Born as an ant, I was summoned to ascend to immortality.

Chapter 25 Extraneous Factors

As dawn broke, Elder Tan was already standing beside the gangway of the cloud boat.

The cloud-shaped boat behind him, with its dragon-headed hull and a length of nearly a hundred feet, resembled a divine dragon whose head and tail were nowhere to be seen on this misty platform.

"Boat up." Elder Tan's voice reached the ears of every seeker of the Dao.

Zhou Li followed the Xia siblings onto the cloud boat. The spacious cabin was furnished with hundreds of futons, and sunlight streamed through the portholes on both sides, revealing a sea of ​​clouds and rolling mountains outside.

"Sit here." Xia Minghui pulled Zhou Li to sit by the window, while Xia Mingduo took out a plain handkerchief and gently wiped the wooden table in front of the three of them.

"Brother Zhou, look," Xia Minghui said, leaning closer, "that serious-looking guy over there is Jiang Xing."

Zhou Li followed his gaze and saw a boy of about seventeen or eighteen years old sitting on the other side of the cabin, with a hint of arrogance between his brows. At that moment, three or four people were talking around him, their expressions quite respectful.

"What's so important about Jiang Xing?" Zhou Li asked.

"Incredible." Xia Minghui clicked his tongue. "He crossed the Immortal Bridge in just one hour. In the past hundred years, there have been very few people who have been able to cross it in one hour."

Xia Mingduo said softly, "He also performed well in the second test. Elder Tan gave him a double 'B' grade for the first two tests, making him the most likely candidate to win the championship in this major test."

Zhou Li knew that the entrance examination for the clan was divided into four levels: A, B, C, and D. He asked, "With such outstanding performance, how come you're not in the top tier?"

Xia Minghui grinned and said, "Brother Zhou, you don't know, it's been hundreds of years since a top-ranked student has appeared. If he could get a top-ranked student, wouldn't he be praised to the heavens by the sect?"

Just as Zhou Li was about to speak, he suddenly heard a timid voice behind him: "Fellow Daoists..."

Looking back, I saw a girl dressed in coarse cloth, about twenty years old, with a thin face and a hesitant look in her eyes.

She bowed to Zhou Li and the other two, saying, "My name is Fan Ru, a miscellaneous disciple of the sect, and I have come to participate in the examination."

Xia Mingduo said politely, "Fellow Daoist Fan, please have a seat."

Fan Ru carefully sat down on the prayer mat opposite her and rubbed her hands together. "I see that you all have extraordinary bearing. I would like to ask if, if you fail this major examination, you will still have a chance to stay on the mountain?"

Xia Minghui laughed and said, "Fellow Daoist, don't panic. Why worry about failing before the exam has even started? Besides, since you are a sect servant, as long as the manager agrees, you can try again in five years when the grand exam is held."

"Really?" Fan Ru's eyes lit up. "But...but what if the manager doesn't want me anymore..."

Xia Mingduo said softly, "Fellow Daoist Fan, there's no need to belittle yourself. Being able to pass the first two tests and arrive here among thousands of people is already one in a thousand."

"Thank you for your guidance, fairy." Fan Ru seemed to be convinced. After chatting for a few more minutes, she got up to take her leave.

After she walked away, Xia Mingduo said softly, "Actually, being a menial disciple isn't all bad. I heard that thirty years ago, there was a senior who started as a menial disciple and is now a Golden Core Elder."

As the three were talking, the cloud boat suddenly lurched and slowed down in front of a cliff.

The view outside the window had changed, and everyone stood up and looked through the porthole, their faces showing shock.

The gate to the Demon Suppression Realm is suspended directly in front of the cliff, resembling a giant vertical pupil standing among the mountains. At this moment, the cloud boat is slowly passing through this vertical pupil.

"We've arrived at the Demon Suppression Realm," Elder Tan's voice rang out.

This Demon-Suppressing Realm is one of the three grotto-heavens and six blessed lands of the Changtian Sect. It was originally an ancient battlefield.

Tens of thousands of years ago, the human race and the demon race were sworn enemies. Countless powerful cultivators and ancient demons fought a bloody battle here, shattering this realm and leaving behind the lingering effects of many cultivation techniques.

