"Up ahead is the mountain gate of Fuyou Sacred Land..."
Feng Xianhuang led Xiao Ming through a series of challenges, and they finally saw the gate standing tall amidst the mountains.
The gate towered hundreds of feet high, standing between the mountain bodies.
Engraved on it were the ancient characters 'Fuyou', exuding a sense of grandeur and dominance.
Through the gate, one could see a towering peak piercing the clouds, resembling a giant sword that spanned the heavens and earth, with palatial buildings standing atop it.
It looked like a paradise on earth.
And this... was Fuyou Sacred Land!
As one of the five dominant forces in the Northern Profound Realm of the Eastern Region, the sacred land was not only filled with powerful individuals but also countless prodigies and geniuses.
It housed various unique spiritual bodies and even the presence of sacred physiques.
It was a holy place that ordinary people and even typical prodigies could never enter in their lifetime.
"No wonder it's called a sacred land!"
"Even the mountain gate is a sacred artifact with both offensive and defensive capabilities, serving as the core of the Mountain Protection Array..."
Looking at the massive gate before him, Xiao Ming couldn't help but sigh.
Just this gate alone was beyond the reach of the entire foundation of the Xiao family.
It was clear how vast the gap was between a sacred land-level dominant force and a first-rate family!
"It seems we're not the only ones joining Fuyou Sacred Land today..."
As Xiao Ming couldn't help but marvel, Feng Xianhuang glanced ahead, a hint of surprise on her charming face.
In front of the mountain gate of Fuyou Sacred Land, there was a gathering of many people.
These people wore different attires, not resembling the disciples of the sacred land.
So, it was evident.
They were either here to participate in the assessment or were waiting here to try their luck, hoping to be noticed by the powerful individuals of the sacred land.
"It has nothing to do with us, let's go."
Xiao Ming shrugged indifferently upon hearing this.
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
He just wanted to enter Fuyou Sacred Land as soon as possible, to become a little genius under the protection of a powerful force, allowing him to develop safely for a while.
Once he was strong enough, he would settle scores with the Xiao family and that dear brother of his!
"Hold on."
Just as Xiao Ming was about to approach the gate, Feng Xianhuang suddenly stopped him, leaving Xiao Ming a bit puzzled.
"Your strength is impressive, and your physique is unique."
"So, I want to have a match with you..."
"A match?"
Hearing Feng Xianhuang's words, Xiao Ming was momentarily stunned.
He couldn't understand why this reborn empress had such an interest.
Could it be that along the way, seeing him easily slay a few beasts and effortlessly eliminate those black-clothed people, his displayed combat prowess was so monstrous that it dealt a blow to this empress, prompting her to want a proper duel?
"The entrance assessment of Fuyou Sacred Land involves climbing the Fuyou Heavenly Ladder, which contains various elemental forces to test a person's strength and perseverance."
"Above five hundred steps, one shows the potential for a Dharma Aspect; above six hundred steps, the potential for Nirvana; above seven hundred steps, the potential for Tongtian."
"By analogy, breaking through eight hundred steps offers a chance to achieve Saint, and breaking through nine hundred steps offers a chance to become a Saint King."
"The Fuyou Heavenly Ladder has a total of one thousand one hundred steps. Today, let's see who can go further in this assessment!"
After speaking, Feng Xianhuang stared at Xiao Ming with a burning gaze, her face filled with intense battle intent.
As the saying goes, know yourself and know your enemy, and you can fight a hundred battles without danger.
Although she was a reborn empress, Xiao Ming possessed the Chaos Body.
Even if he was a novice in cultivation without the insights of an Emperor-level expert, he was still a top existence in the Cangyuan Realm.
If she could take this opportunity to gauge Xiao Ming's capabilities, she would have more confidence in handling the upcoming comparisons.
"Not interested..."
Xiao Ming replied with a disinterested expression.
He had already learned a bit about Fuyou Sacred Land's assessment method from the Xiao family.
Throughout history, those who could break through nine hundred steps were extremely rare, each causing a sensation throughout Fuyou Sacred Land.
Only three had ever broken through a thousand steps: one was the third Sacred Master of Fuyou Sacred Land, another was the eleventh Sacred Master, and the last was a prince from an Emperor-level family.
With his talent and strength, reaching the top posed no pressure.
But he didn't need to stand out, as it would easily make him a target.
So, he planned to casually achieve eight or nine hundred steps, which would be quite sufficient.
"Don't you want to know your own limits?"
Hearing Xiao Ming's response, Feng Xianhuang was a bit exasperated.
"Not interested..."
"Even if I knew, so what?"
"The future path won't be smooth just because of this, and the limits you see aren't necessarily your endpoint."
"So it's better to take it step by step, to walk each current step steadily. That's what we should be pursuing right now..."
Xiao Ming waved his hand dismissively, showing no concern.
"Then why don't we make a bet? If you win, I'll give you a Saint King secret technique!"
"If you lose, let me observe your cultivation method and physique!"
Hearing Xiao Ming's response, Feng Xianhuang became anxious.
She even offered a Saint King secret technique as bait, making Xiao Ming wonder if he had heard wrong.
Looking at her with a bewildered expression, he immediately refused.
"That's not possible!"
"My cultivation method is extremely special, how could I let you observe it!"
Xiao Ming refused without a second thought.
The Chaos Dao Demon Scripture was a supreme cultivation method, incomparable to a Saint King-level secret technique. This empress really had some nerve.
Although he didn't think he would lose, he wouldn't gamble on such matters.
Moreover, the Chaos Dao Demon Scripture was imprinted in his soul by the system, and he had only reached the entry-level stage, unable to copy it for others to observe.
"Don't misunderstand."
"I'm not trying to take your cultivation method inheritance, just want to see you operate this method and sense your true essence attributes."
Rejected again by Xiao Ming, Feng Xianhuang's mouth twitched, her voice somewhat stifled.
Unexpectedly, she, a dignified empress, was offering a Saint King-level secret technique, yet was being dismissed.
Have Saint King-level secret techniques become worthless now?
Hearing Feng Xianhuang's words, Xiao Ming raised an eyebrow slightly.
If it was just that, he could accept it.
Watching him operate the method and sensing the true essence attributes would only touch the surface, not the core inheritance.
If he could obtain a Saint King secret technique this way, it would indeed be a worthwhile trade for him.
"Ding! Life Choice System triggered randomly, the host can make the following choices..."
[Choice 1: Remain unmoved, refuse Feng Xianhuang again, regardless of what conditions she proposes, refuse to compete with her, and receive a random secret technique as a reward.]
[Choice 2: Be greedy, refuse Feng Xianhuang and claim the conditions aren't enough, insisting she must sleep with you, and receive a random pill as a reward.]
[Choice 3: Confident of victory, accept Feng Xianhuang's challenge and win, and receive a random spiritual item as a reward.]
[Choice 4: Disdainful, refuse Feng Xianhuang's challenge, claiming she's not worthy to compete with you unless she kneels and begs, and receive a random formation as a reward.]
As these options appeared in his mind with the system prompt, Xiao Ming's eyes narrowed.
Unexpectedly, Feng Xianhuang's actions triggered a system choice, allowing him to gain system rewards once again.