You don't want your secret to be revealed by others, right?

"""\\

Fine then,

Perhaps it's just a matter of a few days.

"I heard this group of geniuses is led by a Saint Existence and over a dozen Great Cultivators."

The man in the green robe said, "I have personally observed that Saint Existence. Although their power is ordinary, the sudden appearance of such a figure is something you need to be cautious about."

"The Human Clan of Eternal Night also has a Saint Existence?" Lin Yue asked in astonishment.

"This item is yours to use."

The man in the green robe waved his sleeve, and immediately an item flew toward Lin Yue, "You may handle this Inner Hall assessment on your own."

Lin Yue caught it and discovered it was a palm-sized pavilion, exquisitely crafted and lifelike.

"The Martial God Tower?" He recognized it.

It was merely a treasure, part of the array of the Ancestor Hall. It could control parts of the Ancestor Hall's array and, importantly, it represented the Main Hall Master.

"Go ahead."

"I shall take my leave, Master."

...

That night, Lin Yue didn't return to his residence. He tried his hand in the Illusion Heart Cave Heaven of the Ancestor Hall, discovering that his resistance to Illusion Techniques was quite mediocre and resolved to strengthen it in the future.

He then found a place to stay, quietly cultivating as he awaited the start of the assessment the next day.

Late at night,

Suddenly—

"Dong!"

"Dong!"

"Dong!"

"Dong!"

"Dong!"

Five continuous resounding noises, like a great bell, exploded in Lin Yue's mind, as all things came to a halt and silence reigned. The lofty, grand ringing reverberated unendingly in his mind.

"Five rings?"

Lin Yue listened intently at once.

The next moment, a ethereal, illusory voice softly spoke.

"Do you know? No matter those martial geniuses of unknown origin, nor those leading Great Cultivators and that Saint Existence, they are just ignorant caged birds, pawns in the millennium ambition of the Demon Clan. Their only objective is to find the Human Ancestor's remains, reclaim the Heavenly Martial Divine Cauldron, and save their compatriots from home..."

Then, the voice gradually faded away without a trace.

Lin Yue couldn't help but frown slightly.

"Caged birds?"

"Pawn in the Demon Clan's millennium ambition?"

These people's origins were quite different from what he had imagined.

Originally, he thought that these humans of unknown origin might have been captured and nurtured as spies by the Demon Clan.

But it seemed that wasn't the case?

"They seek the Human Ancestor's remains? And the Heavenly Martial Divine Cauldron as well?"

Lin Yue pondered, "Do these people know where the Human Ancestor's remains are located?"

From Xiahou Shou's memories, the Human Ancestor's body was in the Great Yu Empire's Imperial Mausoleum, but its current location was uncertain.

It might still be in the Great Yu Imperial Mausoleum, or perhaps somewhere else.

Lin Yue thought to himself, "Perhaps I can use these people to help find the Human Ancestor's body..."

...

A night passed.

Today, the front hall plaza of the Ancestor Hall was uncommonly lively. The decennial Inner Hall assessment was a great opportunity to recruit talents, and various powers naturally wouldn't remain idle.

Especially since this year many martial geniuses appeared in Di Hong City, attracting even more people than usual.

Over a hundred and seventy people passed through last month's Outer Hall assessment, compared to just fifty-three last year, which wasn't even a fraction of this year's numbers.

Among these hundred-plus individuals, each shone brightly in last month's Outer Hall assessment, showcasing astonishing strength.

The lowest reached the Second Layer of Tianxia Building, and there were even more outstanding ones among them.

To possess such strength before thirty, they truly deserved the title of geniuses.

The Ancestor Hall plaza was a sea of people, most gathered for these young prodigies.

"Where did these geniuses come from? Back when the Seventeenth Prince was present at the Inner Hall assessment, there were just over fifty participants, right?"

"Don't know where they're from, but these hundred-plus must have come from the same place; they all seem to know each other."

"Strange, besides the Ancestor Hall, is there anywhere in the world that can cultivate so many martial arts geniuses?"

