The elder spoke slowly, "Next!"
One by one, people stepped forward for testing, filling the second floor with colorful light. Soon, it was Chen Tian's turn. He approached the elder, who looked at him, his eyes drawn to Chen Tian as if fixed on him. The elder's perception revealed that Chen Tian's heavenly secrets and destiny were incredibly strong, though he couldn't ascertain the exact degree until after the test. His tone shifted slightly as he said, "Place your palm on the Heavenly Secret Stone Tablet. The tablet will emit different colors based on your destiny."
Information about the Heavenly Secret Stone Tablet appeared in Chen Tian's mind. It was an artifact used by the Heavenly Secret Pavilion to recruit disciples and measure their heavenly secrets. Higher heavenly secrets manifested in different colors, ranging from white, yellow, blue, red, purple, gold, to silver, in ascending order. The youth tested earlier had shown purple, indicating powerful heavenly secrets. Such individuals, if they cultivated steadily, would encounter constant opportunities, akin to minor protagonists.
Chen Tian placed his palm on the Heavenly Secret Stone Tablet. A gentle breeze flowed into the tablet; this breeze was Chen Tian's heavenly secret and destiny. As it entered the tablet, the stone emitted a dazzling white light that enveloped the entire building, not just the second floor, but the entire recruitment structure.
The elder was astonished, unable to express his surprise. Such light, such color, was the highest level of heavenly secrets. What was happening with this recruitment? First, a youth with purple heavenly secrets, and now another with silver destiny accompanying him. Such individuals could be called children of the Heavenly Dao in this world, favored by it, capable of reaching peak power even without cultivation.
Now, his Heavenly Secret Pavilion was recruiting such a person. Was the pavilion on the verge of a resurgence?
Chen Tian sensed that enough of his heavenly secret and destiny had flowed into the tablet, so he withdrew his hand. This level was sufficient. If he continued, the entire Heavenly Secret Stone Tablet might shatter. Chen Tian was deliberately controlling his heavenly secrets, allowing only a trace to enter. If all of it entered, this world's testing apparatus would likely explode, turning into countless fragments. Chen Tian believed the silver light was enough to attract the attention of the higher-ups, eliminating the need for excessive actions.
The elder, after his initial shock, burst into laughter. "Good, good, good! With you in the Heavenly Secret Pavilion, our rise is imminent! Wait over there. I will send you to the Elder's Pavilion, and if an elder fancies you, you shall become their disciple."
Within the Heavenly Secret Pavilion, there were four tiers of disciples: Outer Pavilion, Inner Pavilion, Elder's Disciples, and Pavilion Master's Disciples. Outer Pavilion disciples were typically from the branches, Inner Pavilion disciples cultivated at the main pavilion, Elder's Disciples trained under an elder, and Pavilion Master's Disciples were personally tutored by the Pavilion Master. In essence, only Elder's Disciples and above held significant influence within the Heavenly Secret Pavilion.
This was Chen Tian's plan: to enter the higher ranks, gradually gather information, and instantly draw attention. The Heavenly Secret Realm had limited spots each time it opened, and only disciples recognized by the Elder and Pavilion Master could enter. After all, it opened only once a century, consuming three hundred years of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion's resources, requiring careful selection of candidates.
With one month remaining until the Heavenly Secret Realm opened, Chen Tian was confident he would secure a place within it.
The testing soon concluded. Chen Tian and the youth beside him stood their ground. The elder approached them with a smile, saying, "You two shall rest here for the night. Tomorrow, I will escort you to the Heavenly Secret Pavilion's main headquarters. Your aptitudes are sufficient for training at the main pavilion."
"Please, this way!"
The elder dared not be negligent. Knowing Chen Tian and the youth's talents meant their destined status would be far above his. It was better to leave a good impression; at least, he might gain some favor.
The youth nodded. Chen Tian remained silent. The night passed uneventfully in their rooms. As dawn broke, Chen Tian opened his eyes and gazed out the window. On a distant hill, a youth was practicing, his eyes burning with intensity. Chen Tian felt a stir of curiosity. The youth was practicing a form of eye technique, the origin of which Chen Tian, despite hailing from the Divine Spirit Realm and possessing a Level 3 Divine Eye, couldn't discern.
Chen Tian's consciousness detached from his body, ascending to the Nine Heavens. He found himself there again. The Heavenly Dao chuckled, "What brings the Divine Lord to my humble abode? Do you require my hospitality?"
"No need. I am merely here to inquire about that youth's information. You must know, don't you?" Chen Tian's tone held a hint of interrogation. The Heavenly Dao remained silent for a moment before replying, "That youth is from another world, not belonging to the Northern Yuan Continent. He is like you, Divine Lord. However, his plane is lower than the Northern Yuan Continent's. He appeared here due to the influence of a spatial rift."
"I perceived the aura of the Heavenly Dao within him. In his original world, he was a child of the Heavenly Dao. Here, in the Northern Yuan Continent, I am the Heavenly Dao. I have not designated any children of the Heavenly Dao, and moreover, from a different plane, his heavenly secret and destiny would only be purple. Yet, even so, he has obtained something that surpasses the control of the Northern Yuan Continent. I apologize, Divine Lord, but I cannot divulge more."
After the Heavenly Dao spoke, Chen Tian's expression remained calm and serene as his consciousness returned to his body.
The Heavenly Dao was, in essence, living on the edge, especially after its last statement. It had half-expected Chen Tian to strike and annihilate it. The Heavenly Dao was expendable; it could be destroyed and a new one created or one could be reborn. This was also the source of the Heavenly Dao's fear, as the Divine Lord possessed the means to erase it. After all, the Divine Lord had done just that thousands of years ago, a deed that solidified his fearsome reputation.
A trivial past, the Heavenly Dao did not wish to dwell on. It resumed its task of overseeing and maintaining the world, monitoring the people Chen Tian brought and preserving order. The Heavenly Dao was quite busy; it wouldn't have bothered with others if not for the Divine Lord.
Inside the room, Chen Tian closed the window. The moment he did, the youth on the hill glanced towards Chen Tian's room. The youth touched his head, muttering, "Was that my imagination just now?"
The youth pondered for a moment before resuming his cultivation. The rising sun was beneficial for his Divine Eye's training, so practice was paramount.
As the sun slowly climbed higher, Chen Tian and the other youths gathered in the second-floor hall. Following yesterday's tests, only thirteen individuals had qualified to enter the Heavenly Secret Pavilion's main headquarters, Chen Tian among them. Entry to the main pavilion was not easy; one had to possess heavenly secret destiny of at least blue, red, or purple.
The elder nodded with satisfaction and struck the ground. A magic array instantly appeared. The elder declared with pride, "This is the Heavenly Secret Array. It can teleport you to the closest branch to the main headquarters. Everyone, enter the array now."
A beam of light materialized, and the array vanished, taking the group with it.
When they regained their senses, they found themselves in another room. The elder stated calmly, "Someone else will guide you to the main headquarters from here. I have other matters to attend to and must depart."
The array reappeared, and the elder disappeared. This array was a special creation of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion. Ordinary teleportation arrays were fixed, but the Heavenly Secret Array could be temporarily created. As long as one's heavenly secrets were powerful enough to communicate with heaven and earth, integrate with the Heavenly Dao, and utilize heavenly secret energy, it could be inscribed in the form of a teleportation array. However, such arrays could not exist for extended periods, making them clearly advantageous and disadvantageous compared to fixed teleportation arrays.