The ancestral worship was the heart of the ceremony; the trials that followed were of secondary importance.

The ritual itself was not overly long. Led by the clan’s Grand Elder, the disciples of the younger generation stepped forward one by one to pay their respects.

The worship concluded after precisely one hour.

Next came the most anticipated event: the ancestral ground trial.

Shen Xiong stood before the massive bronze cauldron, his hands clasped behind his back. He scanned the crowd, and his voice resonated like a grand bell across the platform as he began to announce the rules.

“The trials in the ancestral ground are undertaken at your own risk. All who enter must strictly abide by these four ironclad rules…”

With a flick of his sleeve, the space above the bronze cauldron warped, revealing four lines of blood-red text.

“First, the memories of all who enter the formation shall be sealed. Upon your exit, everything you experience within will be forgotten, save for the rewards you earn by passing the trials.”

Everything experienced within the formation would be erased, leaving only the blessings and benefits bestowed upon the successful.

Thus, within this realm, there was no distinction between senior and junior, rich or poor. All that mattered was giving one’s utmost to earn the formation’s approval and secure the First Patriarch’s blessing.

“Second, within the ancestral ground, life and death are not illusions.” Shen Xiong concentrated a speck of golden light at his fingertip and gently touched it to the dragon head atop the cauldron.

Instantly, the nine carved dragon reliefs opened their crimson eyes, exhaling a mist thick with the scent of blood.

“Should you perish within the formation, both your body and soul shall be utterly destroyed.”

A solemn silence fell over the crowd, and every disciple held their breath.

The ancestral ground trials were indeed perilous. Each ceremony claimed roughly a tenth of its participants—not an insignificant number, and an undeniable danger.

This was why Nangong Wan had been so worried about her youngest son.

Fortunately, he now had Ye Qingxian’s protection.

Hearing this rule, Shen Li’s lips curled into a cruel smile.

His cold gaze fell upon Shen Xian, his eyes brimming with murderous intent.

Once inside the ancestral ground, he could act without restraint. Everyone would simply assume his half-brother’s demise was due to the dangers lurking within.

The only thing he needed to worry about…

Shen Li glanced sideways at Ye Qingxian and let out a cold laugh.

Even with this woman shielding him, once they were truly inside, she would have no say in the matter.

He had prepared thoroughly for this ancestral ceremony, leaving nothing to chance.

“Third, the names of those who pass shall be inscribed upon the cauldron.” Shen Xiong suddenly formed a hand seal, and the blood-red words above the cauldron transformed into five golden beams that shot toward the sky.

“For every stage cleared, the top five participants will have their true names revealed, and the clan shall bestow generous rewards upon them.”

Whispers immediately rippled through the platform.

Many young disciples stared intently at the cauldron, already envisioning their names emblazoned upon it.

“Fourth…” Shen Xiong’s voice boomed, causing all twelve towering stone pillars to tremble.

On the central pillar, the relief of the First Patriarch slowly opened its eyes. “Those blessed by the ancestors shall inherit the clan’s fortune!”

These words struck like thunder.

Several elders immediately turned their gazes toward Shen Li, their eyes filled with anticipation.

Shen Li, meanwhile, tilted his head back slightly. The Erosive Blade at his waist emitted a faint glow, as though victory were already his.

“Now…” Shen Xiong drew his fingers together into a sword-like gesture, unleashing a bolt of golden light that struck the massive bronze gate.

“Take your tokens and enter the formation!”

Hundreds of jade tokens shot forth from the cauldron, landing precisely in each participant’s hand.

Shen Xian ran his fingers over the cool patterns on his token, catching a glimpse of an unusual silver glow edging Ye Qingxian’s.

The clan permitted direct descendants to bring their families, but these companions could, at most, gain the formation’s recognition. Securing the First Patriarch’s blessing… that had never happened since the inception of the ancestral ceremonies.

“Remember,” Shen Xiong added, his voice cutting through the rising excitement, “the ancestral ground has four stages. Passing three is considered a success. But only those who reach the very end… shall encounter the true opportunity.”

The crowd’s spirits soared.

For many collateral descendants, this ceremony was their only key to elevating their status. If they seized this chance, they could leap from obscurity to prominence.

For direct descendants, while their status was already noble, gaining the formation’s approval—or even the First Patriarch’s blessing—meant wielding greater power within the clan.

For Shen Li, this trial was vital to his ascension as the future head of the Shen family.

“Enter the ancestral ground!” Shen Xiong bellowed, activating the clan master’s seal.

In an instant, a brilliant golden light erupted, obscuring the sky and filling the air with an overwhelming aura.

Boom!

The massive bronze gate slowly creaked open, revealing only a vast expanse of blinding white light, from which an ancient, profound energy pulsed.

All the Shen family disciples holding tokens suddenly felt themselves drawn by an unseen force, involuntarily pulled toward the mist and disappearing from sight.

Only the senior members remained, standing firm to deter any mischief.

“I hope Xian’er returns safely,” Nangong Wan murmured, her face etched with worry.

Meanwhile, the other senior members began to discuss the trial among themselves.

“In my opinion, this blessing can only belong to Li’er,” said the Second Elder, stroking his long beard, his eyes gleaming with certainty. “He was even given the Void Guiding Jade Pendant—it shows how much the eldest son values him!”

The senior members had all heard about Shen Xing’s support for Shen Li.

They held the young man born with an Innate Dao Body, destined to become a future Immortal Sovereign, in the highest regard.

The Fifth Elder nodded repeatedly. “Indeed! If Li’er receives the First Patriarch’s blessing, his ascension will be effortless.”

These two elders had already thrown their full support behind this future clan leader.

“I wonder how Qingxian will perform,” the Grand Elder mused aloud.

Her talent was considerable, and she had just received the inheritance of a cave dwelling. Her future was bright. If she performed exceptionally and secured the First Patriarch’s blessing, it would be a great fortune for the entire Shen family.

The Fifth Elder waved a dismissive hand. “She is an outsider. At most, she can hope for the formation’s recognition. Throughout history, no outsider has ever received the patriarch’s blessing. And besides, she’s bringing someone with her…”

He didn’t utter the final two words, “a burden,” but everyone present understood his meaning perfectly.

Nangong Wan’s brow furrowed slightly.

“We shall see,” Shen Xiong interjected, ending the discussion.

The crowd turned its attention to the light screen projected by the bronze cauldron, where no names had yet appeared.

…

The first stage of the ancestral ground trial was called the Five Elements Cave Heaven.

The young disciples entering the ground would be randomly assigned to one of five cave heavens, each teeming with spiritual beasts. The challengers had two days to hunt these beasts and collect their beast crystals.

The more beast crystals one collected, the greater their chance of gaining the formation’s approval, which would in turn influence the subsequent patriarchal blessing.

Each cave heaven’s spiritual beasts corresponded to one of the five elements, making luck a crucial factor.

After all, the five elements interacted through a cycle of generation and restraint.

If a challenger specializing in water-based spiritual energy entered the fire-element cave heaven, they would feel right at home. Conversely, if they entered the earth-element cave heaven, the challenge would become exponentially harder.

Of course, in the face of absolute strength, such elemental restrictions were far from absolute.

As the mist dissipated and the bronze gate closed behind him, Shen Xian felt the world spin, enveloped by an ethereal force.

When the haze finally cleared, he found himself in a strange, wondrous realm—the gold-element cave heaven.