Chapter 6: The Alignment of the Nine Stars

"Inject your spiritual power; the test begins!"

The managing elder of the Main Peak nodded slightly and spoke to Lu Changfeng.

Lu Changfeng slowly placed his hand on the Daoyan Heavenly Stele. As his spiritual power surged, a hum resonated through the air. The Daoyan Heavenly Stele began to light up, and a white glow gradually enveloped it.

One star!
Three stars!

The managing elder raised an eyebrow slightly and muttered, "Not bad, three stars and still has the strength to climb higher. This lad's potential is quite decent among the crowd. He has the potential to reach the Seven-Star Alignment!"

Lu Changfeng ignored the elder's words, feeling only a mysterious and profound aura circulating within the stele, which seemed capable of stimulating the potential of those tested.

Three breaths later, the stele reached six stars.

"Six stars! Is this lad's aptitude actually this high? It seems he can become an inner disciple! Ah, why don't I have such talent!" The crowd in the square looked on with envy.

The next moment, with a hum, the light surged violently! The Daoyan Heavenly Stele shone brilliantly. The entire stone pillar became so dazzling that one could not look directly at it. Everyone present gasped in shock, but the stars continued to light up.

Although Lu Changfeng’s cultivation from his previous life was gone, the power of his Imperial Soul continued to reshape the body of this life. Moreover, under the stimulation of the Dao Ancestor Divine Technique, his aptitude had already surpassed that of his past life.

Hum! A hundred-foot beam of light erupted from the Daoyan Heavenly Stele.

Seven-Star Alignment!

Strange fluctuations roared and burst out toward the square. On the Hanging Mountain, several streaks of light suddenly flickered and shot toward the square at the foot of the mountain. This was the Seven-Star Alignment! A scene rarely seen in a century. It meant Lu Changfeng's aptitude was already on par with the youth who had started it all, and perhaps even slightly brighter.

"Seven-Star Alignment! Truly one of a kind!"
"This disciple belongs to the Heavenly Sword Peak; nobody compete with me for him!"
"What are you thinking? See where he wants to go first!"

The masters of the various peaks arrived in a flurry. Their voices echoed between heaven and earth. They had arrived late initially and were disgruntled that the Master of Body Tempering Peak had seized the initiative. This time, with the appearance of the Seven-Star Alignment, they naturally moved faster.

As they approached, everyone on the ground felt a surging pressure. It was as if a blazing sun had appeared in the world, and the strange aura left the entire Hanging Mountain in absolute silence. Even the cries of beasts ceased; the demonic beasts seemed to have their throats gripped, unable to make a move.

"These are the masters of the various peaks of the Hanging Mountain!"
"They are cultivators at the Dao Palace Realm!"
"What terrifying pressure!"

Everyone present widened their eyes, their breathing becoming rapid. The leader, arriving on a flying sword, was the Master of Heavenly Sword Peak, Cang Wufeng. He was the number one swordsman of the Daoyan Sect, whose heavy sword could shake the heavens and move the earth. Beside him were the masters of the Divine Pill Peak and the Myriad Array Peak. Though their combat prowess was lower, their mastery of alchemy and array formation made all cultivators yearn to learn from them. Including Xiao He, the Master of Body Tempering Peak who was already there, a total of four peak masters had descended in person.

"Such transcendent aptitude! It has actually alarmed all the peak masters remaining in the Daoyan Sect!"
"It truly makes one jealous!"
"If the other peak masters were in the sect, they would surely have come as well!"

There were seven peaks in the Daoyan Sect. Except for the Main Peak and those away on missions, all other peak masters had arrived. Lu Changfeng lifted his eyes to look at the figures in mid-air, who resembled blazing suns, his expression unchanged. Before the test, he had anticipated that his aptitude would cause such a stir.

"This lad practices the sword; he is most suited for my Heavenly Sword Peak!"
"Hmph, your Heavenly Sword Peak already has a precious disciple, and the path of arrays requires the most talent! He belongs in my Myriad Array Peak!"
"The old ghost from the Enlightenment Peak hasn't arrived yet. If he were here, he certainly wouldn't give up on this lad so easily!"

The peak masters grew more fond of Lu Changfeng the more they looked at him. No one wanted to let go of a disciple with such aptitude. In their eyes, Lu Changfeng was an unpolished gem. If they could recruit him, it would benefit their own future cultivation, as the world of cultivation placed great importance on lineage. A cultivator with the aptitude of a Seven-Star Alignment had the potential to reach unattainable heights!

The next moment, boom! The Daoyan Main Peak trembled, and surging spiritual energy erupted from the heavens and earth. The white light on the Daoyan Heavenly Stele turned pitch black in the blink of an eye, and the terrifying spiritual energy made everyone present struggle to breathe.

"What is happening?"
"Why has the Heaven-Reaching Stone Pillar turned pitch black? And the spiritual energy is so immense!"
"Heavens, look! The stars on the stone pillar are still lighting up!"

Pitch-black light pierced the heavens and earth, and the stele on the Hanging Mountain erupted with waves of spiritual energy that rolled out across the world, shaking the very earth.

An astonishing change!
All nine stars were lit!

Since the founding of the Daoyan Sect, no disciple had ever caused such a transformation in the Daoyan Heavenly Stele! His aptitude was heaven-defying, unprecedented in history!

In mid-air, the four peak masters stood trembling, looking at Lu Changfeng on the ground in astonishment. It all felt unreal.

Whoosh! Their figures flickered, and they appeared beside Lu Changfeng. Their deep gazes seemed to want to see right through him. While a Seven-Star Alignment was already extraordinary, they hadn't taken it too seriously since he was just a minor disciple. But when the Daoyan Heavenly Stele changed and caused the entire Hanging Mountain to shake, they understood: this child had the bearing of an Emperor! If he did not die young, he would surely have a place in the future of the world!

"Little one, come to my Heavenly Sword Peak, and I will personally teach you sword intent! I will take you as my closed-door disciple!" Cang Wufeng, Master of Heavenly Sword Peak, said with satisfaction.

"Lad, as long as you join my Myriad Array Peak, I will gift you the Myriad Array Chart! This is the supreme treasure of our peak!" Qi Pingsheng, Master of Myriad Array Peak, stroked his beard and smiled.

The Master of Divine Pill Peak was a woman wearing a white silk dress, with hair as white as snow, yet a face that looked like that of a sixteen-year-old girl. She spoke with a look of disdain, "Qi Pingsheng, it’s one thing to be stingy, but when we finally encounter a lad with such heaven-defying talent, how can you still be so miserly? A mere Myriad Array Chart!"

Saying this, she looked at Lu Changfeng kindly and asked, "Little one, you are so young—are you betrothed? I have a granddaughter who is not yet married..."

As soon as these words were spoken, the corners of everyone's mouths twitched.

At this moment, the youth standing beside Xiao He of the Body Tempering Peak looked dazed, filled with regret. "It's over! The person I just offended actually has the aptitude of a Nine-Star Alignment! Heavens! This..." He stood trembling, terrified that Lu Changfeng might notice him.

"Lu Changfeng greets all the peak masters," Lu Changfeng said, bowing slightly with composure. He did not notice the youth's reaction; from beginning to end, Lu Changfeng hadn't even spared him a thought.

Facing the invitations of these peak masters, Lu Changfeng did not make an immediate choice. He had come here merely to find a place rich in resources to focus on his cultivation. He wasn't particularly concerned with the conditions they offered.

Just as Lu Changfeng was quietly weighing his options in his heart, a hum resonated, and a clear, elegant voice echoed from afar: "My Yuehan Peak is accepting disciples. Lu Changfeng, you may enter my sect."