"Could it be the Demon Clan? But that can't be, right? If it were the Demon Clan, they wouldn't be so blatant and obvious, would they?"

"How could it be? Such talent would indeed be considered geniuses to the Demon Clan, so why send them as spies?"

"Indeed, among these hundred-plus, the most outstanding geniuses seem even stronger than Baili Fengzhi back in the day. With such talent, why serve as spies for the Demon Clan?"

"I heard this group of over a hundred geniuses is led by a Saint Existence and over a dozen Great Cultivators."

"I went to investigate, but they all kept tight-lipped, revealing nothing."

The Ancestor Hall plaza was buzzing with discussions as people from various factions exchanged privately, all curious about the origins of these hundred-plus prodigies.

The hundred and seventy-plus prodigies waiting in the central plaza were distinctly divided into two groups.

Over a hundred geniuses of unknown origin gathered together, communicating through Divine Thought Transmission.

Opposite them, at the edge of the plaza, stood a bald woman in a red robe. Her entire aura was cold and unapproachable, exuding the pressure of a Saint.

Behind her stood over a dozen Great Cultivators, all waiting silently.

Suddenly—

A streak of light flew from the depths of the Ancestor Hall, landing on the front hall plaza and transforming into a young, handsome man in a white robe.

"Quite a lively scene."

The young man smilingly surveyed the hundred-plus geniuses, then glanced at the area where the red-robed bald woman stood.

"Seventeenth Prince."

"Greetings, Seventeenth Prince."

"Greetings, Your Highness."

Clearly, many on-site had already heard that this Seventeenth Prince would preside over the Inner Hall assessment, and were not surprised, only offering respectful greetings.

After all, this prince was not only a royal scion but also the first genius in this era of Great Yong and the direct disciple of the Ancestor Hall's Main Hall Master!

To the Ancestor Hall, this prince's status was even higher than the Ancient Hall Master.

In past Inner Hall assessments, they were usually presided over by a Great Elder, a peak Great Cultivator, but due to the Seventeenth Prince's participation in the assessment back then, the Ancestor Hall sent a Hall Master to preside.

This year, having the Seventeenth Prince, whose status surpassed even a Hall Master, personally preside signaled utmost importance.

Moreover, it was rumored that in past years, this prince had slain that Ascetic, albeit relying on a Divine Artifact, but he had the strength of the seventh layer of Tianxia Building, which was enough to shoulder this responsibility.

"Ladies and gentlemen."

Lin Yue swept a glance over the crowd present, smiling subtly as he said, "This year's Inner Hall assessment seems somewhat special, so I will preside over the assessment. Does anyone object?"

"Having the Seventeenth Prince preside over the examination is our honor."

"With Your Highness presiding, how could we object?"

The cultivators on the Ancestor Hall's side responded warmly, showing great respect.

As for those martial geniuses of unknown origin, they silently observed this Seventeenth Prince. Over recent days, they had also heard the tales of the Seventeenth Prince of Great Yong.

The Human Clan's number one genius of Great Yong, the direct disciple of the Ancestor Hall's Main Hall Master, who wielded a Divine Artifact, breaking through the Three Talents Heaven Barrier to slay another high prestige Great Cultivator...

Such exploits truly warranted admiration.

However,

They remembered their strongest genius traveling with them on this journey and, by comparison, felt a surge of pride.

Lin Yue's gaze swept over these foreign martial geniuses, and without elaboration, he immediately waved his hand. An item flew out from his hand, rapidly transforming and expanding.

Ultimately, it became a towering building several dozen zhang high, standing majestically on the front hall plaza's open space.

"This is... the Martial God Tower!"

"The Martial God Tower?"

"The Main Hall Master actually entrusted the Martial God Tower to His Highness?"

Upon seeing this, everyone understood the Main Hall Master's intent: this Inner Hall assessment was to be determined solely by His Highness, with no room for objections from anyone!

Lin Yue gracefully landed on the top floor's terrace of the building, standing by the railing, overlooking the many examinees below, and said,

"Then, let us begin."