After his daily cultivation session, Zhao Yunxiao spent the rest of the night making sure that he had remembered every single detail from the briefing, and even those from other sources on top of that.


    But as he looked at the list of participants sent from the subordinate sects, he could not help but sigh.


    Origin Lake Sect.


    Elder – Ming Leishang.


    Participants – Chen Pingxi, Zhou Qin.


    Zhao Yunxiao could not help but recall how the Origin Lake Sect members had mistaken him for an important character of the Black Tortoise Sect.


    Zhao Yunxiao had already tried to do his part, and did not intend to burden himself too much over this matter.


    It was a huge open square with a raised column at each corner. Three of the four columns looked plain and simple, but on the last one stood a giant stone statue of a majestic tortoise with its head raised to the sky and jaws opened wide – almost as though it was attempting to devour the heavens.


    To optimise resource expenditure and minimise risks, all four sects would work together to open the Four Symbols Mystic Realm every year, striving to have their disciples expand their horizons and gain valuable experience within.


    “


    “


    “


    “


    Courtesy of the setup team, there were now numerous tall tents with seats and banners set up all over the original empty open square.


    Zhao Yunxiao was currently seated alone at the observer team’s tent – one that was located strategically between both the largest and smallest tents present.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    There were a thousand participants each year, carefully selected from the cream of the crop.


    At this point, he suddenly matched gazes with another participant.


    Chen Pingxi had noticed him the moment she arrived at the Black Guardian Square. While noticeably confused at his role, she dared not question the arrangements of Elder He Luoxuan.


    Instead, she chose to watch him closely, waiting patiently for him to notice her while trying to extract whatever hints possible from his actions.


    And as expected, Zhao Yunxiao was able to detect her gaze from among a thousand participants present!


    Seeing Chen Pingxi’s intense gaze and howhappily she was nodding towards him, Zhao Yunxiao felt the corner of his lips twitch. Nevertheless, he quickly suppressed the anxiety in his heart and nodded back in response, making sure to do so with as much confidence as he could possibly muster.


    The elders could not help but pay slightly more attention to those of their own faction, though that was the limit of what they would do.


    “


    With her impeccably slim figure that had all the right curves, her softfacial features that screamed femininity, as well as her long black hair that stretched all the way down to her waist, Elder Feng Wanjia looked just like a young beauty who was not a year past her twenties.


    Yet contrary to her looks, she was actually one of the most feared elders in the sect, largely in charge of the sect’s tests and tribulations.


    Seeing her step forward, the inner disciples present instinctively tensed up in response.


    “I will be opening the portal now. All participants, get ready,” Elder Feng Wanjia announced.


    With that, she turned around to face the giant tortoise statue, which was located right next to the elders’ tent.


    “Everyone, stay alert,” Fei Weng whispered to the observer team. “Don’t miss a thing once it begins.”


    Zhao Yunxiao turned away from Elder Feng Wanjia to focus on the rows of jade tablets in front of him, each with the name of a participant written on it.


    Upon entering the venue, each participant had formed a temporary spiritual connection with their corresponding jade tablet.


    Now, it was up to Zhao Yunxiao and the rest of the observer team to keep track of the participants’ statuses through these jade tablets.


    “


    Weng-!


    A low buzzing sound could be heard within the square, accompanied by a gentle trembling of the ground, as energy started welling up from within the giant tortoise statue.


    “


    Their bodies turned into a blur, as though they were becoming mere wisps of smoke. The participants calmly closed their eyes, bracing themselves for what was to come.