Chapter 134: The Divine Will Temple (Part-2)

Guided by Wang Bi’er, Ryan and the others passed through the narrow passage and entered a side hall.

Compared to the vast main hall outside, this place was slightly smaller, yet it still left Ryan and his companions stunned. Its grandeur was no less impressive, and the atmosphere carried a weight that made people instinctively lower their voices.

The walls of the side hall were entirely covered in exquisite murals. Countless complex patterns intertwined with one another, forming scenes that seemed ancient and mysterious.

Just one glance was enough to make one feel as if one’s mind were being drawn in, unable to look away.

At the very center of the hall stood a massive statue over ten meters tall. It looked neither fully like a snake nor fully like a dragon, but rather something in between, a strange and ancient creature whose form defied easy description.

What was even more unsettling was the aura emanating from it. It felt alive. Standing before it, Ryan could not shake the illusion that this was not an inanimate statue, but a dormant, ferocious beast quietly breathing.

“This is the Kai Ling Hall,” Wang Bi’er explained softly. “It’s where the disciples of Dui Palace test their spiritual strength, and it’s also the only place in the Divine Will Temple that candidates are allowed to enter.”

“Kai Ling Hall? Testing spiritual strength?” Li Wujie murmured in awe. “What a mysterious place.”

“Sister Bi’er, since we’re already here, how do we actually test our spiritual strength?” Li Shu asked curiously.

“See that statue?” Wang Bi’er pointed toward its legs. “There are grooves carved into it. As long as you place your hands into those grooves, the statue will respond and give you the result.”

Before anyone could step forward, a voice suddenly sounded from behind them.

“You little ones know quite a lot. Judging by your clothes, you aren’t wearing the attire of Western Mansion disciples. You should be candidates, right? Have you been here before?”

The group turned around in surprise and saw a dignified old man with white hair and a long beard standing behind them. No one knew when he had appeared.

“Sixth Grandpa!” Wang Bi’er exclaimed in delight when she saw him. “It’s been so long since we last met!”

“Hm?” The white-bearded old man squinted at her, feeling a sense of familiarity, yet unable to place her immediately. “You call me Sixth Grandpa… you are?”

“It’s me, Bi’er,” Wang Bi’er said with a smile.

“Ah!” The old man’s eyes widened in realization. “You’re Bi’er? You’ve grown so much. The last time I saw you, you were only this tall.” He gestured with his hand. “Now you’ve grown into a proper young lady, and such a beautiful one at that.”

“It’s really been many years, Sixth Grandpa,” Wang Bi’er said shyly, her cheeks tinged with red.

Then, remembering Ryan and the others, she quickly introduced them. “Sixth Grandpa, this is one of the ten lords of Dui Palace, Lord Murong Liu.”

Turning to Ryan and the rest, she added, “These are my good friends and also candidates for this year’s entrance examination.”

Ryan immediately stepped forward and cupped his fists. “My name is Li Wei. Greetings, Lord Murong.”

“My name is Li Wujie.”

“I am Li Shu.”

The others followed, introducing themselves one by one.

Murong Liu nodded calmly after hearing their names, his expression remaining largely unchanged. After all, candidates were still candidates. The only one who truly caught his attention was Wang Bi’er, whose background was anything but ordinary.

“So that’s how it is,” Murong Liu said with a smile, looking back at Wang Bi’er. “No wonder you’re so familiar with Kai Ling Hall. Why did you come today to test your spiritual strength, or are you here to visit this old man out of boredom?”

“Neither,” Wang Bi’er replied. “My friends just arrived at Western Mansion, so I brought them here to experience the Divine Will Temple. I didn’t expect to run into you here, Sixth Grandpa.”

“I see,” Murong Liu said with a chuckle. “I was bored myself and decided to take a look around. Since you’re not here for me, I won’t interrupt you youngsters any longer.”

He turned as if to leave, but Wang Bi’er suddenly seemed to think of something and quickly stopped him.

“What is it now?” Murong Liu asked, amused.

“Sixth Grandpa, I have something I’d like to ask of you,” Wang Bi’er said hesitantly.

“Go on,” Murong Liu replied jokingly. “As long as you don’t want these old bones of mine, I can agree to anything else.”

“Sixth Grandpa, please don’t tease me. I’m serious,” Wang Bi’er said anxiously.

“Alright, alright,” Murong Liu laughed. “What is it? As long as I can do it, I’ll help you.”

“Sixth Grandpa,” Wang Bi’er said carefully, “could you… help me open the Six Spirit Gate?”