Later, this place was discovered by the ancestors of the Changtian Sect, who sealed it off as a place for enlightenment, which is why there are now hundreds of enlightenment steles.

The cloud boat slowly descended and stopped on a flat red rocky ground. Elder Tan was the first to step out of the cabin, followed by more than two hundred seekers of the Dao.

When Zhou Li set foot on this land, he felt a fierce aura rushing towards him, and he could vaguely hear the howling wind accompanied by wails coming from all directions.

Looking up, a chilling mist clung to the ground, and enormous animal bones were scattered everywhere. Dried leather bags hung between the bones, swaying back and forth in the eerie wind and emitting a low groan.

"These are the remains of ancient demons," Xia Minghui murmured. "It is said that they were left behind by powerful demons who fell ten thousand years ago. Their remains have not decayed over the years, and their aura still lingers within them."

Elder Tan stepped forward and was about to speak when a voice suddenly rang out from the crowd:

"Elder, wait!"

The group looked in the direction of the voice and saw that the speaker was none other than the timid Fan Ru from before.

At this moment, her face no longer showed any embarrassment. Instead, she straightened her back and said loudly, "This disciple has a question and would like to ask Elder Tan!"

Elder Tan frowned slightly: "Speak."

Fan Ru pointed at Zhou Li: "This person's name is Zhou Li. He didn't participate in the first two tests, so why was he able to directly enter the third test? The Changtian Sect has been established for ten thousand years, and all those who enter must cross the Immortal Ascension Bridge. This is an ironclad rule! May I ask Elder Tan, why did you make an exception for him?"

These words caused an uproar in the room.

Xia Mingduo's expression changed slightly, and she said in a low voice, "She was so timid just now, how come she suddenly..."

"He's faking it!" Xia Minghui gritted his teeth. "That guy who came over to talk to me just now, he's probably been eyeing Brother Zhou for a while now."

Elder Tan's face darkened: "I have my own considerations on this matter. Zhou Li was recommended by a fellow Daoist who has a long-standing relationship with our sect. It is a special permission granted by the sect, and there is nothing wrong with it."

"Special permission from the sect?" Fan Ru's voice gradually rose. "Elder, you are mistaken! Rules are rules. If exceptions can be made with a single word, what's the point of sect rules? I toiled away as a servant in the sect for ten years to obtain a sect pass, and then went through countless hardships to pass the first two tests. Yet some people can enter without taking the tests. Is that fair?"

She turned to the crowd and said loudly, "Fellow Daoists, are you resigned to this?"

The crowd began to stir, and many seekers started whispering among themselves, their faces showing resentment.

"Fellow Daoist Fan is right..."

"If you enter a clan through connections, wouldn't that make you a scion of a prestigious family?"

"What's the point of scions of noble families going home to cultivate themselves and coming to take the imperial examinations for us poor families?"

Xia Minghui stamped his foot in frustration: "What do you know! Brother Zhou isn't..."

Zhou Li pressed down on his shoulder and shook his head.

At this moment, another voice rang out: "What Fellow Daoist Fan said is not without reason."

It was Jiang Xing who spoke. He slowly stepped out of the crowd, bowed respectfully to Elder Tan, but his words were sharp:

"Disciple Jiang Xing also feels this matter is inappropriate. The sect rules state: all who enter our sect must cross the Immortal Bridge. This was established by our ancestor and has remained unchanged for thousands of years. Although Elder Tan is a steward, he has broken the rule without authorization, which may not be convincing to the masses."

He paused, then looked around at everyone: "Besides, if this person is truly a promising talent, why fear the Immortal Ascension Bridge? If he can't even pass the Immortal Ascension Bridge, wouldn't it be a joke to directly enter the third trial?"

These words were all reasonable and immediately won widespread agreement.

"Senior Brother Jiang is right!"

"Let him go back to cross the Bridge of Immortality!"

Elder Tan's expression grew increasingly grim. Why did Fan Ru have to act up now, of all times, only after they reached the Demon Suppression Realm? If Zhou Li were to turn back to the Immortal Inquiry Bridge now, it would be hundreds of miles round trip, and crossing the bridge would take several hours. By the time they returned to the Demon Suppression Realm, the third trial would already be over.

If Zhou Li fails the third examination, he will be eliminated and sent down the mountain, which will be difficult to explain to Yu Poluo.

This is troublesome.