposed to do?” Lu Yuan turned around to find a delicate young woman in a yellow skirt with her hands on her hips, speaking sharply. This young woman’s skin was like snow, exquisitely beautiful, her countenance dazzling and impossible to gaze upon directly.
Lu Yuan paused, surprised that it was a woman, and one so delicately fair. The woman in yellow showed no fear of his stare: “What? Are you dissatisfied with me, young lady? I stand under my true name and sit under my true surname. I am Huang Rongrong of the Peach Blossom Kingdom.”
Because they were standing quite close, a faint fragrance wafted into Lu Yuan’s nose. He couldn't help but inhale deeply. The young woman in yellow blushed slightly: “Ruffian.”
Just then, an aura descending from the sky rivaled a truly ultimate presence—an aura not inferior to that of the Patriarch Yan from years past. Lu Yuan looked up. Though he had witnessed many grand scenes, he had never seen anyone whose aura matched that of Patriarch Yan, so he looked intently.
An elder with snow-white hair and beard descended directly from the heavens.
A mighty power radiated throughout heaven and earth!
"Bang!" The elder landed, causing a massive energy wave to ripple through the air. Fortunately, everyone present was at the third level of the Great Dao Realm or above and was not knocked down by this intensely powerful shockwave. The elder with white hair and beard nodded: “It seems this batch has decent quality. I am Zhou Zhongyong, the Sovereign of the Great Yong Kingdom, and I will be your chief examiner for this assessment. The Hundred Kingdoms Assessment is always divided into two parts: the first is separate regional assessments, like the Southern and Northern Realms, and the second is the final assessment where the elites from all regions convene.”
“I am responsible for the Southern Realm Assessment. There are ten thousand people here in total, and only two hundred forty-nine will advance to the final assessment.”
“Of course, those who rank higher within the Southern Realm will receive corresponding rewards from me.”
“After the Southern Realm Assessment, there will be a period of rest before the final assessment. During this rest period, you may cultivate within the Great Yong Kingdom. The kingdom possesses numerous treasures, such as the Hall of Enlightenment, which some of you will use, and others. Those ranking higher will receive more usage time in the Hall of Enlightenment and other facilities.”
“If you achieve first place, you may remain in the Hall of Enlightenment from the conclusion of the Southern Realm Assessment until the final assessment begins, without ever leaving. All expenses will be covered by me.” Without a doubt, this elder with white hair and beard was seeking loyalty, but securing the allegiance of these peerless geniuses who might reach the Central Celestial Court was worth the investment.
The potential of these youths was limitless, their futures bright. Perhaps one of them would eventually become a Great Expert or even someone higher. While becoming a Ruler of Civilization might be an unattainable dream, securing a high position within a civilization would bring substantial rewards. Thus, the Sovereign of the Great Yong Kingdom was exceedingly generous.
“The Southern Realm Assessment begins tomorrow.” The Sovereign of the Great Yong Kingdom, Zhou Zhongyong, did not speak many more motivating words, because they weren't necessary.
The Hundred Kingdoms Assessment was inherently electrifying; there was no need for flowery rhetoric to incite fervor.
The cultivators present were basically bubbling with excitement.
Everyone present could generally be called a genius.
Geniuses never feared battle; how could they fear the brilliant conflicts about to commence?
Lu Yuan also found his blood stirring. He wasn't overly enthusiastic about battle itself, but he knew he would witness countless styles of swordsmanship and myriad spirit swords—how interesting! Lu Yuan's eyes lit up at the mere thought. He had grown weary of the sword techniques practiced across the Jin Kingdom; now, during the Southern Realm Assessment, how many splendid sword arts would he get to observe?
He truly looked forward to it!
After the Sovereign of the Great Yong Kingdom, Zhou Zhongyong, finished speaking, the assembly was generally free to disperse. The first round of assessment was tomorrow, where only two hundred forty-nine of the ten thousand would remain. Don't assume a forty-to-one acceptance rate is high. All ten thousand were cultivators above the Great Dao Realm third level; a forty-to-one ratio among such figures wasn't high—it was terrifyingly low.
Lu Yuan, holding his wine gourd, was about to head toward the small courtyard arranged for his lodging in the Great Yong Kingdom when he found his path blocked.
Many people stood in his way.
There were easily dozens of them, standing in a uniform line, and they appeared to be one cohesive group.
The leader looked like a young man, clad in a golden robe that gave him the air of an emperor. He held a fan in his hand: “You are a descendant of the Immortal Flower Peak lineage from the Abandoned Peak of Nine Splendor Mountain, correct? I heard you traveled to a remote little place called Jin Country and established some shabby sect you call Huashan.”
“Oh, right, I forgot to introduce myself. Stand firm, don't be frightened by this.” The leading young man fanned himself lightly: “I am Mo Zihe, the Young Master of Nine Splendor Immortal from the Great Hua Kingdom, a genius among geniuses. This time, if I happen across you, don’t blame me if we of the Nine Splendor Immortal triumph over your trashy Huashan sect again, leaving your sect with no hope whatsoever.” This man was clearly here to show off.
Lu Yuan said casually: “Very well, considering you are from Nine Splendor Immortal, if we happen to meet later, I shall grant you some face and not defeat you too severely.”
“You…” Mo Zihe of the Nine Splendor Immortal was instantly furious.
He had merely come to check out the remnant lineage of one of the nine peaks of Nine Splendor Immortal and put on a display of superiority. In his view, even speaking to someone like Lu Yuan, from Huashan, was granting him enough deference. Yet this low-born trash dared to retort! This abandoned-peak wretch actually dared to argue back. If he were in the Great Hua Kingdom, his temper would have flared into murder. However, he suppressed his anger; killing was forbidden before the assessment in the Great Yong Kingdom. “Fine, fine, fine, Huashan wretch! I only hope you aren’t matched against me in the Southern Realm Assessment.”
“Oh, I hope I don’t run into you, otherwise, tsk tsk, it will be quite unsightly,” Lu Yuan commented with nonchalance.
(The Hundred Kingdoms Assessment plot has just begun; developing the narrative requires significant time. Only two updates today.) RA