The cultivator pulled back by him spoke up, “Don't you know about that?”
“About four and a half years ago, the Eastern Region's Qingming Secret Realm suddenly collapsed...”
In the end, he lowered his voice to mention how the Sect Masters of both the Xuanxiao Sect and the Taihua Sword Sect had perished one after another.
After listening to this, the young male cultivator was completely shocked.
He looked toward Yun Heng again, his gaze entirely different from before.
“She's that formidable?”
“Of course.”
“Back then, this matter created a huge stir across the entire Eastern Region, and news of it eventually reached the Central State.”
The System's voice suddenly echoed.
【Awe Points +50.】
【Awe Points +80.】
The corners of Yun Heng's mouth turned up. It felt great to earn Awe Points simply by standing there and showing off her cultivation.
On the other side, the male cultivator in charge of registration picked up his brush once more.
He wrote the words “late stage Soul Transformation” on the roster, then pointed not far off.
“Lady Yun, please proceed to the Truth-Inquiry Platform.”
Yun Heng nodded slightly and walked toward the Truth-Inquiry Platform alone.
The Truth-Inquiry Platform was a half-person-tall white stone dais with a surface smooth as jade and a golden palm print carved in the center.
Beside it stood a massive, transparent light screen.
Yun Heng placed her right hand in the center of the stone dais.
The moment her palm touched the golden palm print, the entire Truth-Inquiry Platform blazed intensely.
A dazzling golden light soared into the sky, illuminating nearly half of Qunying Manor.
Cultivators chatting elsewhere were drawn by the brilliant glow, turning their eyes toward the Truth-Inquiry Platform one after another.
A moment later, two lines of text slowly floated onto the giant light screen beside the Truth-Inquiry Platform:
【Bone Age: 25 years.】
【Cultivation: Late stage Soul Transformation.】
The entire Qunying Manor fell silent at that instant.
Everyone raised their heads, staring blankly at the light screen beside the Truth-Inquiry Platform.
After a brief silence, Qunying Manor erupted into complete turmoil.
“Twenty-five years old?!”
“She's actually only twenty-five?!”
“How is that possible? Reaching late stage Soul Transformation at twenty-five—did she start cultivating while still in her mother's womb?!”
“When I was twenty-five, I was still in the Qi Refinement Realm! She's already at late stage Soul Transformation?!”
“Heavens, how can the world be so unfair?!”
“Why is this female cultivator so formidable? Why would someone like her even come to participate in the open spot selection?!”
An early stage Nascent Soul cultivator who had originally been preparing to register clutched his chest, a pained expression on his face.
“This defies all reason!”
He had suffered endlessly to break through to the Nascent Soul Realm, narrowly escaping death multiple times in dangerous lands just to reach the early stage Nascent Soul Realm before turning a hundred years old.
He had originally thought he could be considered a prodigy.
Yet on his very first day arriving in Dingchuan City to register, he witnessed a twenty-five-year-old late stage Soul Transformation cultivator.
How could the gap between cultivators be so immense?
Gasps, wails of despair, voices of envy, and shouts of shock filled every corner of Qunying Manor.
Even the cultivators who had only come to watch the spectacle were struck speechless by the result on the Truth-Inquiry Platform.
The male cultivator in charge of registration earlier was rooted to the spot as if petrified.
She truly was at late stage Soul Transformation!
And her bone age was only twenty-five years!
To think he had actually suspected Yun Heng of lying about her cultivation!
Had he not known the Truth-Inquiry Platform never made mistakes, he would have suspected he was dreaming.
Yun Heng withdrew her hand and turned back to the registration desk.
The male cultivator remained frozen in his previous posture, unmoving.
Yun Heng stood before him and asked, “Can I participate now?”
The male cultivator shuddered, finally snapping back from his shock.
He shook his head vigorously, his expression instantly changing.
“Of course you can.”
“No, wait—since you are already a Soul Transformation cultivator, lady, you do not need to participate in the open selection at all.”
“You can obtain a spot directly.”
Yun Heng paused in surprise. “I can obtain a spot directly?”
She really had not known about this rule beforehand.
No wonder the System had said on the way over that she did not need to compete at all.
【In the cultivation world, the strong make the rules.】
【As long as Host is powerful enough, the rules will naturally bend in Host's favor.】
【Furthermore, with Host's late stage Soul Transformation cultivation, entering the rogue cultivator selection would be a complete steamroll over everyone else.】
【Even if you took the stage, no one would be your match, so there is simply no need for a competition.】
Yun Heng nodded inwardly.
The male cultivator behind the registration desk continued, “Lady Yun, your information has been fully recorded.”
“You may return to Qunying Manor in one month.”
“By then, the open selection will have concluded, and the remaining eighteen spots will be determined. You can collect your entry pass for the Five Domains Prodigy Gathering directly.”
Yun Heng nodded. “Many thanks.”
She turned around and walked out of Qunying Manor with Yun Zhao.
Everyone's gazes followed her movement, watching as she departed Qunying Manor under the watchful eyes of the entire crowd.
However, though she had left, the matter was far from over.
A twenty-five-year-old late stage Soul Transformation cultivator coming to participate in the open spot selection for the Five Domains Prodigy Gathering—
This news spread out from Qunying Manor, passed from person to person, and quickly swept through all of Dingchuan City.
More and more people learned that Yun Heng, the Young Lord of the secluded clan who had caused a massive stir in the Eastern Region four and a half years ago, had now arrived in the Central State.
Moreover, her cultivation had already reached late stage Soul Transformation.
Inside Qunying Manor, the manager responsible for the open spot selection rushed over to check Yun Heng's registration record upon hearing the news.
After seeing the results left on the Truth-Inquiry Platform with his own eyes, his expression grew solemn.
Such talent had never been seen before, even across the entirety of the Central State.
What was more, behind Yun Heng stood a secluded clan of unfathomable power.
Not daring to delay, he immediately reported the news to Tiandu City.
On the other side, the Pavilion Master of Wanbao Tower in Dingchuan City also heard about this from an errand boy.
“What did you say?”
No wonder the name Yun Heng had sounded vaguely familiar when he heard it.
It turned out she was indeed the Young Lord of the secluded clan who had made such waves in the Eastern Region back then.
He let out a slow sigh of relief.
Fortunately, he had not slighted Yun Heng.
Otherwise, offending such a person would bring no benefit whatsoever to Wanbao Tower.
A moment later, another thought crossed the Pavilion Master's mind.
Since Yun Heng had obtained an open spot for the Five Domains Prodigy Gathering, she would undoubtedly head to Tiandu City in a month.
He needed to quickly send a message to the Pavilion Master of Wanbao Tower in Tiandu City so they could prepare in advance.
Meanwhile, Yun Heng was heading back to Wanbao Tower with Yun Zhao.
Ever since leaving Qunying Manor, the System's notifications had not stopped ringing.
【Awe Points +50.】
【Awe Points +100.】
“System, is there any place in Dingchuan City where I can show off my skill and continue earning Awe Points?”
The System fell silent for a moment.
【Well, there is.】
【There is a place in Dingchuan City where cultivators spar and compete, somewhat similar to the Martial Inquiry Arena in Tianque City.】
Yun Heng's eyes lit up. “Shall we go now, then?”
【However, Host's cultivation realm is too high.】
【You are already at late stage Soul Transformation. If you try to challenge ordinary cultivators, they likely won't even let you onto the stage.】