"The two of you will decide the specific standards.
As long as you think they can handle it, don't do anything.
You don't have to worry about anything. The trial of a true disciple involves risking one's life. No one will blame you after it's over.
Although you are guards, you are also examiners. You must be fair and just.
Do you understand? "The purple-robed man said lightly.
"Yes." Su Tongxiao and Han Li hurriedly bowed their heads and responded.
The purple-robed man grunted and glanced at the white-robed young woman beside him.
When the young woman saw the man looking at her, she stared back at him without backing down.
The purple-robed man didn't say anything. He turned around and flew away.
Only then did the white-robed woman take a glance at Han Li and Liu Shui'er. In the end, her gaze lingered on Han Li for a brief moment, but in the next instant, she also flew away into the distance.
The moment the young woman turned around, a strange look flashed in Han Li's eyes, but he returned to normal in the blink of an eye.
After watching the two disappear into the sky, Han Li and Su Tongxiao raised their heads and looked at each other.
"Brother Su, is that Sect Master Ouyang the ninth-ranked Sect Master, Ouyang Kuishan?" Han Li asked.
"Yes, the thirteen Golden Immortal Sect Masters in the sect take turns every hundred thousand years to take charge of the sect.
The one in charge of the sect now is Sect Master Ouyang.
However, I didn't expect Daolord Yun to come as well, and he even left without saying a word. Looks like he's probably worried about that precious disciple of hers, "Su Tongxiao nodded.
"It seems that they are ready to leave. Let's get ready too." Han Li used his divine sense to look in the direction of the main hall.
In the main hall next door, the inner sect disciples had already set off. They were led out of the hall by Fang Yu.
"Haha, Brother Li, don't worry.
We can catch up with them after they are a little further away. "Su Tongxiao waved his hand.
As soon as he finished speaking, a figure flashed in the side hall, and a grey-haired old man appeared. He was wearing the sect elder's uniform, but he was an inner sect elder.
The grey-haired old man glanced at the two of them. His gaze quickly shifted from Han Li to Su Tongxiao, and he laughed as he walked over.
"Hehe, Elder Su, it has been many years since we last met."
"Elder Wang, it's a pleasure to meet you." Su Tongxiao chuckled and greeted him.
Seeing this scene, Han Li vaguely guessed something in his heart. He immediately closed his eyes and pretended to not know anything.
The grey-haired old man didn't stay for long. He chatted with Su Tongxiao for a while before taking his leave. Su Tongxiao walked him to the door of the side chamber.
Before bidding farewell, the grey-haired old man stuffed a storage bag into Su Tongxiao's hand without batting an eyelid. Su Tongxiao put it away without even looking at it.
As soon as the old man left, another middle-aged man walked in. It seemed that he was also an inner court elder.
"Elder Su, as expected, you're the Dark Guard this time."
The man scanned the place with his divine sense and automatically ignored Han Li's existence. He cupped his hands at Su Tongxiao and said with a smile.
"Elder Fang, you must be joking. It's just a coincidence." Su Tongxiao smiled and greeted him.
The middle-aged man didn't waste any time with pleasantries. He took out a storage bag and handed it to Su Tongxiao.
In the following time, the side chamber was filled with people. Soon, seven or eight groups of people arrived. They seemed to be here to deliver things, and they left after staying for a while.
However, Han Li knew that these people should be the seniors and masters of the disciples who participated in the trial. They should be here to look after the juniors or disciples.
However, those people saw that not only was he unfamiliar, but his cultivation was also only at the Early Stage of True Immortal. Naturally, those gifts were given to Su Tongxiao, a Middle-stage True Immortal.
Naturally, Su Tongxiao did not refuse any of the gifts and accepted all of them.
Han Li just sat quietly at the side and didn't say anything from the beginning to the end. He was trying to figure out what Path Master Yun had said before she left.
That woman wanted him to protect Bai Suyuan. It seemed that she didn't entrust this matter to Su Tongxiao, who had a higher cultivation.
This was a little thought-provoking.
"Brother Li, I think it's about time. Let's go." Seeing that no one else came, Su Tongxiao immediately called out to Han Li.
"Okay." Han Li opened his eyes and nodded.
…
On a towering peak in the northern part of the Zhong Ming Mountain Range, there was a bluestone hall.
It was a pavilion at the northernmost part of the Zhong Ming Mountain Range where the Fire Dragon Path was located.
The cold wind howled outside the hall, and the temperature was much lower than other places. White snow fluttered in the air, covering the sky and covering the earth. It was a vast expanse.
After Han Li and Su Tongxiao walked out of the hall, they flew toward the north without any hesitation.
After less than an hour, the two of them slowed down.
In the high sky tens of thousands of miles ahead, a huge flying boat was flying forward in the sea of clouds.
"Hehe, the next part of the journey is quite easy. We only need to follow them slowly.
By the way, since Brother Li joined the sect at the same time as Bai Suyuan, it should be less than a hundred years ago, right? What do you think of our sect compared to the outside world? "Su Tongxiao looked at Han Li and asked with a smile.
"The sect has all kinds of cultivation methods and resources. It's just that if we want to obtain a thing or two, we'll have to pay a high price." Han Li smiled bitterly.
