Chapter Eighteen: The Outer Sect Assessment

“This assessment is certainly extraordinary, even involving the Abyssal Demons.” In the dead of night, Lin Fan sat cross-legged atop a stone bed, heat radiating from his body in waves as his vital energy surged, rolling within him like a great river.

He felt a vague sense of unease. Everyone knew what Abyssal Demons were—members of the demon race, merciless killers, born enemies of humanity. In an ancient war, the demon race was defeated and suppressed by the great figures of the human race, sealed beneath the earth in the abyss. Since then, they had been known as Abyssal Demons.

Though defeated, the Abyssal Demons did not resign themselves to their fate. They longed to return to the surface, which led to countless incidents of their emergence and the slaughter of humans. As time passed, the enmity between the two races only deepened, to the point where every encounter became a fight to the death.

“Senior Sister Yunxi has no reason to deceive me. With her status as a true disciple, she surely knows some secrets. It seems that advancing to an outer sect disciple is not so easy after all. Still, since I’m here, I might as well accept it. The Celestial Capital Sect would never stand idly by and let so many disciples die.”

Lin Fan sighed, closing his eyes to rest his mind. He was confident in his own strength, and he believed the sect would not allow its future pillars to fall so easily. With that thought, he felt much at ease and began to consolidate his recently elevated cultivation.

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye, and at last the outer sect assessment formally began.

Boom!

Ninety-nine Heavenly Dragon Drums thundered in unison, the deafening sound shaking the heavens like divine thunder. This was the rallying call for all outer sect candidates—every one of them would hear it and gather together.

A mighty force gathered above the entire Celestial Capital Sect, divine light soaring skyward. The great and small powers of the Heavenly Martial Domain all witnessed this phenomenon, and for a time, the Celestial Capital Sect became the focus of all eyes.

“It’s recruitment time again at the Celestial Capital Sect. I wonder if any geniuses like Yunxi will emerge this time. The sect stands at the very peak of its glory, though history has always shown that great prosperity is often followed by decline…”

In the heart of the Heavenly Martial Domain, within a colossal city, a figure stood atop a high tower, gazing into the distance. His eyes were clouded and inscrutable, as if he could see the very threads of fate, and within their depths one could glimpse the explosion of boundless stars—a truly terrifying sight.

He was an invincible expert, unrivaled and peerless.

“The Celestial Capital Sect? To make such a spectacle of a mere disciple recruitment—do they really think themselves the greatest power in the Heavenly Martial Domain? Not to mention the Jin Empire—among the thirty-six regions of the Bosat Prefecture, the Celestial Capital Sect is far from invincible.”

In the skies above the Ghost Domain, an old man stood suspended in the air, his presence immense, his gaze sharp as if to pierce the heavens themselves.

…

Some sighed, some envied, some looked on with disdain. All manner of emotions swirled in the hearts of the gathered experts, yet none dared move against the Celestial Capital Sect. Its strength was undoubted, and it still harbored a few ancient beings whose very existence could cow the entire Bosat Prefecture—and even the mighty Yingtian Province.

Lin Fan awoke from his cultivation to find that the token for the outer sect examination in his cosmos pouch was emitting a radiant glow, blazing like a golden three-legged bird. Then, before him, a portal of light appeared.

“All candidates for the outer sect assessment, enter the portal. Do not be alarmed—this is a spatial transmission. You will be gathered in a single space. I am Chu Yunji, Chief Elder of Discipline of the Celestial Capital Sect.”

A majestic voice thundered from within the portal—an elder was speaking, not just any elder, but the Chief Elder of Discipline, one of the most powerful figures in the sect.

“Let’s go!”

Lin Fan frowned but did not hesitate. He stepped forward and was immediately struck by a wave of dizziness. Divine light surrounded him, intertwined with patterns of power.

“So this is the technique of a great figure—it must far surpass the Vein Condensation Realm, reaching the terrifying level of the Heaven-Human Realm, able to grasp the laws of space itself.”

Lin Fan’s heart surged with emotion and awe. He had not expected to witness the power of a Heaven-Human Realm expert, the very pinnacle of a domain, rare even within the Bosat Prefecture.

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Lin Fan’s vision suddenly cleared. The dizziness of transmission faded, and he found himself standing before an immense plaza, packed with people—no fewer than three thousand, all here to take part in the examination, with many outstanding young talents among them.

Lin Fan’s figure soon vanished amid the crowd, keeping a low profile so as not to draw attention.

After about another quarter hour, all the portals of light disappeared, and every candidate had arrived.

On a distant high platform, an elderly man slowly emerged. His hair and beard were white, his aura restrained, seemingly an ordinary old man. Yet no one dared underestimate him, for this was the famed Chief Elder of Discipline, Chu Yunji.

“What a terrifying expert—he’s completely returned to the essence. Is this the Heaven-Human Realm? Man and nature as one, every breath in harmony with the law of the universe—Dao follows nature!”

Lin Fan was inwardly shocked. Having already grasped the Dao, his perception surpassed that of everyone present, and in an instant he saw the elder’s terrifying depth—a true rarity among the living.

“Five million miles from the Celestial Capital Sect lies a city. Half a month ago, Abyssal Demons emerged and massacred every inhabitant. By the time we arrived, it was too late—there were no survivors. This is a calamity for our race, so I hope you will step forward and fight for humanity.”

Chu Yunji’s eyes swept over the crowd like arrows.

“In times of crisis, every one of us has a duty. Do not complain of the difficulty of this task—when we were in your place, our trials were even harsher and more terrifying. Rest assured, you are not alone. Many outer disciples, inner disciples, and even some true disciples have already gone to the Ancient Scarlet City. You are the last group, and also the safest, for your strength is not formidable. If disaster strikes, others will bear it.”

Chu Yunji’s voice rolled over the plaza like thunder, as if the gods themselves were speaking. With a wave of his hand, a beam of divine light surged upward, splitting the sky. The very fabric of space shattered under his power, and a radiant passageway pierced the firmament, suffused with the laws of the Heaven-Human Realm.

“Fight for the sake of your race.”

Chu Yunji’s voice faded away. His decisiveness left no time for hesitation, showing the gravity of the situation—so serious that even Heaven-Human Realm experts could not take it lightly.

“This… this is happening too quickly.”

Lin Fan’s thoughts raced, and before he could process the gravity of the situation, he found himself lifted into the air, already within the spatial passageway.

“This elder is truly decisive,” Lin Fan thought helplessly, and then his figure vanished into the fractured space.