“The Six Spirit Gate?” Murong Liu was taken aback. “You want to open it just to test spiritual strength? Besides, your friends aren’t even disciples of Western Mansion yet. Only outstanding disciples are qualified to open the Six Spirit Gate. I can’t agree to that.”

“Sixth Grandpa,” Wang Bi’er said, clinging to his arm and acting coquettishly. “They might not be disciples yet, but they soon will be. I guarantee it with my character. They will definitely enter Western Mansion and become outstanding disciples.”

“But—” Murong Liu began, only to be interrupted again.

“Sixth Grandpa, even if you don’t trust others, you should trust me,” Wang Bi’er said earnestly. “I would never lie to you.”

Murong Liu hesitated, glancing at Ryan and the others. After a moment, he sighed. “It’s not that I don’t believe you. But there are five of you here. I can’t open the Six Spirit Gate five times.”

“I know,” Wang Bi’er said quickly. “I don’t need you to open it five times. Just once. Just once is enough.”

She raised one finger and shook his arm again, pleading. “Please, Sixth Grandpa, okay?”

Murong Liu fell silent for a moment, then finally shook his head helplessly. “Fine. For your sake, I’ll open the Six Spirit Gate once.”

“Thank you, Sixth Grandpa!” Wang Bi’er exclaimed happily, shaking his arm even more excitedly.

“Alright, alright,” Murong Liu laughed. “Stop shaking, or this old arm will be useless. Now tell me, who do you want to test their spiritual strength?”

Wang Bi’er immediately pulled the still somewhat dazed Ryan forward and said, “Him. Sixth Grandpa, please open the Six Spirit Gate for him.”

“Sister Bi’er, what exactly is this Six Spirit Gate? What does it mean?”

Ryan was pulled forward by Wang Bi’er, his face filled with confusion. He genuinely had no idea what was happening.

Not just him, but Mu Xianling, Li Wujie, and the others were equally bewildered. Doors of spirits, special rituals, something that could only be opened once. Every word sounded mysterious and left them completely lost.

“Brother Li, don’t worry about it so much,” Wang Bi’er said with a smile. “You only need to know that this is a good thing for you.”

Clearly, she had no intention of explaining further.

Murong Liu glanced at Ryan and frowned slightly. “You’re certain you want to open the Six Spirit Gate for him?” His gaze sharpened as he examined Ryan again. “Strange… I can’t see through him at all. Boy, are you carrying some kind of hidden treasure?”

At first, Murong Liu had assumed that Ryan’s aura was simply too weak to sense.

But after examining him carefully, he still couldn’t perceive anything. Ryan looked no different from an ordinary mortal, yet that was impossible. Anyone who could pass the qualification examination and obtain a quota could not possibly be without cultivation.

Seeing the doubt on Murong Liu’s face, Wang Bi’er quickly explained, “Sixth Grandpa, Brother Li is special. Don’t try to probe his level. Just give him the spiritual test and open the Six Spirit Gate. You’ll understand later.”

“Special?” Murong Liu muttered. “How special? Hidden treasures?”

“Oh, Sixth Grandpa,” Wang Bi’er replied vaguely, “it’s hard to explain right now. After the entrance examination, I promise I’ll give you a big surprise.”

She clearly did not want him to dig any deeper.

The truth was that Ryan wasn’t hiding his level with a treasure.

His strength was simply so high that it could not be detected. But Elder Lu had already instructed that Ryan’s strength must remain secret before the entrance examination. If it were exposed now, Ryan might not even be allowed to take the exam.

Murong Liu nodded slowly. “Fine, I won’t ask further.” Even so, he still gave Ryan a few more probing looks, confusion lingering in his eyes.

Wang Bi’er then turned to Ryan. “Brother Li, do you trust me? I won’t harm you. This will only benefit you. Don’t ask too much now. I’ll explain everything after it’s over.”

“Du Ling?” Another unfamiliar term appeared, making Ryan even more confused. Still, he nodded. “Alright. I’ll follow your lead.”

He trusted Wang Bi’er. More than that, seeing how earnestly she had gone to such lengths for him stirred something warm in his chest.

“Good,” Wang Bi’er said happily, then turned to Murong Liu. “Sixth Grandpa, let’s begin.”

Murong Liu chuckled. “You girl.” He then looked at Ryan seriously. “Boy, although I don’t understand why your level escapes my perception, let me tell you this. Opening the Six Spirit Gate is a tremendous opportunity. If it weren’t for Bi’er’s repeated pleading, I would never agree. Even outstanding disciples of Dui Palace don’t easily get this chance unless they rank among the top ten or make major contributions. Consider yourself fortunate.”

“So… I’m making a huge profit?” Ryan muttered to himself, still half-lost but amused by the situation.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep