As a father, I just want to quietly watch you live a long life

Li Che only wished for a pure-hearted, carefree, happy-go-lucky Xi Xi.

That will required sorrowful stimulation, required bloodshed to awaken…

How much pain must Xi Xi endure for such a will to manifest?

Li Che did not want Xi Xi to suffer!

Li Che pondered on how to suppress this will.

At the very least, ensure this will does not affect Xi Xi…

As a father, worrying for his daughter.

It is only natural.

…

…

Upon the White Jade Square, Spring Rain fell softly, its gentle rhythm unbroken.

Anomalies unfolded beneath the Heavenly Dome, alarming many; even experts from Great Families seemed baffled as to why such phenomena occurred.

Within the Su Family carriage, the current Family Head, Su Daoling, slowly withdrew his gaze.

“As expected of Lv Taibai’s apprenticeship test, even a Divine Child capable of stirring heaven and earth with anomalies has appeared, but who might they be?”

“A temperament able to invoke celestial anomalies… must stem from an extreme type of purity.”

“A Heart of Innocence? A Heart of Slaughter? A Heart of Indifference?”

Su Daoling’s eyes glimmered.

No matter which kind, it signified that this Divine Child’s heart was extraordinarily pure. Such purity, if paired with an ideal cultivation method and plan, could result in rapid advancement beyond comprehension.

“Su Li… could he have a chance?”

Su Daoling exhaled deeply. Amidst all the Divine Children of the Su Family who participated, only Su Li had ascended the White Jade Staircase and remained within the Qiankun Small Cave Heaven, securing himself as one of the fifteen Divine Children.

Yellow Sword Wine’s childhood companion, Zhu Qing…

Indeed, Zhu Qing’s bloodline was exceptional, capable of capturing Yellow Sword Wine’s very soul. From her humble origins in a small noble family, she rose alongside him into the Inner Sect and even appeared on the Outer Sect’s List of Extraordinary Persons at the age of eighteen.

Her talent was undeniably commendable. After marrying Su Wuming, ten years passed before she bore Su Li.

However, Zhu Qing’s innate gifts were drained dry by Su Wuming, leaving her utterly despondent. Yet Su Wuming did not hesitate to extract her remaining value to its very end.

Su Wuming greatly cherished his son Su Li. Unfortunately, Su Wuming met his end at Yellow Sword Wine’s hands.

Perhaps, it is precisely this enmity that presents Su Li with the chance to stand out in this Heart Test?

The Spring Rain quietly raindanced atop the carriage’s roof, creating faint rustling sounds amidst an otherwise undisturbed stillness.

Su Daoling, seated within the carriage and dealing with official matters, struggled with the weight of responsibility. Lacking seasoned experience as Family Head, his handling of affairs was sluggish. Moreover, after the Su Family’s massacre, endless accumulated issues demanded his attention.

Suddenly.

Commotion disrupted the silence outside the carriage.

“A Divine Child has awakened, and the first to awaken… signifies elimination!”

Someone shouted.

The sequence in which the Divine Children emerged from their trials revealed their rankings within the Heart Test.

Following the Heart Test, the subsequent trial was the Temple Guardian Test—only three Divine Children could ascend to this stage.

To proceed to the Temple Guardian Test meant drawing ever closer to earning the title of direct disciple under Lv Taibai, an unparalleled figure ranked fifth on the Great God List.

And…

Becoming Lv Taibai’s final direct disciple, potentially stepping into the role of Qian Yuan Divine Sect’s Young Sect Master—a goal of unparalleled significance!

Su Daoling found his work dull and tasteless at that moment. He set everything down, lifted the curtain, and stepped out of the carriage. His gaze fell upon the light curtain of interwoven sword light spread beneath the White Jade Arch.

Within the radiant screen, seated in circular formation upon the dragon bone-like White Jade Staircase, the fifteen Divine Children began to awaken one by one…

The first to emerge… was Yue Linghu.

Yue Linghu opened his eyes, confused and disoriented, his mind still tangled in the vivid illusion built by Dao Yun Power.

He struggled to distinguish between illusion and reality, the true and the false.

Scanning his surroundings, his heart tightened abruptly.

Even Ao Qingqing… still kept her eyes shut, tears streaming down her face, immersed in immense pain and struggle.

She was still battling within the Heart Test…

This alone proved that Ao Qingqing was more formidable in the Heart Test than Yue Linghu.

“I am really the first to be eliminated?”

Yue Linghu trembled all over, frantic and lost.

At the center, the Grandmaster’s Divine Sculpture seemed to come alive, its piercing gaze instantly sweeping over him.

Yue Linghu felt as though the heavens spun and the earth shuddered.

The next moment, his entire being was teleported out of the Qiankun Small Cave Heaven, landing squarely on the damp ground beneath the White Jade Arch.

The cold rainwater soaked his clothes and pants, seeping into his skin.

Countless gazes fell upon him, and Yue Linghu felt chilled to the bone.

In a daze, he descended from the White Jade Staircase, returning to the carriage’s vicinity.

Yue Weizheng lifted the curtain but remained rather indifferent.

“Not bad.”

“No matter, this was merely a trial for you. I never expected you to truly become Lv Taibai’s disciple.”

Yue Weizheng’s detached words stung Yue Linghu’s heart, stirring faint waves of ache.

Was it true, then, that everyone deemed him talentless—even his own father?

Still, Yue Linghu couldn’t dwell on his pain for long. Amid the chaos of voices, his eyes caught sight of the second eliminated candidate.

“It’s Ning Caihe from Seven Treasures Divine Sect!”

“The third eliminated is here as well… It’s the son of the Divine Capital Demon Princess, Tie Shancai…”

…

Yue Linghu’s awakening seemed to set off a chain reaction.

One Divine Child after another stirred, gradually opening their eyes amidst trembling figures.

After Tie Shancai, it was Yang Yi, then Zhou Peng.

Once Zhou Peng was likewise expelled from the Qiankun Small Cave Heaven, he stood drenched in the Spring Rain. Taking out a small meat bun, he popped it into his mouth to calm his nerves.