Chapter 225: Meeting Sun Ke Again

"An old acquaintance, you could say. Speaking of which, Bai Suyuan and I joined the Candle Dragon Dao at the same time. But it seems Brother Su also knows this woman?" Han Li nodded and asked in return.

Although Bai Suyuan was exceptionally gifted, she had been taken away directly by the suddenly appearing Cloud Golden Immortal Dao Lord upon entering the sect. In recent years, she had kept a low profile within the sect and had not caused much stir, so not many should know of her.

"A few years ago, I took on a mission issued by Dao Lord Cloud and happened to meet this woman once. It is said that she now possesses the Moonlight Immortal Body and has reached this level of cultivation in less than a hundred years. Now that she has emerged, she will soon become famous and shake the entire Candle Dragon Dao," Su Tongxiao exclaimed in admiration.

"Since Bai Suyuan has already been taken as a disciple by Dao Lord Cloud and promoted to true disciple, why is she appearing in this trial?" Han Li asked with some confusion.

"That may be so, but the sect's rules cannot be broken. This woman had been in seclusion all along. Now that her cultivation has reached the Void Refining stage, she must pass the true disciple trial to truly qualify as a true disciple," Su Tongxiao explained.

"I see." Han Li nodded thoughtfully.

At that moment, a slightly plump young man walked in from outside the Chaoyang Hall, wearing the attire of an inner disciple, apparently also someone coming to take the test.

When Han Li casually glanced over, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

This person was none other than Sun Ke, who had traveled with him on the ship to the Ancient Cloud Continent years ago. Somehow, in just a few decades, this fellow had joined the Candle Dragon Dao and even managed to be included in this trial.

As soon as he stepped into the hall, the eyes of everyone inside turned to him.

Feeling the stares, Sun Ke seemed a bit uncomfortable, paused slightly, and smiled at the crowd.

Those inner disciples of notable status looked Sun Ke up and down with a hint of disdain, then quickly averted their eyes and continued their own conversations. Only Bai Suyuan returned a slight smile.

Sun Ke seemed unperturbed by their reactions, walked to a corner of the hall on his own, and began to survey the surroundings and the people.

The people in the hall were divided into three distinct groups. The largest group had eight or nine people, nearly half of those present, centered around a handsome young man in a brocade robe with a jade belt. He had a purple mark on his brow that flickered with purple light, quite mysterious, and his cultivation was at the late Void Refining stage.

Not far from the handsome young man stood five or six people surrounding another man of distinguished bearing.

This man had slightly dark skin, a slender build, and a very handsome face, but his eyes and brows were somewhat long and narrow, giving off an air of yin softness. A cold glint occasionally flashed in his eyes.

This dark-skinned man was also at the late Void Refining stage.

The people in these two circles appeared the most relaxed, chatting and laughing, occasionally bursting into laughter.

The last circle was around Bai Suyuan, who was also surrounded by a few female cultivators. Though not unattractive, they paled in comparison to her unparalleled beauty.

Bai Suyuan lowered her eyelids slightly, silent, a faint white light emanating from her, making her look like a snow lotus blooming quietly.

While she remained silent, the female cultivators beside her let their eyes wander around the hall, occasionally whispering among themselves.

As the handsome young man and the dark-skinned man chatted with those around them, their gazes would inadvertently drift toward Bai Suyuan, a flicker of heat occasionally passing through their eyes.

The remaining few, like Sun Ke, stood silently in various corners of the hall.

Before long, the handsome young man glanced again at Bai Suyuan's icy, beautiful face, cleared his throat, and walked over.

"You must be Junior Sister Bai Suyuan. I am Qi Huanyu, pleased to make your acquaintance. I have long heard of your reputation as Dao Lord Cloud's personal disciple, but regrettably never had the chance to meet you until today," Qi Huanyu said with a courteous smile, his tone conveying a sense of regret at not having met sooner.

"Senior Brother Qi flatters me. You are a descendant of Vice Dao Lord Qi, exceptionally talented, and known as the foremost among our generation of disciples. I have long heard of you as well," Bai Suyuan said with a slight flicker in her beautiful eyes, pursing her lips in a faint smile.

Qi Huanyu was momentarily taken aback. Although he had some reputation, he had never been called the foremost. Could it be that he had acquired this title without knowing?

Looking at the smiling girl before him, he felt secretly pleased and unabashedly accepted the compliment, laughing, "Junior Sister flatters me too much. Such a mere reputation is not worth mentioning. With your exceptional talent, I'm sure you will surpass me before long."

"Hmph! Foremost? When did you get that title, Qi Huanyu? I haven't heard anyone mention it. Could it be self-proclaimed?" A cold snort came from the side as the dark-skinned man walked over with a sneer.

Qi Huanyu's face turned cold. He glanced at the dark-skinned man and said slowly to Bai Suyuan, "Junior Sister Bai probably doesn't know this person? He is also an inner disciple named Tang Chuan."

"You..." The dark-skinned man's face darkened upon hearing this.

"Senior Brother Tang is the only son of Elder Tang Jingming of the Heavenly Pill Hall. His Youyou Dark Art is unparalleled among inner disciples. How could I not know? If the opportunity arises, I hope Senior Brother Tang can offer some guidance," Bai Suyuan said, her watery eyes turning to Tang Chuan, a captivating charm spreading from the corners of her mouth.