"You're right, Brother Li.
We are itinerant cultivators and elders who have no roots in the sect. If we don't have any special opportunities, it'll be very difficult for us to advance to the next level!
The offerings we received when we first joined the sect are simply inadequate. We'll have to rely on ourselves for everything in the future.
At this stage, if we still want to make any progress, even mountains of gold and silver won't be enough. Otherwise, I wouldn't have entered the sect for more than a hundred thousand years just to take this step. "Su Tongxiao laughed self-deprecatingly as he deeply felt the same.
"The offerings we received when we first joined the sect … What's this?" Han Li was slightly startled when he heard this.
"It's 500 top-grade spirit stones and 3 Immortal Essence Stones?
May I ask Brother Li, who was the one who led us when we first joined the sect? "Su Tongxiao asked with a dry cough.
"Qi Liang." Han Li replied.
Su Tongxiao heard this and looked at Han Li with a secretive look, but he just smiled and said nothing.
However, the meaning of this was very obvious. He was telling Han Li that those spirit stones and Immortal Essence Stones were taken away by Qi Liang.
A trace of anger flashed across Han Li's face, but there wasn't much turbulence in his heart.
Qi Liang's actions were probably a common occurrence in the Serpent Dragon Sect, so when he heard Su Tongxiao say this, he felt even more at ease towards Qi Liang's warm actions from before.
When he recalled the matter of Su Tongxiao receiving gifts not long ago, Han Li couldn't help but feel slightly speechless in his heart.
He never expected that no matter if it was the Mortal Dimension, Spirit Dimension, or Immortal Dimension, the general rules were still the same, and it was even to the extent that the actions of these True Immortals were actually becoming more and more like those of the mortal world.
Su Tongxiao suddenly thought of something and said, "Right, Brother Li, do you still remember the matter of Vice Daolord Xiong Shan failing to refine his sword all those years ago?"
"About this matter … Didn't Vice Daolord Xiong ask us not to spread it? It's best if we don't talk about it." Han Li frowned and said.
"Haha … There's only the two of us here, and there's no outsider here, so it's fine.
Moreover, even if we don't spread it, is there any elder in the sect that doesn't know about it?
It's already a secret joke since a long time ago. "Su Tongxiao smiled indifferently and spoke indifferently.
Han Li just smiled and didn't say anything when he heard this.
"Supposedly, for the sake of setting up the sword formation, Vice Daolord Xiong borrowed a huge amount of Immortal Energy Stones from Elder Mo Xie of the Immortal Origin Hall, and he's been in arrears until now. In the end, Elder Mo Xie came to stop him a few days ago to ask for the debt, and the two of them almost got into a fight because of this. It caused an uproar in the sect, and it's really not a good sight …"
Su Tongxiao seemed to be rather enthusiastic about this sort of gossip, and he talked about all sorts of things to Han Li.
Even though Han Li wasn't interested in all of this, but he had nothing to do along the way, so he intentionally or unintentionally led the topic of conversation to something he was concerned about. After all, he'd only entered the sect for a short period of time, and he didn't want to be inadvertently swept into a dispute.
For a time, the two of them seemed as if they were good friends that hadn't seen each other for many years, and they chatted incessantly.
As the enormous flying vessel went further and further north, the temperature became colder and colder, and they even encountered a few rainy and snowy days along the way. This allowed Han Li who'd always been in closed door cultivation to enjoy the scenery of the mountains and forests for a long time.
In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed.
The flying boat carrying Bai Suyuan and the other inner disciples finally stopped in front of a huge mountain range in the northern part of the Bell Chime Mountain Range.
This was the location of the trial, the Mysterious Ice Mountain.
This was the third largest branch in the northern part of the Zhong Ming Mountain Range. It extended from the south to the north and was mainly inhabited by a plant called Snow Needle Pine.
The trees here were tall and dense, and their leaves were needle-like. They were extremely resistant to the cold, and were one of the few plants that could grow in this mountain range. They were covered under the pure white snow like white towers.
At this moment, in an open area in the south of the mountain range, Bai Suyuan and more than 20 disciples had already gotten off the flying boat.
After Fang Yu put away the flying boat, he immediately said,
"Alright, now that I've sent you here, my mission has come to an end.
You all have a map of this place, and there are roughly three routes of advance. You can arrange them yourselves, as long as you achieve your goal.
One month later, I will wait here for your return. "
After he finished speaking, his figure flashed and landed on the peak of a short mountain. He closed his eyes and sat cross-legged, ignoring these inner disciples.
Not long after, more than 20 people gathered together in groups of three or five.
Beside Qi Huan Yu and Tang Chuan, there were several people gathered. They seemed to have already discussed and agreed to move together.
The few female cultivators who were originally with Bai Suyuan in the Chao Yang Hall had already joined their groups. It was obvious that they'd each made their own decisions on the way here.
On the other side, a few people who were also Rogue Cultivators like Sun Ke had already automatically grouped together.
Qi Huan Yu glanced at Bai Suyuan, who was reading the map by herself not far away. He immediately abandoned the people around him and came to her side.