Hearing this, Tang Chuan felt as if a spring breeze had blown over him, and any anger in his heart vanished. He quickly waved his hand and said, "Junior Sister Bai is too kind. As long as you ask, I will not refuse. In truth, the Youyou Dark Art is profoundly mysterious, and I have only scratched the surface..."

"The mere Youyou Dark Art is nothing special. I think it's just so-so," Qi Huanyu said with a cold laugh, inexplicably irritated by the sight of the two chatting amiably.

"What! You dare look down on the Youyou Dark Art? Fine, today I'll show you what it's really like!" Tang Chuan flew into a rage, a faint black light rising from his body as wisps of black mist emerged.

Qi Huanyu was unafraid; a purple glow appeared at the mark on his brow.

The people around them also glared at each other, and the hall suddenly became tense.

Bai Suyuan smiled faintly, moved her lotus steps lightly, and subtly stepped back two paces, leaving an open space between the two.

"How dare you! This is the Chaoyang Hall. Are you here for the assessment or to quarrel and fight?" A威严 voice suddenly rang out in the hall.

An invisible pressure instantly enveloped the entire hall, causing everyone, including Qi Huanyu and Tang Chuan, to feel their breath catch, almost unable to move. Even Bai Suyuan, who was not far from the two groups, had a flush on her face.

The pressure was only momentary; the next moment, everyone felt their movements return to normal.

But the tense atmosphere that had been building had dissipated in that brief moment.

A white light flashed, and the square-faced young man named Fang Yu appeared out of thin air, his Da Cheng stage aura fully unleashed, causing the air around him to hum.

His gaze swept over Qi Huanyu and Tang Chuan, then lingered meaningfully on Bai Suyuan for a moment before withdrawing.

Seeing this, Qi Huanyu and Tang Chuan glared at each other with a cold snort and turned away.

Bai Suyuan also lowered her head slightly and stepped back.

"Alright. Now that everyone is here, the trial will begin. Before that, I will announce the content of this trial. Remember, I will only say it once. It concerns the success of your mission and your lives, so listen carefully!" Fang Yu did not pursue the matter further and directly announced.

Sun Ke and the others who had been standing in the corner of the hall also came forward and listened attentively.

"Your destination this time is the Xuanbing Mountain Range. I will take you to the outskirts... You need to go deep inside and kill a Snow-Brown Xuan Bear at the He Ti stage to complete the trial... During this time, you can cooperate with others or kill it alone..."

...

Meanwhile, in the side hall.

Han Li watched what was happening in the main hall, feeling somewhat amused.

In these years, Bai Suyuan had not changed at all, still as mischievous as ever.

Speaking of which, she seemed to have started practicing the technique of that Cloud Dao Lord. The charm technique revealed in her every smile and frown was quite sophisticated, unconsciously ensnaring two cultivators of the same level.

Thinking that even with his vast spiritual power, he had nearly fallen into the seduction of that Cloud Dao Lord, these two proud sons of heaven, who seemed to have little experience, naturally could not escape.

Seeing Fang Yu begin to announce the trial content, he naturally listened attentively.

"The Xuanbing Mountain Range... that's not far," Su Tongxiao murmured to himself.

Han Li nodded.

He had now basically understood the situation of the Ancient Cloud Continent. The Xuanbing Mountain Range mentioned by Fang Yu was located north of the Zhongming Continent, not too far from the Candle Dragon Dao.

Moreover, the Xuanbing Mountain Range was not very large. Although there were many demon beasts dwelling there, with their True Immortal stage cultivation, it should not be too difficult to protect these inner disciples.

As Han Li thought this, he suddenly looked up toward the entrance of the side hall.

Almost at the same time, the space at the entrance stirred, and two figures appeared.

The first was a middle-aged man in a purple robe, with ordinary features, a square face, and slender eyebrows. His eyes were bright but not dazzling, giving an impression of refinement mixed with an imposing authority.

Beside him was a white-robed young woman with picturesque features and seductive eyes. She was none other than Dao Lord Cloud, whom he had met once before, Bai Suyuan's master.

An immense aura emanated from the two. The refined middle-aged man was in no way inferior to Dao Lord Cloud in bearing, and even seemed to overshadow her slightly.

"Dao Lord Ouyang! Dao Lord Cloud!" Su Tongxiao quickly stood up and bowed.

Han Li was inwardly startled and also stood up to bow.

"Are you two the covert guardians for this trial?" the purple-robed man asked slowly.

"Yes," Han Li and Su Tongxiao replied in unison.

"You should already know the content of the trial. In this trial, your task is to prevent accidents. For ordinary dangers, let the disciples overcome them with their own abilities. If they are incapable and die in the trial, so be it. Unworthy disciples are better off dying within the sect than outside," the purple-robed man said unhurriedly, his tone brooking no argument, even carrying a hint of killing intent.

"Reporting to Dao Lord Ouyang, could you clarify what you mean by 'ordinary dangers'? So that we can act accordingly," Su Tongxiao hesitated slightly and asked.